BTTV BLOG

It’s like Groupon for records. Mad partnerships are beginning to form in the new music business. I love it. How does this one shake out? Time will tell. But daily deals on records straight to my inbox sounds interesting…or maybe it will just be spammy and I’ll hate it. Maybe I’ll eat spiders for breakfast too.

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RCRDLBL and Topspin have partnered to create RCRD DEALS, which is like direct-to-fan combined with the daily deal site Woot, but for music. The new flash sales site will offer everything from great music products to concert packages at steep, limited-time discounts.

The goal is to reintroduce new scarcities in an age of radical abundance.RCRDLBL has the e-mail list and trusted music influence. Topspin brings its knowledge of premium music offerings and backend support. Together, they will be able to give fans with an e-mail daily deal that they want to see in their inbox.The site is up, but no deals are present. You can sign up to be notified.

via Hypebot.

Perhaps another good excuse to beef up that merch table with a few more goods. Maybe even lock up that online store you’ve been putting off.

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Everything may be going to bits-and-bytes, but it turns out that fans still love something tactile. Not only that, they’ll pay premiums for packages that include collectibles like colored vinyl, signed lithographs, and whatever else fits the audience.

The proof? According to information shared with Digital Music News, a whopping 75 percent of Topspin revenues involve some sort of physical product. “We’re beyond the one-size fits all product world – thankfully,” said Topspin CEO Ian Rogers, discussing the numbers at New Noise Santa Barbara. “What we see is, 50 percent of what we sell is digital, and 50 percent of it contains something physical. The 50 percent that contains something physical is 75 percent of revenues, or more.”

via Digital Music News

A bit depressing? Yes. What is considered, “making a living?”. That’s up for discussion. But there is a bit of talk a to wheather a “middle class” of working bands now exist as a result of lower distro and production costs. Digital Music News gives the goods via a chat Ian Rodgers gave over the weekend.

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It’s never been cheaper to distribute music, and recording costs are now fantastically inexpensive. That’s old news, but it looks like marketing costs are actually increasing, and the number of artists making ends meet remains depressingly slim. In fact, the latest finding shows that less than 30,000 artists are actually earning a living, according to stats shared by Topspin CEO Ian Rogers at New Noise Santa Barbara over the weekend.

More specifically, the number is between 25,000 and 30,000, and the original source of that calculation is Songkick cofounder Ian Hogarth. Essentially, Hogarth analyzed his database of bands by the types of venues being played, and the likely incomes associated with that level of venue. “You can decide that number is slightly lower or slightly higher, you can argue about what the definition of making a living is, but it’s probably on that order of magnitude,” Rogers told the audience at the Canary Hotel in downtown Santa Barbara

via  Digital Music News.

Hey BTTV’ers new and old!

It’s time for a crash course on how to get the most out of BTTV by hosting bands and/or getting out on tour.

Fill Out Your BTTV Profile COMPLETELY!

This is important for both Bands and Hosts. Provide as munch info as you can. Everyone needs to be able to find a little background info on each other by looking at a full profile and checking out your Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or your band’s website.

There’s a big trust factor going on with BTTV, so everyone needs to chip in.

Get Local: Ask questions…

Through BTTV you can gather a ton local info that you wouldn’t get without using the site. Use this to your advantage.

Reach out to people in other cities. They may not be able to host you, but they may know a bunch about their city and music scene. Ask questions, see who knows who, find out who books what and you might just end up playing a great show to a large crowd and sell a bunch of merch that you otherwise wouldn’t have.

Grow Your Fanbase Through True Human Interaction

Touring and touring smart is great way to grow a sustainable fan base that will show up the next time you come to town. Hit the road and save money any way you can. Also use tools that are out there (Bandize, Topspin and Band Metrics) to do more with less. BTTV is just one piece in the cheap touring puzzle.

Share BTTV With Your Friends

The more people who are signed up, the better the BTTV is for everyone.

Tell your friends. Tweet about us. Become a Facebook Fan or join our Street Team and get free stuff!