Dissonance
Offline
Portsmouth

Hi I'm writing this post to hopefully gain some information regarding the size of the chiptune market.

My goals are to raise awareness of chiptune and to attempt to bring chiptune to more people- a wider audience, and to do that I need to create a picture of just how versatile and lucrative the market is.. I'm taking serious consideration into opening a UK based business with an emphasis on increasing the popularity of chiptune

In order for this to work, I need to put in a fair amount of my own cash for projects and equipment and I really want it to work, so figure the place to start is to ask the right questions and adapt my strategy accordingly ;0)

What has led me to ask you guys, is my inability to find any concrete information on just how big the industry is... So, any help on this is much appreciated

Failure isn't an option- so with this in mind, please let me know which products, services or information you would like to see readily available on an easily accessible market

Thanks in advance guys, I look forward to bouncing some ideas around wink

Last edited by Dissonance (Jun 7, 2013 11:29 am)

chunter
Offline
Brunswick, GA USA

What do you expect to be able to sell that doesn't already have a good marketplace? Are you worried that you won't be able to fulfill the expectations of your customers if there are too many?

Do you want to make money or grow the audience? I have suggestions, but they depend on what you can do.

Last edited by chunter (Jun 7, 2013 11:45 am)

Dissonance
Offline
Portsmouth

I'm aware that retro-console chiptune is increasingly popular so I am thinking that heading into the modding of consoles etc might be the 'naturally' progressive route to go down.  Its not that I fear a poor market, it's its finding the side of the industry that is sought after, a niche if you will. There aren't many people in the UK doing it at the moment so it's almost an untapped market here, which in turn makes it difficult to judge the risks of investing time and money in such an industry.

I can fulfill expectations of customers which isn't a problem, its literally just the market research I'm trying to conduct.. I need to know what it is that people want.. I mean, Is a modded Gameboy more sought after than the tools tthat are used to mod? you know, there are a thousand ways to approach this, I just hope that I can take the right path and make some awesome waves smile .. I want to be able to meet peoples needs efficiently, grow the audience, make enough of a wage to sustain myself and produce some good music

I have some fundamentals in place that will help raise the profile of chiptune.. I find that education is the best source of information so I've begun by making people aware of the possibilities within chiptune.. I have some product ideas already set out for a "learner" or "noob" to the industry.. The ideas are all there, it's just the wonderment of direction, which way to point the compass and head in a direction that benefits both the industry and its community smile

What I can do is limited only by how quickly I can learn to do a task... In other words, if there is something a can't do, I learn how, then I can do it, So the possibilities are indeed endless.

Last edited by Dissonance (Jun 7, 2013 12:09 pm)

Jellica
Offline
England

I always thought that one of the really great things about making this kind of music was that most of the resourses needed were free, DIY or fairly cheap.

It would be intersting to here how you intend to monetize something like this without simply basing your business model on exploiting ignorance.

Also fuck and shit from Fareham :P

Last edited by Jellica (Jun 7, 2013 12:16 pm)

Dissonance
Offline
Portsmouth

Exactly! so basing part of the business around helping those that want to learn could be of great benefit to the community.. To educate people on what the possibilities are within the industry and to simply open some doors for people..

I was thinking the same thing.. it would seem that the majority of modders and circuit benders do so because they like to do it themselves, hence my question about whether tools are more saleable than a pre-modded gameboy for example.

Yes I think it will be interesting to see which direction it takes too.. who knows, but one thing is for certain, I need all the information I can get so I can get the ball rolling sooner rather than later wink

I was in Fareham a couple of days ago, it's one of the nicer parts of Portsmouth I find smile

thebitman
Offline

As someone who was nearly finished with a degree in Management Information Systems and Supply Chain Management, I don't like the vagueness of your posts. Specificity is the key to getting real answers.

Figure out your own scope of your abilities, your finances, and your goal. Think about it for a while. You are very bold, and you want your first attempt to further chip in the UK to be successful (because it will be expensive to get set up!). Break down each of those elements as far as you can, formulate a plan. Attack the "untapped" market from all sides. Try making friends with local hackerspaces if you are near one, make technical friends, maybe even get a group together to do Gameboy mods with a focus on making controller breakouts, clock mods, all kinds of zany but sort of simple stuff. Talk with local record store owners and show them some badass albums, and maybe try to work with artists to get albums sold in shops. Do free clinics at anime expositions, etc, maybe using Famitracker or something since it's free, popular, and accessible, to try and gain interest. Play local gigs, open for a friends's rockband, raise awareness for yourself and your cause. If you truly believe chip music is hot stuff, you will need to act like it, and actually believe it. If you do, you will do great things smile

EDIT: holy run-on sentences, Bitman!
EDIT 2: typed to much, cut it downnnnnnnnnn

Last edited by thebitman (Jun 7, 2013 1:13 pm)

chunter
Offline
Brunswick, GA USA

In electronic music, you hear about musicians who experiment from nothing more often than you hear about apprenticeship, (though that certainly happens, too.)

How you can facilitate that depends on your skills and resources.

Last edited by chunter (Jun 7, 2013 1:10 pm)

Dissonance
Offline
Portsmouth

Interesting read Bitman smile - I agree that my approach needs tuning, hence why I'm asking people such as yourself for information.. Let me make it clear that my business model isn't designed to make "clear profit".. its designed to sustain myself so that I can dedicate all my time to this industry in whatever capacity my brain tells me to.. Its a lifestyle choice that I intend to follow to the T wink

I have already done extensive market research and am already very well aware of Kitch-bent and ASM electronics as well as exactly what modding can be done with various systems as well as circuit bending (to an extent), I've looked at all costs to be incured as well as projecting losses and incomes, distribution, marketing, radio campaigns, damaged goods and legal gumph.. But in essence, ALL of this comes much later on when I know the market for what it is.. That's why I'm asking such questions, so I can truly understand what it is that consumers require and finding the trends of specific requirements.. The fact that nobody has data mined the information to find out how the industry develops year upon year is exactly what has drawn me to your good selves wink

I believe that in order to educate on many fronts, we have to strip it all back and approach it differently.. I learned LSDJ for example in the exact manner that you mentioned, old videos and forum posts etc.. wouldn't it be grand to have a tailor made service for a newbie who is willing to learn, to enable him/her to explore their limitations without the hassle of having to trundle the web constantly for videos and posts.. Maybe someday I could run classes and forums and try to generate interest (again, much later down the line..) I am already in contact with major retailers about specifics, although they also require solid data because a space in a store could be better spent by them if the products don't sell.. But that aside, I have a miliion ideas anyway smile  I know what I need to do, it's just learning from great speakers such as yourself, which direction would be a good one to go.. for example, I don't want to spend a fortune modding consoles, if the bottom is about to fall out of the market and then I'm stuck wit a load of hardware that I can't shift.. which as you'll no doubt know with your degree, can be a major pain in the butt hmm

It seems that you do indeed understand my dilemma and exactly why my fears are paramount to the cause, which I appreciate hugely, so thank you for that, it's refreshing to speak with people who are able to nurture, as well as inform smile

Yes I am bold haha, I believe that in aiming high, we can cover a wider apex, and the plans I have, I believe, can help.. because that is my nature.. I have a vision where chiptune can reach a wider audience and be appreciated by those who never thought they could ever like it.

What I've been hoping to achieve from the initial post is to find out from like-minded individuals, what exactly people in the UK actually need, it will help me build momentum and move the ball in a particular direction.. I like all of your suggestions very much and I've taken many notes to expand upon.. I've worked within the music industry for many years so I have a good working knowledge of the music side of the industry.. And so that brings me onwards to a new challenge, and those around me know I love a challenge.. Chiptune!! big_smile

One thing I have learned for sure, is to just start small.. plants some seeds, and let the plant grow.. If it's meant to be, then it will happen wink

Dissonance
Offline
Portsmouth

Oh, the vagueness of my posts is quite intentional by the way wink I think that by asking a specific question, such as "how big is the chiptune market?" that is the answer I require... everything else is secondary to that initial question wink it's so that I don't get too clouded with shiny things distracting me away from the root wink

I'm sure you know where I'm coming from hehe

breakphase
Offline
Earth

Why build a buisness on LSDJ, and old nintendo hardware? It's so obscure. Why not teach people how to make dubstep or something? It's a much bigger market. Or how about helping people with making electronic music in general?

If you want to make money, it's probably a bad target. If you were passionate about modding, or making tutorials, you'd just do it.

boomlinde
Offline
Sweden

We don't know if there is any market for your vague product ideas

irrlichtproject
Offline
Nomad's Land

The mere choice of words in the OP makes me cringe. Please keep the music industry out of chiptune, thanks.

Dissonance
Offline
Portsmouth

Hahaha but that's because I never posted any product ideas wink I need to know the market before I spout whats in my head.. either way though its all good.. I have run 3 successful businesses so far in my life and this will be my 4th.. We do well to keep the ideas that keep us sleepless under wraps until we know exactly what we are dealing with wink

Build a business on LSDJ?? no I don't think that would work because it's too close knit, awareness will help but only to an extent.. Old nintendo hardware is quite marketable, rehousing NES inside a toaster for example is desirable apparently.. It's all about finding the direction, and moving all the ideas and proposals to meet with that direction...

Dissonance
Offline
Portsmouth

Hahahahaha thanks irrlichproject, but chiptune IS a part of the music industry... you make music, you sell it, thats industry wink

wailord
Offline
canada

not v big

Lazerbeat
Offline
Tokyo, Japan
Dissonance wrote:

Hi I'm writing this post to hopefully gain some information regarding the size of the chiptune market.

What metric are you hoping to measure the size by?