Bands asking for contributions to fund a new album. What do you think?
By Dr. Loomis
@drloomis (6)
Rome, New York
August 19, 2016 10:26am CST
I've noticed recently a few bands asking for funding to promote & put out their new albums. Both of the bands that I've seen doing this are famous enough & have enough money I would think to just release the album in question. This is the first time either band has done this. While neither band would be considered mainstream they both have had long careers and have several albums in their catalogs.
One band is offering guitars,drums,private concert at your home,will write a song for you & put it on the new album,etc...depending on your dollar amount you pledge. Wouldn't it be easier just to sell the instruments off on,say ebay perhaps autographed or something than ask fans for money?
One thought came to mind,and that's maybe that in light of the craze of downloadable content and pirate torrents out there,that bands have lost so much money over the years that they figure that if the fans want another album,then they will have to pay up front for it.
Curious as to what anyone else's thoughts on this might be. Do you feel this is an incentive that brings the fans & artists closer or more of an emotional/monetary guilt trip?
5 people like this
6 responses
@CinnamonGrl (7086)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
19 Aug 16
Wow, I haven't seen that trend yet. I donate to several causes as it is. So personally I would not think of participating that way. But it might not be a bad idea for these bands' fans. I have often thought about how hard things must be for budding musicians these days. So much free music and so much competition. So I kind of understand why they'd do that.
2 people like this
@drloomis (6)
• Rome, New York
21 Aug 16
@inertia4 Tourniquet is more popular in the Christian Metal scene for sure,but because of their drummer/founder Ted Kirkpatrick they are also known in a semi-famous sense in the secular music industry as well for not only the music & his prolific drumming ability,but also his stance on being a Vegan & cruelty to animals for testing & as a food source. The other band I was referring to in my initial post was a band called Rose,who are also known in the Christian music scene. Randy Rose was the former drummer for a band he started with his brother Roger called Mad At The World. Enjoy my useless knowledge. =)
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
19 Aug 16
I really understand that bands asking for funds.
A musician can't make money only by playing music. People have to buy the CD, pay for tickets for concerts, maybe other ways too, but, just paying music is not enough.
I suggest that if people like the music of the artist, they will be happy to pay some donations to the band so the band can keep on making music, so they can hear on youtube or buy a CD.
If I was having a band, I would also work at a part time job, to make some money to pay for the production of my CD. but, who knows how it can work....
If I'm not wrong, Meytal Cohen, is a talented drummer who make drum covers for many metal songs, she started a band and they also got donations.
Now she got a band, a website (with no donation link) and she really lives her dream. All thanks to social financing.
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
20 Aug 16
@drloomis Yea, she is good, and also cute.
Well, I guess music is not a way to make a living for every musician and some social financing can help, even for the old successful bands.
@drloomis (6)
• Rome, New York
20 Aug 16
I think Meytal started out on YouTube with her drumming videos and eventually she was approached to start a band. I would think her situation is a bit different from an already established band. She is an amazing drummer btw.
@asfarasiknow (3340)
• Bournemouth, England
19 Aug 16
If they sold their instruments the album would have to be acapella! Seriously, there are so many of these crowdfunding appeals competing with each other that surely the successes will become a tiny minority. I read years ago about a highly acclaimed singer, songwriter and guitarist (Terre Roche of the Roches, whose career goes back to the early 70s) finding that the pledges fell short of financing her solo album.
Musicians have to spend money and a lot of time to hit their crowd-funding goals, so failure is expensive. But for some people, at specific moments in their careers, crowd funding can be a piece of the puzzle.
@drloomis (6)
• Rome, New York
20 Aug 16
Well the instruments in question are obviously "spares" as they need equipment to make music. Pledging just seems very desperate in my opinion. I don't mean to sound judgmental about it. In fact I love & support both of the bands I am thinking of in this post. Tourniquet & Rose. (both Christian Metal/Rock bands) And while they might not be mainstream or on the radio,many people have heard of them & they have had very long careers that they have done fairly well in.
1 person likes this
@asfarasiknow (3340)
• Bournemouth, England
20 Aug 16
@drloomis As Christian bands they may stand a better chance of raising the money as some fans may regard funding their message as a form of tithing. When I first became interested in music bands played loss-making tours to increase awareness of their profitable albums. Now it's the reverse: records can end up making no money and it's the gigs (and their merchandising) that pay.
1 person likes this
@drloomis (6)
• Rome, New York
20 Aug 16
This is concerning bands and their funding for their albums,not about a particular "brand" of anything.
