It's been a long time coming but I've tore off a CD at last.
Most have a folky flavour and are my creations but there are two there that I wrote with Travis David.
The title is "Old Letters".

PM me if you want one. To you, $8 including postage cost.
You can pay through PayPal via vicarn@btinternet.com.

Here's a link to the info and image.
https://btcloud.bt.com/web/app/share/invite/0vYk6e9EkP

Thank you for all your support,
Vic

About time too!

Congratulations, Vic. Will it also be available on Spotify?

Thanks Gavin. Yes it's been quite a while.

No Spotify. At least not yet. The idea of receiving 0.2 of a penny for each download might really be called "counting my money".

At the moment, I just had a short run done to sell at gigs, etc. to see how it goes.

Vic

Congrats Vic!

I'll buy one. I'll be in touch. Using Paypal would cost more than the CD with their oversea's bank fees. Are you set up through CD Baby or a service to collect without unreasonable fees?

Ed

Hi Ed.

I never had trouble getting paid through pay pal. They charge me but not you as I understand.

Vic

Hi Vic:

I've had serious problems recovering from Malware on the laptop that provides Wi Fi to this Desktop. Finally got all of the problems resolved including removing Windows 10 and replacing it with Linux. Now both machines are using Linux and I am free from the tyranny of Microsoft... which is a big target for Malware and Hackers.

Best of luck with your album. Keep us posted about the experience you have with it. In my three albums, I never even cleared my expenses. CD Baby, at the time was pretty reasonable but much of that changed with the departure of their founder. Loudr didn't last six months but at least it was free if one does not consider all the work involved in jumping through hoops, creating and recording songs, artwork, etc.

My "PRO" ASCAP is now making "streaming" sound like the solution to all our problems... but I suspect it will only line their pockets and the other money handlers involved... while we receive the crumbs if there are any left to share.

Is your duet with Laura Kelsey on the album? I predict that she will become a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Regards and best wishes, ----Dave

Congrats Vic. What next? You need to either exploit the market for it, or create a market for it to exploit. Live performance is the easiest way. Try to recoup your investment and that would be a huge success. Even if you can't putting your music down on a tangible medium and putting it out in the universe feels good and is good, whether it moves millions or just yourself. You've given birth. Love it no matter it's commercial potential.

Brian

Hey Vic,

What next ? Get it out there ! Pick a digital distributer and either release the whole album ( preferable ) or a couple of singles.

It was made to be heard, and it is a great buzz hearing it Spotify even if it only gets a few hundred plays a month ( which it will, minimum )

Go for it ! It justifies all the hard work you have put into it.

cheers, niteshift

Thanks for the nudge, Dave. I'll look into that. I don't know much about marketing.

Vic

Thanks Brian.
You're right. I'm on it.

Vic

Good luck with the CD Vic, it's still on my bucket list.

Getting a few hundred plays on spotify is not easy by any stretch. Eventually you run out of friends and family...lol

I'll certainly give it a spin if put on spotify.

Trying to sell in person might still work because you have the good ole fashion person to person communication. It's hard to say no to a struggling musician who asks you to buy his or her CD in front of you.

For me, in this day and age and due to my own age etc. if I decided to put an album out I would likely just give it away on request in person or have them cover postage if they wanted a copy mailed. For me, the project would be for fun and self fulfillment and once it was actually done, I'd already have all the reward I need. I sort of felt that way about music from the start. I LOVED writing music. I LOVED the recording process of it. I LOVED rehearsing it with my buddies in band situations. I didn't really care about anything beyond that. Even though I made a full time living making music for a period of time, I did it solely for the fun of it, the money in truth usually came through because my bandmates needed to get paid to keep doing it and I am not going to turn down money I earned, I just didn't really care if it came or not. Same thing with JPF. I have worked knowing I would rarely make money from it, though for two decades I eek'd out a living and some years I made 6 figures but always poured it all right back into JPF in the end. (such as paying for all the travel or awards cost which has always been significant). I certainly appreciate not LOSING money doing it, but I still find ways to do it even when I do. It's the same with making music.... the making of it is the reward, not the commercialization. And fame is fun on a small scale, which I have had and to be honest sort of miss now that things have slowed down so much, but fame on the real "star" scale is mostly more hassle than you would want, as told to me by real people who are or were hugely famous at times in their lives. Many LOVE losing the fame and simply enjoying the money their work still earns them without even being recognized on the street very often. Even at my small scale, I literally got recognized randomly out in public in over half the states and over a dozen countries as I traveled. Most famously for my wife and local friends I had people screaming my name in Italy while I stood in line to see the David Statue and then later in the trip I came across JPF members in the ruins of Pompeii, probably my favorite "fame" memory because the odds seemed so astronomically unlikely. All that to say everyone likes money, but not everyone gets to write, record or finish their musical ideas in satisfying presentations. That gift far outweighs all the rest of the benefits.

Thanks Nite.
I did try Spotify and it made about 20 pence on one song.
Still waiting.

Vic

Hi Fdemetrio.
Thanks for the well wishes.
I'm trying to get launched with CDbaby at the mo.
Not sure if I've given them what they want but time will tell.

Vic

Thanks again Brian.
Yes sometimes I miss the good old days too but I don't think I have the stamina for that whirligig now.

I've already given away a few too. Down at my local watering hole I donate 25% to local charities.
It would be nice to break even.
Maybe CDBaby can shift a few.

Vic

Hey Vic,

Re : Spotify , yes, in the beginning, the returns are small. But they multiply up greatly over time. As your song gets onto more playlists, those are shared, and shared again.

You're great in your genre. Exploit that, and promote within it. And soon, those trickles turn into a more steady stream. Just ask John S. , all those nickles and dimes add up.

cheers, niteshift

If you had a web site where we could hear samples , that would

and could be an advantage to any one who has not heard anything you have

done ??? Trouble is many are getting Great Songs free from You Tube

Of course you can put songs up on You Tube just samples not the complete

song ; Build up, a fan base that way ??

Best Of Luck With It , I also thing Brian Austins long Answer is the best one

You could put a sampler of your songs on Just Plain Folks ??? that would create

interest apart from your own circle of friends

Brian:

I re-visited this thread and noticed your second post. You probably already know it... but you shared a magnificent idea. For most of us, the pathway to monetary success (the present standard of measure) just getting our songs heard... is next to impossible. Giving away an album upon written request with the postage paid by the requesting "fan" is certainly worth considering. Having a plan for executing that idea (database of names, etc.) and getting all the supplies needed, artwork printed, CD recorded and properly labeled with printed packaging represents a pretty good chunk of change. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

I suspect Joe Wrabek could share some "Do's and Don'ts" about such an approach. He even took it a step further by making his catalogue available for folks to record his work... with reasonable conditions. Then he sent all the selected artists a free album and a few spares to hand out to friends, family and others. He even paid the postage. Is JPF unique or what?

Thanks,

----Dave

Thanks, Nite.
I'll think again.

Vic

Thanks Cheyenne. All the songs are on my Soundcloud page.
https://soundcloud.com/you/tracks
Most though have been re-mastered or changed slightly for the CD.
A website is a good idea.

Back in the good old days we in the band didn't have to think about marketing. It was all done for us by A&R, Managers and Agents.
It's all very new to me.

Vic

I'm on Spotify, but it's really just because that's what my kids and their friends use to listen to music. My daughter will occasionally put one of my songs on a playlist when she and her friends are having a party and then Facetime me when it's on. It gives her something to tease me about, and it's worth the effort just for that. Not that I'm turning my nose up at those 92 cents I've earned!

Thanks again Gavin.
You did well to get 92 cents.
My Spotify experience was a £10 years subscription for one song.
It was streamed about 10 times at 2 pence a stream during that year so net loss £9.80.

Maybe their pricing has changed since then.
Vic

I cheated, Vic. I used a free distributor (Amuse), so I didn't have to earn back that 10 quid (or $10, or whatever). It's smart business moves like that that help me finance my lavish rock-star lifestyle.

I would buy a CD, except I don't think I have a PayPal account any more. Or a CD player. I would definitely give it a few spins on Spotify, however.

AHAA! Your secret is out now Gavin.

Hmm! I'll have to try that.

Vic

Congrats, Vic!!

Thank you Laura.
Still thinking of another for you.

Vic

Hey Vic,congrats!I hope the best for ya in this tough ass dog eat dog world.

Hi Michael.
Thanks for the support. Now I need one with a couple of yours on it.

Vic

Congratulations Vic. It's a tough world out there for the small guys, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Like they say, you can't win it if your not in it, and lady luck dose smile on small guys once in a while. I'm way over due for a smile but so far only frowns. LOL

Congrats Vic! "Old Letters" is a great title.
Good luck with it.

Best, John

Thanks Everett, I'm still trying to push it through CDBaby.
They asked me to post them an initial 5 copies which just cost me another $7.
This small guy is getting smaller by the minute ... mumble ... grumble.

Vic

Hey Vic,

Let me ask you a question. How much are you still performing, out there pushing yourself on the live scene? The reason I ask is that no matter how technilogically we advance. the bottom line is that it still is essential that we keep out there working it from the live angle as much as we can. CD Baby can only sell things for people who become aware of us. And too many people want to try and get things online and expect that to be all they have to do.

The Internet is a great tool and should be used to as much advantage as it can be. But it is only one of the tools. I would strongly suggest you keep working on your "in person" approach as a companion to what you are doing online. I know people who have done both, those that are online only, and those that are using it as a combination and the latter are generally the ones who benefit the most.

Hope you are doing well and your efforts are rewarded.

MAB

Hi John.
Yes, It's not been used yet.
Thank you.

Vic

Hi Marc.
I play live maybe 3 times a month but just locally.
My travelling the road days have all but gone. I understand what you mean though and thanks for your interest.

Vic