This is quite a long post, so I hope you can stick with it… For those of you coming in late, this was written in response to an online question asking my friends and followers how they consumed music: did they still buy CDs, or did they stream from sites like Spotify, etc. I got literally dozens of replies on Facebook and in response to the newsletter.
The first thing to be said is, as always, thank you – to so many of you for taking the time to reply, and share your thoughts and experiences. It really means a lot and it has been HUGELY useful. This blog post is an attempt to make sense of what I’m hearing, and let you know how the replies stood up.
(and just so I don’t exhibit any hypocrisy, I have ended the article with a postscript, explaining my OWN listening and purchasing habits)
The most encouraging and sincerely moving thing about the experience is the overwhelming sense that as well as consuming music - people wanted to SUPPORT THE ARTIST. And I mean, all the artists… not just me. People who don’t own CD players are buying CDs at the gigs - because they know it helps the artist. People are making choices based on their desire to be most supportive. And that’s a wonderful thing to hear.
Here are the basics - these are the percentages (I’ll discuss each of these in a bit more detail below):
Still buying CDs – 48%
Streaming – 44%
Downloads – 4%
Vinyl – 4%
There’s some cross-pollination here - a lot of people do BOTH, of course. I’ve awarded marks out of ten, so if someone said ‘I use Spotify and YouTube but still buy the odd CD’, I’ve awarded 4 each to Spotify and YouTube and 2 to CDs, for example.
About a fifth of those who responded said that they used Bandcamp for streaming and/or downloads, or were willing to use it, and about a tenth of you said you would be interested in merchandise, with some suggestions for items.
Bear in mind before I go into detail – these are the thoughts of people on the Anthony Toner mailing list, and who are friends of mine on social media. The numbers will be different for other artists. But in any case, here’s a condensed version of the replies, and further below some of my thoughts on the way forward for me, as an artist.
COMPACT DISCS:
Some of the comments on that subject were fascinating. The numbers buying CDs are dropping, and it’s quite often for reasons other than personal choice. A large number of people have said they like to listen to CDs in the car, but increasingly, new cars are being made without CD players. So people who don’t really WANT to ‘stream’ music via Bluetooth or memory sticks are being forced to learn how, or are getting help with it.
Lots of people are buying CDs just to rip the tracks - I was amazed at the number of people who buy CDs at gigs, then rip the music to their phone and put the physical CD away somewhere, often not to be played again. Quite a few people said they had ripped their entire CD collection to a hard drive and got rid of the lot. There was a sense from some respondents that we’re already drowning in physical STUFF – our lives are already full of books, CDs, DVDs, clothes, shoes…
By contrast, a lot of people say they appreciate the physical object, they like getting the lyrics, the artwork, the information, etc. Many people said they bought CDs at gigs ‘to support the artist’, even though it was a format they don’t naturally use. That says a lot about relationships.
STREAMING:
Interestingly, a lot of people said they had bought my CDs, but actually listened to my music on streaming sites. The CD is becoming a souvenir, a gesture of support, an object to be looked at once or twice and then shelved. Again, that’s interesting.
A significant number of people said they used streaming sites to discover and explore artists, but would then often buy the physical CD, or download direct from the artist’s website.
Spotify accounts for 20% of the total response, with streaming sites like Amazon (8%), Apple (7%) Deezer and Tidal (1% each) coming in behind. A lot more people are also listening to music on YouTube (7%), in this case either new material, live performances, or archives of old tracks.
DOWNLOADS:
Not that many people (4%) are actually downloading music – a lot of people have said they have ripped and collected music for memory sticks and SD cards to play in their (non CD player) cars. But a lot of that seems to be ripped from existing collection CDs. But if they’re listening online and streaming is available, most are going for that option rather than downloading.
VINYL:
At 5%, it would appear that not many people - in my network - are buying vinyl. A few people said they had begun to play old vinyl from their own collections. There were a few comments that people loved vinyl and were keen to explore it, but were put off by how expensive it was - and because they were already running out of storage space.
BANDCAMP:
About a fifth of those who replied said that they either made use of Bandcamp regularly to download or stream tracks. There was a significant feeling that they used the site because they knew that more of the revenue was going directly to artists.
MERCHANDISE:
This was quite interesting - about a tenth of those who replied said they would be interested in merchandise, or had purchased merchandise at live concerts. Again, I had the impression that the primary urge was to support the artists. Someone (not to be named) said they had once bought at APRON at a Keane concert. An apron is a pretty cool product, I think. Some of the responses were interesting – a couple of people said they would only be interested in merchandise if it was ‘done right’ and was of high quality. Things like T-shirts and tote bags were mentioned, and somebody told me that some artists were offering handwritten lyrics, suitable for framing. Another person said they would rather pay for experiences, like workshops or lessons.
So – where do I go next…?
I will continue to make CDs – but I think I’ll duplicate less of them. The usual print run is 1,000, which is ten pretty hefty cardboard boxes coming into the house in release week. And (let me be honest with you) even with gigs and mail order, it takes a long time to sell a thousand CDs. I’ve put out a dozen albums over the years – a few of them are sold out, but that’s still a lot of boxes in the attic. Some nights I get a bit nervous, sleeping underneath that amount of stock…
(For those of you who want the physical object, but intend to rip the tracks, I might in future offer a downloadable Zip file of MP3s or WAVs if you ask, to save time… would that be useful?)
I will continue to stream – it makes no sense for me to take my stuff down from Spotify, Google Play etc. If fans are listening to it there, why would I shut it down? However, I will make more options available, though, if I can – which brings me to:
I will be making more use of Bandcamp – and I will be inviting you to use it, too. For those of you who don’t know about it, it’s a streaming and download site, where the lion’s share of what you pay goes to the artist. I’m a bit late to it, to be honest – I’ve had a Bandcamp site for ages, but have not really populated it with material (there’s a song from the 2020 US election week up there: ‘Whoever Wins in Ohio’). And I had considered making a series of archive releases available up there – unreleased tracks, live recordings, old demos, stage music etc. However, I think I might now start re-issuing the whole back catalogue, chronologically an album at a time, accompanied with some text, images and so on. This would offer a chance to download the MP3s or FLACs, read a bit of background, etc. So… watch this space.
I don’t have any plans to release on vinyl, or at least not yet – I love the format (it was how music EXISTED when I first started devouring it – the little Huntley & Palmers biscuit tin full of 45s), but I don’t think I have enough fans yet buying vinyl in quantities to make it financially viable (it’s quite an expensive way to put out music, which is why new vinyl albums cost twice what CDs cost). But if listening trends continue to change, or the costs come down - or I find I can afford it, it would be nice to think about it.
I might consider some merchandise, actually - I usually send out free badges with the CDs, and also offer them free at the gigs. I did have Sailortown T-shirts made, about ten years ago, and that was an interesting experience… The physical BUSINESS of lugging the boxes of shirts around, along with the CDs and the equipment, was a bit taxing. But the worst part was standing at the merchandise table after the show, while people held the T-shirts up against each other and looked at them: ‘I don’t know… do you have any other colours? Let me see the Extra Large…’ Some people turned them inside out and looked at the STITCHING and the labels, while I stood there. It all became a bit… Nutts Corner Market. But I might consider it, as a website-only thing, or at times when I have a bit more support. Tote bags? Maybe. Handwritten lyrics? Definitely. Workshops or lessons? Maybe.
Aprons? Definitely.
Postscript - my listening habits…
Just so I don’t become a conversation vampire, let me share my music habits with YOU:
I still buy CDs, but nowhere near as many as I used to. And… maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but more and more I’m often… disappointed by what I’ve bought (two good tracks, lot of boring filler). So I often stream first to make sure.
And let me clear about one thing first – I’m with Guy Garvey on this: I’m a BIG fan of streaming… I have a Spotify account, I listen on YouTube, and it has become a wonderful way of discovering and exploring new music. It just doesn’t pay the artists a lot, or at least not yet. But it means anyone in the world can hear my songs.
(My mother in law was in a dentist’s office in Ottawa, and during conversation about family, she mentioned me and my music. Five seconds later, I was coming through the overhead speakers on a streaming site called RDio. Whether I get PAID much for that or not doesn’t matter as much as the fact that it’s a new relationship with a listener, one that could not have happened without streaming. Music to get your teeth cleaned to? It’s a niche I’m willing to explore… (and despite being one of the first of the streaming sites, RDio is now gone, actually. It was swallowed up by Pandora)
Occasionally – not all the time – I will order the physical CD, mainly because I want to support the artist, but also because I want to play the music in the car or the living room, read the lyrics, etc. I recently bought an album by an international artist that was a skinny black and white cardboard digipak with little or no information or lyrics or even artwork - and I remember thinking: this is such a flimsy and worthless physical product, I should have just streamed it. But do I put it in the car and play it? Yes I do.
I still enjoy a stroll through a music shop like HMV, and I love finding a bargain, or something I’ve been chasing for years.
I’m using Bandcamp more and more often – often to lend a hand to local artists that I know and love, but more recently I have paid and downloaded material from new artists (recently instrumentalists Ryan Dugre and Zoe Keating).
I don’t buy new vinyl – at £22, it’s just too big a risk (listen to that voice: that’s me at the age of 13, saving my pocket money for the new Pink Floyd album, talking). But I do like an old ‘crate dig’ at the record fairs, often coming home with obscure 70s singer songwriter stuff and soul/blues. Last gems before the lockdown? The Amazing Rhythm Aces albums Stacked Deck and Too Stuffed to Jump - and Martin Stephenson’s Boat to Bolivia for £3 apiece.
I do buy merchandise – I quite like a tour T-shirt. Don’t know if I would pay for handwritten lyrics - maybe. The cupboard under the stairs is already full of tote bags, so I don’t think so.
If you’ve read right to the end, once again many thanks for the interest in this subject, and your contributions - it has been a huge help in considering ways forward. And it’s always great to hear from you. Don’t forget that my songs are available on all of the streaming and download platforms, as well as being available for mail order as CDs from the STORE page on this very website. If you have anything to add, feel free to drop me an e-mail at anthonytonermusic[at]gmail.com.