Ableton Forum

I've been pondering this allot lately, what are the reasons you believe anyone should purchase your music, like what are you basing that desire on and I'm totally serious about this. I make hiphop, techno, folk, and basically what I'm embarrassed to call jazz and I want people to buy my music but depending on what I'm doing different reasons for me thinking the music is worth buying come into play. So I wanted to see what all of you think about this issue. Do you write music and believe that people should buy it just because you made it and therefore it's art and so they should buy it based on just that fact or is there something in paticular like any of the reasons listed in the poll. I'd really like to hear what you guys think about this, and I posted in the music and production forum cause I don't want anybody
taking shots at anyone just want you guys serious opinions about what your basing your reasons for thinking your music should be bought on, and also you could add why you buy an artist music?

keep in mind please Im definitely not asking why you like music or why someone should like your music, I'm asking what you're basing the thought that someone should buy your music on and why you yourself purchase another artist music, and this question isn't just for those of you selling your music right now, even if you are not but you plan to then please give you thougts/vote

Other- I believe probably unrealistically that my music is unique enough and not so genre specific to be marginalized etc. that it will eventually get enough attention to become profitable. This is a fallacy of course, because even if I'm right and the music is unique, history proves that ten years from now someone will co-opt 80% of the sound, add in some more obvious pop elements and become rich off of it!

how could I have forgotten that one..Uniqueness thats an important one too I think I'll have to add it. ok so lets say your music is definitely unique and that most people think the same, I just want to clarify you're not saying that folks would want to listen to it because
it's not something they're used to hearing, you're saying that the uniqueness of it is the reason why it should be purchased, and is that the reason you buy music as well?

also I guess I haven't said enough about my own situation, I've had people purchase my music before but to be honest I think it was the timing and place more than anything else that made the purchase, not that they didn't enjoy it...actually I think I'm digressing here
the point is not why did they purchase my music but why I think my music should be purchased and at least in my opinion there is a definite difference between purchasing and listening, so I'm trying to figure out a really good reason to pawn my stuff off on some poor soul whos got some duckets to spare, but for a good reason. I'm not satisfied with 'cause they wanted to buy it' . For instance I think I make good beats but really what does that mean, just because a beat is good does that mean it's worth money? if the question was is my music worth being heard then I would give a %300 resounding hell yeah. but purchased is starting to sound a little weird, It's hard to put my finger on it. If a beat I made was life changing then I would feel different but just because it's good, or even great I'm not sure about how I feel about that.

now there are artist who's music I bought cause I felt like I had to have it, we talked about badbrains not long ago, or the ramones or many others that I just had to have that music and it was that important but that's from the side of someone making the purchase, it wasn't the artist who put the value on the music it was me who valued it so much and that's clear, so sometimes now I'm wondering if there is even a reason for me to sell music at all, or if really the entire fiasco is the responsibility of the listener . I kind of hope that's not the case because then that would mean I actually have no reason to try to sell music, make music I have many wonderful reasons but to sell it is turning into a grey area.....

If your music deserves to be known, you deserve to be paid.
Unless we take on an economy that isn't based on capitalism, this is how being an artist needs to work.

Cool Character wrote:If your music deserves to be known, you deserve to be paid.
Unless we take on an economy that isn't based on capitalism, this is how being an artist needs to work.

but how do you quantify that first line and are you saying you think of it like this, ' my music deserves to be heard therefore you need to pay me for it' because doesn't that mean that you're saying people deserve to pay for your music.... that's seemingly even harder to quantify from the direction of the artist, now if the people said damn I have to have this and it's worth me paying for it then thats different but thats not the crux here.

I don't lack confidence or anything like that this isn't a low self esteem thread I'm just having a little trouble with why I should sell it, I know why they should buy it, because they are moved to do so, but why the hell should we sell it?
would you say that the latter half of your statement deals with ideology as a reason?

If it's good, people should buy it.

Good can mean catchy/fun to dance to/original/unique/well-crafted, or whatever compels an individual person to like it.

Usually it's a few of those

Because they like it.

Do people really still buy music?

Hd

see you guys are all talking about why people should buy music, that's not at all what's on the burner, what I'm asking is why should we sell it
so you sit down at the table of your own music, look at it and think, I should sell this to someone because of what?.... is it one of the reasons in the poll or is it something else, or is it simply because people are capable of getting caught in a net that it's the net itself that you feel gives your music the value to be worth charging for?

Why do I play concerts?
Why do I want people to come?


Enjoyment. Hopefully...

(I dont sell my music. Only play live.)

well do you think artist should sell music and if so, what do you think in your opinion is the value at which music should be sold by an artist?
hence the thread

... because I have to pay off all this gear I bought and because I plan to buy more.

Other : "People should buy my music, if they like it"

Other.
I don't think anyone should buy my music.

I make music (when I do actually make any) for me, not for anyone else.