Thes One said: And since we're talking numbers, every year in the last couple of years the music industry has been 50% of what it was before, especially for independent groups like us.
Vinyl 12"'s are down about 1500% - i know this figure sounds ridiculous but it's true. Youth Explosion sold 15,000 units in the first month it was out (because the market was like that) now adays if i say we're going to press up 400 units of a twelve inch, everyone gets nervous because that's a pretty high aspiration for a 12". All this vinyl is making a comeback sh!t is bullshizzle if you know whats really happening in the industry. And the worst part is distributors and retailers don't want to pay me what it costs to press up the record - for instance, with TR@TD, it cost me $1600 out of my pocket to make that record. I paid for it with my credit card. Fat Beats told me they would only pay me $3.75 a unit AND i would have to pay for shipping. That's why Om had to sell them direct, they bailed me out by buying them at cost from me and saved my ass.
Now, all this stuff i'm telling you no one in the industry wants you to know, but i'm telling you because it's your money that has kept us afloat and i respect and appreciate that.
The CD sales are down over 50% across the board from last year when fun dmc came out - al the stores like virgin etc. are gone. no one is buying physical cd's. Om wen tout on a limb with my packaging ideas but damn if someone doesn't start buying the actual cd's this might be our last physical release, because when sales are 50% digital, it doesn't make sense for a label to make cool sh!t for the fans (which is what i'm all about)
bottom line - we need to continue to urge our family and friends to support music and bands they love by buying physical copies of things. It costs less than a meal but it lasts a lifetime.
Thes One said: Dude its really bad. Carried Away debuted #30, number three of the new releases on the billboard rap chart behind Snoop Dogg and Kottonmouth Kings. And let me put it to you like this: two weeks later and there still hasn't been 1000 physical cd's sold. Ouch.
The top google links to Carried Away are all free downloads.
Snoop Dogg selling 4000 units? what world are we living in?
If anything Om gets the props for still trying to keep the physical ship afloat. I'm personally going to FYE today to buy a few copies. Just because.
Thes One said: Well i have been trying to juggle and deal with this the best way we can. We've come too far to stop or turn back, so we just need to readjust - unfortunately it's not exactly clear what that readjustment will be. If you guys remember i had asked awhile back how you think we should proceed forward and i took everyone's input and suggestions seriously.
Unfortunately, I have to handle everything here, from the artwork to making the beats to business managing to booking tours to engineering etc. And i'm trying to be the best father i can be but it's getting really tough and overwhelming, especially when met with the disappointment of sales. I feel like - you know when things are going well everyone is willing to take credit for it but when the sh!t hits the fan it's always, "whats going on thes?". So the short answer is i'll figure something out - i'm not going to let this die because the business of this is dying. We've always been music first and business second. So the art will stay. The music will keep coming. We will figure out ways to get the last chapters of this book published.
I've got alot of stuff planned right now that's going to be really awesome, i don't want to let the cat out the bag just yet but trust me, things are going to keep coming. I'm adjusting to sleeping 6 hours a night, which means more time to dedicate to all of this. Om is reworking the marketing plan and i think we can pull this through, they are behind the record and it's not going to go anywhere but up at this point. To be alive and still standing after all of this change is worth it in itself to me.
I really can't tell all of you how much i appreciate and respect your support, criticisms, dedication and passion towards what we've been trying to do.
Thes One said: the real problem is the newest generation of fans have never ever in thier life bought a piece of music, it's something they have just grown up getting on line in a data stream. I'm not mad at them, you know, no one should be held responsible for the implications this whole internet has set up for artists - but i mean, thank god puts isn't a magazine (those are all gone). At least we can still do what we do and worry about the money later. I have no doubt that things will keep moving forward, this isnt' a rant or a "Feel sorry for us" thing. I'm just stating the facts on the numbers and i really want to see the record labels survive. Saving the last independent record labels and record stores is really what this is about.Lemme repeat one part:
I'm selling off some stuff right now to independently fund some projects so we can keep moving forward. And knowing that all you all care is reason enough to keep making these decisions and keep going.
Thes One said: bottom line - we need to continue to urge our family and friends to support music and bands they love by buying physical copies of things. It costs less than a meal but it lasts a lifetime.
wink, wink.
