Sales/Prints

[Kevin]

I know that many people do not think of sales/prints as being important but I was wondering if anyone makes a few dollars/pounds etc from their music or gets significant print outs for free scores?

[Deleted]

I personally have never made a sale and I am not aware of any printouts either. I happen to like my own music but if I was to go by this criteria, I would have to conclude that no one at all likes my music. Since I mainly do it for my own satisfaction, then it makes the entire matter redundant. However, to be honest, like anyone, I would like to be successful at this. Since I'm not successful at it, I am sort of getting the message that I should move on to other things ... at least in terms of money-making and career moves. Life is too short to be spent fretting.

[allanh]

Hi Kevin

I have sold a few pieces on Score Exchange and MusicaNeo over the last couple of years, but nothing that will break the bank. However, people do love free stuff. So far, between the 2 sites I have over 500 downloads.

Hopefully, they are getting played somewhere. That's all I'm after.

Allan

[Kevin]

I manage to make a few sales on SE every month. It is surprising what people buy. I sometimes feel like trimming my store down to the items that sell then a sale of something that I wrote ages ago pops up!

[Deleted]

An embarrassingly few sales. When Sibelius did the sales, there was a fair number of prints, but that has stopped. Like Anne Gooddwin, I am beginning to look upon Score Exchange as a waste of time. I suspect that the general outlook is that if is on line, it should be free.

Richard

[Deleted]

Jul 18, 2014 0:14:53 GMT @richard said:

An embarrassingly few sales. When Sibelius did the sales, there was a fair number of prints, but that has stopped. Like Anne Gooddwin, I am beginning to look upon Score Exchange as a waste of time. I suspect that the general outlook is that if is on line, it should be free.

Richard

Well ... all I can say then Richard is that the 'general outlook' (about something valuable and of worth online) is not my outlook. When I am on the internet and belonging to forums such as this one, I make it a point to donate to these forums a certain amount of money, monthly if possible, that I think is fair and that is within my pocketbook/budget. To me, having the privilege of belonging to valued online forums is exactly as if I were receiving a monthly magazine ... only better of course because it is interactive. I do not receive my favorite magazines, for example, for free ... they are paid for either by subscription or at a local business establishment ... and so I therefore do not expect to receive access to forums such as Sons of Sibelius for free either. On that note, I do hope there are other participants who are also of the same view as myself about this.

[Deleted]

That's one way of looking at it, Anne, but there is another way. As I see it, absolutely nothing on the internet is free. It's all very big business, and all its customers pay for it through the nose.

But I don't need to worry about that. I'm not a customer. I'm part of the commodity being traded. The customers are the advertisers whose names appear all over every computer screen in the known universe. These are customers who imagine they're getting targeted advertising, though judging by some of the things I see advertised on my computer the targeting isn't all that effective. They would probably do better to use hoardings by the roadside.

So I don't think the internet is free in any meaningful sense, but I also don't see why I should pay any more for something that someone else is making a fortune from already.

[Joseph]

Jul 18, 2014 7:24:16 GMT @tonyj said:

So I don't think the internet is free in any meaningful sense, but I also don't see why I should pay any more for something that someone else is making a fortune from already.

I think maybe Anne was suggesting it might be nice [if users] contributed to the funding of this board.  It's not necessarily that simple.  While I am not against such an idea in principle, in fact at this time in income garnering life (or lack of . . .) I would need to be privy to financial information regarding the costs involved to make an informed decision about what I could afford.  It's not like contributing to your favorite charity or (heaven forbid) political association.  In each case you can gather cost sheets if you so desire.  So, for instance, if Kevin showed this board cost him $1000.00 (of course the GB equivalent) then I could say that I receive this much satisfaction being a member of this site and I am willing to contribute x% to it's continuation.  And indeed the Internet is not free.  Access costs me about $100.00/month . . . something that requires re-evaluating continuously on a fixed income.

[Kevin]

Strange how this thread has evolved! Anyway here is my reply to Joe.

The basic forum costs nothing to run. However if we keep filling the pages up with links and music etc I will have to delete stuff( which I do not want to do) or pay for an upgrade to the storage available. We are not there yet but it will happen at some point.

Anne's welcome contribution has paid to clear the advertisements now and then. This gives the forum a more individual look.

There are other things you can add but they cost. But that is by the way.

The thread was about how your music is getting out there by the way!

[Joseph]

Jul 18, 2014 19:40:13 GMT Kevin said:

Strange how this thread has evolved! Anyway here is my reply to Joe.

The basic forum costs nothing to run. However . . . I will have to delete stuff . . .

The thread was about how your music is getting out there by the way!

In truth I often go back and delete threads I have posted that have gotten little attention.  Maybe if you provided an idea as to things available that might enhance the forum together with a cost . . .

Anyway, as far as your initial query, sales are sporadic, my last was a couple of months ago.  Nothing to write home about regarding income.  As far as freebies, I rarely make anything available for free on the Internet. Not 'never' just rarely.  Stores are stores, items are for purchase.  That said, if someone requested something along with a reason as to why they'd wanted it as well as good reason as to why they could not pay for it I'd probably provide it.  On the old Sibelius site I had plenty of downloads when items were free.  Not so much now that all have associated costs.  I buy the music I listen to, or pay a subscriber's fee to use music services.  I have purchased scores in the past, less so now especially with sites such as IMSLP and The NY Phil's library. Much is legitimately available for "free".

[John Biggs]

I've had very mimimal purchases. But I never was particularly bothered about that. What I am bothered about is the reasons why anybody has purchased these compositions, and did they actually like or enjoy playing them. Interestingly the free score that has had most prints is the string trio I did for the Autumn Competition last year - (16 prints). A couple of months ago I put some blurb on the page mentioning this and asking for some feedback. Since then I have had no prints at all. So yeah very despondent about this - and the point of it. The old Sibelius forum was much more fun - but I guess i'm as guilty as any body else for not commenting or offering views. Lifes very busy and athough we have this big forum to share I suppose we get caught up in our own agenda's. But I do think that if I purchased an original piece off score exchange I would e mail the composer about it.

[Kevin]

Maybe such a request could be put on the front page of SE. I will email them right now! Maybe other members should do so as well?

Email sent. Just checked my sales and they are creeping up this month. I will be able to afford a small takeaway! $20.00 this month!

[Joseph]

Jul 19, 2014 9:08:05 GMT John Biggs said:

". . . [what] is the reasons why anybody has purchased these compositions, and did they actually like or enjoy playing them . . ."

John, that sums up why I do not typical make scores available for free!  

I remember downloading some scores from the old Sibelius site purely as educationL material for my personal enlightenment.  I contacted the composer and explained the reason for the download.  We actually struck up a brief conversational 'friendship' which led to me attending a premiere of his in NYC.  The ScoreExchange site does not offer that type of open communication (though you can always email a poster - whether they reply is another story). So, this forum has at least an opportunity for that type of communication.  Whether one partakes of the opportunity? 

[djh255]

I've only been contributing to SE for a couple of years but if anybody's interested here are my figures so you can compare:
21 compositions posted on SE (not a lot I know)
3570 views
70 prints
3 sales (whoopee!)
So 67 prints from the free scores! Says it all really!
It would certainly be nice to get feedback from those who print/buy but I doubt that people would bother. Shame really.

[Kevin]

Here is my mail and their reply.

Dear Kevin Riley

I was wondering if there was some space on the home page requesting
anyone that prints/ buys any music for performance etc to actually
contact the composer with any feedback. I am sure this is something that
writers would like to see and also create a link between the writer and
performer.

From the contact we have with customers, many people do get in touch with arrangers / publishers when they are interested in their music to ask about performance rights or arrangements for different ensembles.

We do make the arranger / publisher name clickable so that people can visit your profile page and contact you from there.

Hope this helps


Many thanks

John Barron

[Joseph]

it is interesting that since this thread has been posted I have seen more prints, unfortunately just a free score (and that is why I rarely make them free). The piece is downloaded from time to time mostly I am sure because it is free. Not sure what anyone wants with the score. It was written for a contest years ago and dismissed out of hand. Today 4 copies were made. Can it be someone is looking at it from a performance POV? Or is it that printer ink just makes the paper even more combustible? Tinder for a camping trip maybe??

[Deleted]

Jul 29, 2014 0:58:37 GMT Joseph said:

it is interesting that since this thread has been posted I have seen more prints, unfortunately just a free score (and that is why I rarely make them free). The piece is downloaded from time to time mostly I am sure because it is free. Not sure what anyone wants with the score. It was written for a contest years ago and dismissed out of hand. Today 4 copies were made. Can it be someone is looking at it from a performance POV? Or is it that printer ink just makes the paper even more combustible? Tinder for a camping trip maybe??

I have in the past printed your music Joseph and I have done so because I am charmed by the pieces you compose and am completely taken away by the magic of them. I admire the talent you display and I add them to binders of sheet music that I have collected. I very much enjoy playing and singing these at the piano when I have a few moments to myself. If provided with the appropriate opportunity, I will promote such music to persons and places where I would like to see it performed. Tinder for a camping trip? That would be sacrilege! Keep composing. I love what you do! :-)

[Joseph]

words escape me, Anne (my wife would find that unbelievable), I am humbled by yours.  Thank you.  Joseph

[Joseph]

Once again I have learned something new and wonder if is always this way i.e. do you always learn from MusicaNeo who has downloaded/bought your work?  

I recently had my first sale at that website.  When I went in to check it out I saw a link to the purchaser.  I took the opportunity to send an email to thank the purchaser and also to inquire whether or not the purchase was for personal use or use in a public setting.  I doubt that I will get a reply but at least the opportunity for interaction presented itself.  Now of course in the world prior to the World Wide Web this kind of information would not be available unless there was licensing for a public performance.  No one ever tracked who had walked into Patelson's or Schirmer's and catelogued what they bought (unless of course they were stars!), let alone would that information be shared should it even have been collected.  But all that is undergoing great changes as potential for communication opens via electronic media!