I bought an album of an indie performer probably a couple of years
ago, got on their mailing list. A couple of times they've passed the
hat to solicit donations to fund the recording of an album. Not as an
investor, you don't gain any financial stake, just the warm fuzzy
feeling of "supporting the artist" and the warm fuzzy feeling of
buying the album when it comes out too.

Dunno, I guess I don't see it as inherently evil but is this a common
practice? I've gotten a few indie albums, this is the only one I've
seen this with. I've seen them offer pre-ordering which I imagine is
in part to fund the production, but not a solicitation for donations.

muzician21 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I bought an album of an indie performer probably a couple of years
> ago, got on their mailing list. A couple of times they've passed the
> hat to solicit donations to fund the recording of an album. Not as an
> investor, you don't gain any financial stake, just the warm fuzzy
> feeling of "supporting the artist" and the warm fuzzy feeling of
> buying the album when it comes out too.
>
> Dunno, I guess I don't see it as inherently evil but is this a common
> practice? I've gotten a few indie albums, this is the only one I've
> seen this with. I've seen them offer pre-ordering which I imagine is
> in part to fund the production, but not a solicitation for donations.

Several have taken that route. A friend of mine is raising funds for her
next album that way. In her case contributors get something for their
money, in the form of product, swag, perhaps a house concert, etc.

--
ha
shut up and play your guitar
http://hankalrich.com/
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hsadharma

On 09 Mar 2010, muzician21 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
rec.audio.pro:

> Dunno, I guess I don't see it as inherently evil but is this a common
> practice?

I don't know how common it is yet, but I have a feeling it will become
more so.

Jill Sobule financed the recording of her last album that way.

muzician21 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>Dunno, I guess I don't see it as inherently evil but is this a common
>practice? I've gotten a few indie albums, this is the only one I've
>seen this with. I've seen them offer pre-ordering which I imagine is
>in part to fund the production, but not a solicitation for donations.

I remember folk musicians doing this in the early seventies. I hope it
works better now than it did back then.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

muzician21 wrote:
> I bought an album of an indie performer probably a couple of years
> ago, got on their mailing list. A couple of times they've passed the
> hat to solicit donations to fund the recording of an album. Not as an
> investor, you don't gain any financial stake, just the warm fuzzy
> feeling of "supporting the artist"

> Dunno, I guess I don't see it as inherently evil but is this a common
> practice?

A couple of friends of mine did that, but it was at least 25 years ago. That
was back in the day when you needed some cash to make an independent
record. They had to go to a real studio, and they had to buy 1000 LPs in
order
to get the first one to sell. They were asking for $50 investments,
which they
said they'd pay back, with a free copy of the record as interest. I gave
them
$50 (they were working at a friend's studio, so I was helping two
friends). I
got a record, but of course they never paid anyone back. Folk musicians, of
course. <g>

I'd think that today, with people recording at home for the cost of a
few hours of
studio time, coupled with short-run (or home made) CDs and on-line
distribution,
investments in a recording would be pretty much a thing of the past.

--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be operated without
a passing knowledge of computing, although it seems that it can be
operated without a passing knowledge of audio." - John Watkinson