Last month, we announced the official launch of the Reverb Store following a private beta period involving more than 15,000 bands that are part of the ReverbNation network. What makes us so excited about this announcement is that direct-to-fan e-commerce (D2F) is putting artists back in touch with their fans and in control of the business of making music. We’re lucky to be a music-focused technology company at the forefront of this e-commerce model and believe that D2F will give power back to artists and their fans.

Of course, we’re at the ground floor of this model. Over the next three to five years, we’ll see the industry mature. Artists who previously thought their only way to fame was to seek the approval of major label records will understand the power of social media to drive D2F e-commerce.

D2F e-commerce is a business model independent musicians, music labels, music marketing professionals, promoters and others in the music industry can use to connect with fans directly. Thanks to advancements in the social Web, entertainers can build and monetize their fan bases.

We saw this trend coming and pioneered a technology platform that allows artists to bypass the major record label model. With D2F e-commerce, such as the Reverb Store powered by Audiolife — combined with social media networking on Facebook, MySpace and other sites — artists can generate interest in their music directly with their fans and foster those relationships continually. Plus, with D2F technology, artists can market directly to those fans, monetize the relationships and further build their fan bases.

This is the changing face of the indie artist. So wouldn’t it be safe to say this is the changing face of the music industry? Who will control radio, venue and distribution channels in the future? Our bet: the fans, because they can “vote” for the next big star or breakout band with a mouse click and “fund” their success by buying digital downloads or merchandise directly from artists. When artists embrace the D2F model, they also embrace their fans – giving them direct access through social networking that supports in-person appearances.

Some artists are just beginning to explore this concept. Others are seeing the success already, such as Samoa ONSTSU: “We recently used the Reverb Store to quickly sell our charity song, ‘We Are Samoa,’ and related merchandise to benefit the Samoa Tsunami relief effort. The Reverb Store is an invaluable tool for the independent artist.”

Look through this blog for other inspiring and how-to stories of artists’ who have embraced D2F, and are taking control of their music careers.

Photo courtesy of Yui Mok/PA

Category: Audiolife, Direct to Fan | No Comments »

Tags: Audiolife, building relatioships with fans, direct to fan e-commerce, Reverb Store, selling merch online, selling music online

Cofféy Anderson was born to perform. While he began his singing “career” in church at age 6, the Texas native fell in love with basketball as he got older, and grew to a 6’5 Texas High School Basketball standout. Music was on hold…at least momentarily.

Cofféy attended college and in 2002 while on a basketball trip with the university decided he wanted to learn to play an instrument. Buying a beginner’s guitar book and borrowing a guitar from a friend, he started to play. After learning only a few chords, writing songs became an obsession and walked away from his first love to focus on music. He then got the courage to test his talent with the best in the business and moved to Los Angeles.

He performed all around the country, doing over 100 dates in 7 months, finishing 4 albums. His talent has ranged from street performing in Santa Monica and rodeos in Texas to exclusive parties in the Hamptons. For all of his various experiences, Coffey still remains dedicated to his fans first and foremost.  His love of music translates directly to how he interacts with people, and this can be seen through his approach to staying connected with his fan base.

The Situation

As DIY technologies became readily available, and artists worldwide began to produce and distribute their own content, the new music business was rife with opportunities for musicians to creatively pursue new revenue streams.

“For me, the best part of being an artist is figuring out how to creatively communicate your thoughts to people who can relate to what you are saying. Once you are taken out of the creative process, packaged and sold to the masses with which you have no relationship, then the ‘true artist’ cannot be seen.  By using all of these amazing new technology platforms, assuming you have something fans can relate to, you can cost-effectively and easily create, produce, distribute…..over and over while it’s fresh.”

Audiolife Solution

Working with Audiolife and Ustream, Cofféy launched a “Direct-to-Fan Live Sessions” series.  From October 22, 2009 to mid-November, the Internet broadcast gave fans the opportunity to purchase real-time exclusive content available only during the live sessions.

Cofféy performed original songs and created specially designed merchandise that was released in “real-time” and available for a 24 hour period immediately following each session. The content produced during the Live Sessions was available in a bundle at a one-time only promotional price.

Coffey’s Store:

http://www.audiolife.com/store/coffey/Merchandise.aspx

Category: Audiolife, Direct to Fan | 1 Comment »

Tags: Audiolife case study, Coffey Anderson, Direct to Fan, eCommerce solution, merch sales, selling music online

Topspin co-founder, Shamal Ranasinghe, recently shared some data on music marketing at MidemNat based on a studies they’ve conducted over time.

One of the most interesting points according to the study is that majority of the revenue for artists comes from items that are priced over $20 despite the fact that majority of sales are from items priced under $10. Furthermore, the impact of physical goods versus digital only is huge–76% of sales for artists include some sort of physical product.

With an Audiolife account, you can easily create and sell physical products for no upfront costs.  With our warehousing and fulfillment service you can even create bundles that include both physical and digital products. For example, creating a limited edition merch item, marking it up and including a “free digital download” of a never before released song.  This exclusivity is a major selling point and very attractive for fans.

Below you will find a slide show presentation of the music marketing study Topsin presented. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Category: Direct to Fan, Marketing | No Comments »

Tags: music industry data, music marketing results, music marketing study, selling music online, Topspin

The following video tutorial will show you how to launch your Audiolife store. Below you will find a brief transcription of the video.

Run time:  2:32

1. Once you log in, click on Post Everywhere near the top and choose the Dimensions of your store.

2. Click on Update Dimensions to see the defaults. If you click on the dimension the page will update and you can change the dimensions under Current Store Dimensions. The page should refresh to show you the new store. If it gets messed up you could always select Default Size. Once you’re done, click Save which will take you page to the Post Everywhere page.

3. There are several ways to post your store:

a. If you have a MySpace Music page, you can copy and paste the code at the bottom. Same with your own web site.

b. For all other accounts, you simply click what you want and there will be on-screen instructions on how to embed your store on those web sites.

4. To track the success of your store, click on My Stats next to Post Everywhere, and you can see how many of each item you’ve sold along with overall total sales.

5. You can also provide your friends with codes to post your store on their own networks to promote you.

Related Video Tutorials

Secure Payments

How to Manage Your Store

Warehousing and Shipping with Audiolife

Category: Video Tutorials | 3 Comments »

Tags: Audiolife, launching your store, selling merch online, selling music online

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Audiolife, the current leader in Direct-to-Fan eCommerce solutions for independent artists and labels, has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Los Angeles-based Hopeless Records. The indie punk rock label, best known for bands such as All Time Low, Avenged Sevenfold, and Thrice, will now be able to streamline all online, Direct-to-Fan merchandise development and sales using Audiolife’s technology platform.

Audiolife will manage all of the label’s eCommerce technology needs, while providing analytics and daily sales reports. This vital information, currently lacking with many of the popular eCommerce solutions, will inform the label as to which exclusive artist offerings and merchandise items are appealing to fans, who is buying, and what consumer habits are driving sales decisions.

“Working with Audiolife was an easy choice. Our fans are interested in digital content and sharing that content with their friends,” remarked Ian Harrison, Director of Marketing, Hopeless Records. “The Audiolife technology makes this possible very quickly. Within a day, we can post an artist’s branded store on their website, blog, and all social networks, and can deliver all of their merchandise, digital albums, and ringtones directly to the fans. We are looking forward to the many amazing opportunities that Audiolife has created with their eCommerce solutions, and are excited about the future.”

Added Brandon Hance, Founder & CEO of Audiolife: “Hopeless Records is the first among many indie labels who will integrate our technology into their artist marketing and promotions initiatives. We are confident that their leadership in the Direct-to-Fan space will give others the proof needed to launch their own eCommerce solutions for the thousands upon thousands of indie artists looking for alternative ways to monetize their careers.”

For more information about the Audiolife/Hopeless Records agreement, or to interview key company executives, please contact: Rebekah Iliff, Rebekah@Audiolife.com or call 310-770-8338.

About Audiolife:

Audiolife (www.Audiolife.com) is the leading Direct-to-Fan eCommerce platform that empowers independent artists and record labels to cost-effectively make money by selling CDs, merchandise, digital downloads and ringtones with no upfront inventory costs. The first-of-its-kind eCommerce platform facilitates selling products “on-demand” directly to fans via portable storefronts on websites, blogs, and social networks. No other platform, specifically created for artists, provides a worldwide, one-stop-shop solution for custom promotion, manufacturing and distribution.

Category: Audiolife, Business, Direct to Fan, Marketing | No Comments »

Tags: Audiolife, Direct to Fan, eCommerce, Hopeless Records, selling music online

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ReverbNation, the leading marketing platform for more than 450,000 artists, labels, managers and venues, has partnered with Audiolife, the leader in direct-to-fan eCommerce, to create the Reverb Store. The Reverb Store is a complete direct-to-fan eCommerce offering that is accessible to every ReverbNation artist at no charge. The Reverb Store allows artists and record labels to design an unlimited number of physical and digital products online, and then offer them for sale without spending a single dollar up front to generate inventory. The products are produced on-demand when they are ordered, then delivered straight to the fan.

“ReverbNation has been building toward this goal since day one. We wanted to provide a single turnkey solution for the serious musician that allowed them to promote, build and manage a fan-base, and transact business with them,” said Michael Doernberg, CEO of ReverbNation. “Audiolife shared our vision. The Reverb Store allows artists to layer a purchasing opportunity into every fan interaction they have online, whether it’s at Facebook, MySpace, a blog, or the band’s own website.”

Brandon Hance, Founder and CEO of Audiolife, adds, “Artists need solutions that can help them grow their fan base and convert those fans into customers. The Reverb Store is the total package, combining the best of ReverbNation and Audiolife. With potentially hundreds of thousands of artists and labels using the Reverb Store, Audiolife can stay focused on innovating and enhancing the commerce and merchandising capabilities of the product.”

The Reverb Store is currently in private Beta, and will be publicly available at ReverbNation.com in October:

The Reverb Store is free to setup and run.
ANY Artist can open a store, create as many custom items as they want, and operate the store for free. No monthly minimums, no monthly fees.

There is no inventory to buy up front, and no hassles.
Artists create unlimited ‘virtual’ inventory for merchandise, CDs, ringtones, and downloads, for sale in the store. Items are produced and shipped (or downloaded) when a fan makes a purchase. It requires no cash up front, no storage of inventory, and no packaging or shipping by the artist.

Comes standard with integrated marketing and promotion tools.
The Reverb Store is woven into the very fabric of ReverbNation’s leading marketing and promotion system, making it the only store that can help drive more sales right out of the box.

Works on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and more.
Reverb Store works on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, homepages, blogs, and more. It’s easily deployed as a widget, application, email or hyperlink – so fans can buy from wherever they live online.

Customizable look and feel.
It’s about the Artist’s brand, not ours. The Reverb Store can be customized with the Artist’s own background, header bar, and more, helping to build the Artist’s brand, and allowing the store to fit seamlessly into websites, blogs or social networks.

Artists can buy their own products in small batch or bulk.
Whether the need is 30 customized t-shirts for the next show or 3000 t-shirts for taking on tour, Artists can tap into their own Reverb Store at competitive wholesale and bulk prices.

Artists, Labels, or Distributors interested in learning more about Reverb Store can send an email to: ReverbStore@reverbnation.com

About ReverbNation:

ReverbNation provides the innovative marketing platform that musicians need to compete, cooperate and stand out in an increasingly noisy online environment. Unlike typical closed communities, artists use ReverbNation as their home base for approaching marketing and promotion across the Internet as a whole — be it via social networks, blogs, email, IM or the artist’s homepage.

Tools like FanReach Pro, Street Team Manager, Fan Exclusives, and a vast array of widgets and social networking applications give the artist the power to spread their music and information virtually anywhere. Real-time stats provide a 360-degree view of how the music is spreading, who is listening, and which fans are actually passing it on to their friends and posting it on their pages. ReverbNation empowers Artists to take their music to the people, no matter where they spend their time online.

For more information about the company, please visit www.ReverbNation.com.

About Audiolife:

Audiolife is the leading Direct-to-Fan eCommerce platform that empowers independent artists and record labels to cost-effectively make money by selling CDs, merchandise, digital downloads and ringtones with no upfront inventory costs. The first-of-its-kind eCommerce platform facilitates selling products “on-demand” directly to fans via portable storefronts on websites, blogs, and social networks. No other platform, specifically created for artists, provides a worldwide, one-stop-shop solution for custom promotion, manufacturing and distribution.

Category: Audiolife | 2 Comments »

Tags: Audiolife, Direct to Fan, eCommerce, ReverbNation, selling music online

Landing your first gig at a venue isn’t difficult. In fact, if you aren’t picky about where you perform and don’t expect to make too much, if anything at all, then it should essentially be a cinch. The following are a few different routes to getting on stage you can take depending on your level, expectations and goals:

Play At Your High School

Most high schools have some sort of talent show every year. If you’re currently enrolled in high school, then there is no reason that you shouldn’t sign up and perform (unless everyone happens to be mysteriously sick on that day every year). It’s entirely free and you’ll have the support of your entire class/school because, next to the rest of the performers, you guys will likely be one of the few that actually display some sort of talent (we hope).

Play At a Small Non-Venue

By non venue, I mean a bar or a community room in a church or “youth activities center” type location. These should be relatively easy to book and often don’t require that you sell a certain number of tickets. You will, however, have to promote the show by posting flyers, sending MySpace and Facebook messages, telling/begging your family/friends, etc. all on your own because, unlike actual venues, non-venues don’t usually attract large crowds on any given night.

Sign Up for a Battle of the Bands

This is probably the least likely for the simple fact that you don’t find Battle of the Bands competitions very often. But if you live in a small city/community then there might be some organization that puts on an annual BOTB. Try to do some research via your local newspaper. Often times they are held at high schools as well. It could be a fun thing to do but will require a lot of research on your part. If you have the time you could even try self-hosting (and then rigging the competition!—just kidding). I’d recommend keeping this on the back of your mind while you try securing an actual gig.

Play At an Actual Small Venue

Depending on where you live, there should be a plethora of small venues that are always looking for local/unsigned/indie bands to perform. If you don’t already have an electronic press kit, then now would be a good time to put one together and start emailing to venues. I’d recommend first calling the venue and finding out their booking process and how long it typically takes them to get back to an artist if they’ve been chosen to perform. Then, of course, follow their directions and be sure to follow up with a phone call or email to find out whether or not they’ve actually received your press kit. Just don’t call them every single day … you don’t want to be “black-listed. “

Ultimately, landing your first gig shouldn’t be a difficult task. The real work is creating enough good music to have a decent set list in addition to a local fan base that will actually show up to your gig and doesn’t consist of your immediate family and the homeless man who just happened to wander in. Don’t be discouraged if the first show doesn’t go well. Even some of the biggest acts had to start off that way! Once you start playing shows, you will generate buzz and start growing a fan base. The next step is going on a mini-tour…. so start saving up for that dingy van!

Category: Marketing | No Comments »

Tags: Audiolife, Audiolife.com, sell music merch, sell music online, selling CDs online, selling music online

The fate of record stores, particularly large ones, is grim.  First, Tower Records went out of business and now, according to Billboard.biz, Virgin Megastores is closing two more chains in New York and San Francisco.  All that remains are three in Los Angeles, Denver & Orlando.  Fortunately, the Internet has allowed for the continued legal distribution of music through iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, and now, Audiolife.

With the rise of Social Media, fans have the opportunity to interact with their favorite artists and other like-minded fans.  The brick-and-mortar business is no longer fit to adapt to the modern music consumer’s needs outside of the small percentage of music fans who enjoy the experience of local record shops.  The remainder of the world requires instant gratification and access to the music they love.

With Audiolife, artists can create their own virtual stores and place them anywhere (i.e. band website, MySpace Music page).  Fans can then purchase digital/physical albums and merchandise without even leaving the artists page, thus fulfilling the consumers needs all in one place.  To view some examples of these stores, click here.

Category: Business, Music | No Comments »

Tags: Audiolife, music business, record shops, selling music online, Tower Records, Virgin Megastores