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| project:
Monkey Pox Mixes |
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Disc 1, 2, 3 & 4. Each release a set
of 50.
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| production
expenses |
total |
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3" compact discs Qty: 55*
x 4 = 220 @ .69 each |
151.80 |
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| Photo-positive
screen plate: 10.00 |
10.00 |
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| Photo
emulsion for screenprint |
26.55 |
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| 3"
cd-r plastic sleeves Qty: 220 @ .10 each |
22.00 |
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| Color
cardstock 250 sheets for sleeve inserts |
8.55 |
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| injet
cartridge - black. |
17.95 |
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| total
production cost |
236.85 |
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| cost
per record (236.85 / 220 discs) |
1.08 |
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| production
notes: |
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* EXTRA DISCS:
For example, There are 50 discs in each
of the monkey pox series, but I always print a few extra discs in
case of errors in production such as duplication fault, scratched
discs, miscount, etc. (and the possibility that in the future I'll
want to hawk a few on ebay.)
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DISC PRICES: The price I pay
per blank recordable compact disc is higher than what you'll find
through some wholesalers and even retail outlets. The reason for this
is that I want to record onto the highest quality blank disc available
so that our CD records are as error, artifact, and skip free as possible
and will last over the course of time.
When i first started with recording onto blank cd's, i scoured the
web for the most insanely low disc prices available----what i found
out, though, is that the cheaper the disc, the more likely it was
to record with errors, skips, etc (not to mention that cdr's sometimes
actually die out and refuse to play after only a short lifespan of
a few months- hey, if we could afford it, i'd do every record on vinyl-
i would!!! Anyway, it has to do with the quality of the ink dye used
in the manufacturing process and overall conformance to industry specs
for the compact disc format...so, through trial and error, i've found
that paying extra for quality discs is worth the assurance that each
disc will sound the same and continue to function properly over time.
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| other
factors: While I wouldn't consider what we do at coach and
6 to be a "professional" operation, a lot more goes into
the production of a record than meets the eye. Various factors- the
most obvious being time- are not figured into the overall cost as
detailed above. The reason is reasonability. Coach and 6, as a record
label, must help to sustain the cost of projects in order to be considered
functional. For each project, I try to be fair in determining which
costs the bands will shoulder and which the label will. Besides time,
other cost factors frequently handled by the label include: Shipping
costs and supplies such as cd mailers, padded envelopes, etc., web
site hosting and maintenance, equipment for project development: computers,
media duplication equipment, printers, screen printing equipment and
misc. supplies...basically, everything that makes up the "grey
area" when it comes financing a production. I'm telling you these
things so you'll know that they have been taken into consideration
and so you'll know exactly how and why we arrive at a cost- in this
case- of $1.07 per record. I think I said at the time of disc 1's
release that if you're able to cover this cost- a buck a cd- for each
disc you receive, that'd work just fine, so let's stick with that
for this project. The next addition to this section will describe
the distribution of the discs, receipts from sales, and how all that
shakes down. |
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| business plan for 'Monkey
Pox Mixes' |
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Before
I discuss the distribution and receipts for Monkey Pox Mixes, I think
it makes sense to get an idea of the business plan for this release.
One thing I enjoy about running coach and 6 is the process of organizing
things and learning through trial and error how to improve things
for the future. It might seem like common sense, but I've only recently
decided that from now on, each project will require at the earliest
stage possible, a thorough discussion of finances with all concerned
parties. This is a departure from the past method of just forging
ahead with a project and worrying about the finances later. That,
as far as i know, has worked fine so far; I think there has always
been a sense that we're just doing this for the love of it and nothing's
likely to come of it anyway, as far as money goes, so why worry about
it? And yes, and I still feel this way, however, again, in the spirit
of good relations, it just makes sense to settle financial matters
from the start, if for no other reason than to make people comfortable
with how things work.
Now, that
said, there has never been a thorough discussion of Monkeyhouse finances.
Had the project started under my currently enlightened frame of mind
regarding finances, you'd have been consulted at the outset, or at
the point the decision was made to go ahead with a record. Let me
address the topic now:
I always expect
to lose money on record projects; the method has always been to 1)
Focus on the substance of the project, the music, and reach the artists
vision with as little compromise as possible 2) Package the projects(duplicate
them to cd/vinyl and encase them for distribution) in a way that is
economically reasonable, but also in-line with the artists style and
the decorum of the label. 3) Put the finished project into the hands
of as many interested people as possible. 4) Aim to break-even while
accomplishing steps 1-3.
Step 3
is the crux of my philosophy on coach and 6, maybe a point of departure
for some. But, what is it we do? Okay, make music, for example. Now
take a person who makes music and sells music, what do they do? They
make music and they sell music. But which is more important, to make
music or sell music? If you decide 'sell music,' then consciously
or unconsciously- you turn onto a path that can only lead to one artistic
compromise after another. Now, if your name is Paul Simon, you can
turn the world on its ear and sell a trillion records without compromise
and do well and be satisfied as no doubt he is. But few have the world
beating down their door, as he does, for their next record.
So here we are, in fargo, north dakota,
as far removed from the music-biz world as one could be in the U.S.
To attempt to achieve commercial success without leaving town would
surely qualify you, on a scale of absurdity, as an existentialist
hero. That's why I like Fargo: it's very easy to decide that 'making
music' is more important than selling it; there are few distractions
that can lead to delusions of grandeur and cause you to dillute your
creativity with nods to commercialism.
What
I've decided is that I enjoy this, the process of making things, projects,
call them what you will...I enjoy it in the same way, i suppose, that
a gambler relishes the draw of the cards; and so we both blow our
money for this entertainment. Fine then, fine. Don't you just love
it when you find out that the captain of the ship is insane?
Sorry
for that bit of long-windedness- but somehwere in there is the essence
of what I believe in- and I hope you're still with me.
So,
what can we do then? We make something- a record- no?. We share it
- this thing, our idea- with people, friends- as if to say, "here-
this is what's been going on with me, why I've been so scarce lately."
I choose not to sell this person
a bit of my life, but to share it with him. If by chance, some curious
stranger is interested to see about this- maybe a friend of this friend
-then it is easier to go, okay, I cannot just give this to everyone,
as it does cost money, survival money to make this thing, so I choose
then to sell it, and to facilitate this process, to make it easier
to share, we use what resources are reasonably at our disposal: our
website, local record shops. And to make it easier to share these
things, we don't charge the same price as the businessmen who are
trying to make money, for then we start to have to do the things to
compete with them, and begin a battle we cannot win, so instead we
make it an attractive price that invites the curious.
What
is the purpose then? Why all the absurdity? I know X guy locally who
does alright with his gig...Hey, great. Great for him. He's figured
out a way to make it work in a way that must keep him happy. That's
just plunderphonic.
The purpose, our purpose, my
purpose, to be precise, is to communicate something...what, I don't
know, an idea I suppose...a scream amid the chaos of the approaching
oblivion. If the scream is real enough, people will believe it; I
won't have to sell it to them. I will have communicated something
genuine.
No I am not on drugs or drunk as I
write this. These words and sentences are carried by the inertia of
thoughts that lead to this general ending that is not precise and
does not imply a philosophy that can be organized into methods of
dealing with things. It's just an extreme exposure to a feeling or
way of looking at things that sometimes influences decisions around
here.
Okay,
now where were we? The finances....the decison I made, as the project
developed, was that we would go with the usual mode of operation with
the record project: to put together a record and share it with friends
and whoever else might be interested. If we went with a low number
- say 50 of each disc, we could keep our costs low & at the same
time bulid exclusivity into our project.
Each member could help defray
costs by contributing $1 for each record they received, and in turn
they could do with them what they wished- give them away, sell them
at a profit, and so on.
Also, I, on behalf of coach and 6,
would ship away about 10 copies from each set to people across the
country who I know are "into" off-beat music and different
kinds of things. We would not get anything in return for these discs-
but they would likely be appreciated, and once in a while, it might
lead to some publicity, as in the case of a web 'zine writer who recently
published a positive review of disc #1.
Personally, I'd rather put records
in the hands of someone who's likely to be interested, then an acquantance
who could give a rip about the music; knowing a record is in the hands
of someone who's gonna attach meaning to it, is worth giving up the
cost put into it.
Now, after sending records to people
on this exclusive coach and 6 mailing list, and getting requested
copies to band members, I would put the remainder of the records (from
each set of 50) up for sale at a local record store- such as cheapo
records, and at a price aimed only at covering the cost of the record's
production. I'd also leave some at the Vinyl connection where Jim
always has a way of hooking up the right people with the right music.
I stopped "selling" records there years ago.
I think- for a project
in its infant stage -these are sensible approches to sharing our music
with people- without breaking our pocketbooks or theirs.
If you'd fancy that at some point down
the road, all this music sharing would lead to some sort of following,
then the principle of demand would come into play and perhaps we would
earn a profit on our work. I never said I wasn't a capitalist, just
a musician first.
But, back to reality....know
that at the commence of future projects, you will be solicited for
input on its business plan, and know that for the Monkey Pox Mixes,
I have acted, as always, with (what I feel are) the best interests
of the artist in mind.
Jeezuz! Sorry 'bout the
length on that.
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| distribution
total (after all discs are distributed as planned) |
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| who |
qty. |
net |
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| band
members |
120 |
120.00* |
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| coach
and 6 mailing list |
40 |
0 |
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| cheapo
records |
30 ** |
30.00* |
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| vinyl
connection |
20 |
0 |
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| *
indicates projected net, not actual. |
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| ** disc
3 not included: bundled with zine & distro'd for free or retailer
cost. |
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| total |
210 |
150.00 |
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| Summary |
Coach
and 6 project investment |
236.85 |
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net
from sales and member investment |
150.00 |
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project
total loss / profit |
- 86.85 |
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| conclusion |
Well, what
an idiot! Why not just sell the records for a buck or so more and
cut a profit!? Coulda. Coulda. But, to get in touch with people- put
records with interested people, I'll bet we couldn't have better spent
that 86.85! Hell, the fun alone was worth it!!!
Now, who's up for another? I'll be in touch. : ) |
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