WHATS CONSIDERED MOVING ALOT OF UNITS IN THE INDEPENDENT SCENE?
- Thread starter SocialResponsibility
- Start date
One thing u have to also consider is how much you'll make off of each copy sold. If youre selling your CDs out the trunk of your car, then youre probably selling them for like $5. Think about pushin 10,000 units and $5 a piece. Thats $50,000. So you'll be str8. Nobody to pay money back to like on a major label.
INDEPENDENT IS A GRIND
Having many years experience on the indie scene I can say that the success of an artist or indie labels release depends not only on how many units sold, but on how much money was spent. Its all about the ROI=Return On Investment. If someone can spend $5000 on the recording and pressing of say 2500 units + promo materials, and then turn around and sell say 2300 units on consignement at mom and pop stores and out the trunk(book bag, pockets etc.) for say an average of $8, thats a GROSS of $18,400 and a PROFIT of $13, 400. Thats a huge ROI of over 260%. A great flip. Honestly it is extremely difficult to sell any units unless you have a huge buzz. Its a catch 22 because in order to get that buzz you still have to spend $.
Lets be honest with each other, unless you are in the game moving big units 30,000+, it highly unlikely that you will ever have an opportunity to sign with a major. So in reality its not a choice to be independent, it is necessary.
Having many years experience on the indie scene I can say that the success of an artist or indie labels release depends not only on how many units sold, but on how much money was spent. Its all about the ROI=Return On Investment. If someone can spend $5000 on the recording and pressing of say 2500 units + promo materials, and then turn around and sell say 2300 units on consignement at mom and pop stores and out the trunk(book bag, pockets etc.) for say an average of $8, thats a GROSS of $18,400 and a PROFIT of $13, 400. Thats a huge ROI of over 260%. A great flip. Honestly it is extremely difficult to sell any units unless you have a huge buzz. Its a catch 22 because in order to get that buzz you still have to spend $.
Lets be honest with each other, unless you are in the game moving big units 30,000+, it highly unlikely that you will ever have an opportunity to sign with a major. So in reality its not a choice to be independent, it is necessary.
Myth #1: SoundScan charges for their system. No they dont. You need to have a Point of Sale system and you subscribe to SoundScan for nothing. Free game.
Myth #2: That your favorite artists are sell 20K and up independently. Not true. Last year Keak Da Sneak, and Meesy brok 20K independently. Turf Talk, The Frontline, and The Team all broke 5 to 10K. Yuk averages about 40K a project. Not too many people are selling what they claim.
Myth #3: That selling 2K units out your trunk is easy. Its not. And even if you can accomplish it, it takes time to do it and you are spending the money as you go so you never feel the success of it.
As for success independently...if a new artist with no distribution can sell 2K he did ok as long as the costs were kept low. IF you sell 5K as a new artist on SoundScan independently then you have a legitimate buzz. If you sell 10K or more on SoundScan you have labels calling you or at least good distributors.
Dont believe all the hype. Its rough. And I have a few known artists on my roster and we struggle too!
PEace
Myth #2: That your favorite artists are sell 20K and up independently. Not true. Last year Keak Da Sneak, and Meesy brok 20K independently. Turf Talk, The Frontline, and The Team all broke 5 to 10K. Yuk averages about 40K a project. Not too many people are selling what they claim.
Myth #3: That selling 2K units out your trunk is easy. Its not. And even if you can accomplish it, it takes time to do it and you are spending the money as you go so you never feel the success of it.
As for success independently...if a new artist with no distribution can sell 2K he did ok as long as the costs were kept low. IF you sell 5K as a new artist on SoundScan independently then you have a legitimate buzz. If you sell 10K or more on SoundScan you have labels calling you or at least good distributors.
Dont believe all the hype. Its rough. And I have a few known artists on my roster and we struggle too!
PEace
That's the MINIMUM ON EVERY PROJECT I'VE PUT OUT! ON MY MOMMA! Dago doesn't have any soundscan stores except FYE, Sam Goody etc, so we don't have high soundscan numbers. And it wasn't totally out of the trunk. I say it's about 60/40 store to trunk. But I press up all of my own units, and I've doubled and tripled my money and all of my projects except Dollars & Sins (and I put that on my SON'S LIFE!). I made a profit on Dollars & Sins, but not quite double, because I spent the most on that album (16k, and that was just PART of the money I made off my first album), but I'm just now creepin' up on double. That album opened a lot of doors for me though. But like that one guy said it's all about ROI (return on investment). Spend as little as possible, without sacrificing quality, and make as much as possible. But, sellin' even 1000 units FOR REAL (without lying about it) is not EASY. I know a lot of people that didn't sell a REAL 1000 cd's. The only way to make money as an indie is if you have good product. I can tell you how, and give you our formula, and You can go out the trunk all you want, but if your shit is garbage, that's not going to last past your first album, cuz no one is going to buy your 2nd one. And I keep immaculate books from inventory, to the balance sheet, to profit and loss statements, EVERYTHING. I learned accounting in the pen, and I use quickbooks on all my businesses. And another way to make money off of this shit, and just hustlin' period, is to have money comin' in from more than one place. You save one income (rap), and pay your bills off your other income (job/hustle). Then you will benefit from it, if not, you're not going to have anything to show for it. I can go on and on about this topic, but one thing for sure is that IT'S NOT AS EASY AS PEOPLE THINK. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HARD IT IS UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY PUT OUT AN ALBUM!
Greedy Greg: its not impossible to sell2K its hard B-12 said. But I know that CS has hustle so that doesn't surprise me. It's just alot of cats inflate they #'s when they arent real.
Mean Mugg: As for Turf I think he ended up doing 12K so with mom + pops that probably more like 15. He's one of the better off cats in the list but Frontline and Team both hit 7K which is good for new artists who primarily sold in the bay.
Mean Mugg: As for Turf I think he ended up doing 12K so with mom + pops that probably more like 15. He's one of the better off cats in the list but Frontline and Team both hit 7K which is good for new artists who primarily sold in the bay.
u hit the nail on the head, and thats why u sell your shit cs, not only do u hustle it up, you gotta damn good product, that to me, is shittin on at least 80% of the rest in the indie rap game, just keep doing your music man, cuz u put out quality shit, and spit hella hard...u gotta fan for life right here homey, and i aint never seen you knock anyone elses shit either.....u seem humble, thats what i think the game these days is missing as well....glad u dropped some knowledge in here
