"Sales figures" for chip releases? (Page 11 of 12)

Just wanted to say this is an excellent discussion, so much so that it's making me consider charging for my next album.

i grew up in the computer art scene making ansi's for BBSes along with other folks, all for free, for the love of the art.  but there were some ansi artists who charged for their work, like $5 or $10 for a logo or a 50-line picture.  some thought they were being pretentious about the value of their work, but i interpreted it as, "hey, i trust in my own abilities to make good art - that others can enjoy and use - enough that i can approach it from a professional perspective."

similarly, the chipmusic scene has thrived out of a love for the artform and its technical intracacies, and there's a valid fear that money would undermine the openness of the ecosystem.  but i think that as long as we take our craft seriously and have the right attitude, we shouldn't be afraid to attach a monetary value to the music if we truly feel that the value is commensurate with the amount of labour and skill involved.  i feel that it's as much a commitment for the artist to make this kind of monetary decision just as it it is a commitment for the listener to shell out bucks to purchase the music.  in fact, i find that this undercurrent of two-way trust and effort helps make the purchase itself that much more meaningful.

for example, in 4mat's case, i as a listener understand (unless i'm wrong) that he's not just a hobbyist who has released tons of free music in his tracker days of yore, but he's also a professional musician who actually does this for money and is counted on to do music work for clients.  And it's only recently that he's released his music in album format and charged money for it.  What changed?  was it the realization that the "hobbyist" music that is perhaps closer to the heart should have at least a similar monetary component to the music done at a day job?  especially considering all the extra effort taken to make the music fit for "album quality"?

I am purchasing the album with an appreciation for the hurdles any serious chipmusic artist has to overcome in legitimizing his music.  it means more to me because as an artist, i too know the frustrations inherent in finding a way to present my music in a way that says, "hey, i really tried to make sure the effort i put into this album reflects well on the monetary value i assigned to it", but also doesn't seem like i'm just asking for money.

Charging for the music was an attempt to "legitimise" chipmusic against other "genres/styles/whatever you call it".  While some people have ideological ideas about keeping their music free, I personally think that chipmusic is as valid an artform as any music sold in a store.

btw you can download all my work now for free here

i'd rather die than COOL HUNT

hmm pretty late on this discussion... but to anyone who cares:

Vegavox 1 (cartridge) *sold out* 170 copies
Color Caves (cartridge) *sold out* 100 copies
Vegavox 2 (cartridge) *sold out* 50 copies
9999 (CD) sold 274 physical copies and still going
9999 (download on penny arcade website) sold 117 copies and still going

that took years... it takes a long time to sell this many of anything niche

Last edited by alex_mauer (Sep 25, 2011 4:50 pm)

The Glowing Stars' "Anything Past That

106 online purchases
140 or so USB drive gameboy carts (100+ as pre-orders)
and counting

Slightly OT, but...

Chipmusic needs a better reputation. Digital distribution services don't.

If you want money, you probably earn more from selling 10 CDRs, unless you sell a lot. If you want attention, you'll (probably) get more by giving it away for free. If you don't want to support crappy commerce, then don't hire someone to upload your things to 1 million different MP3-stores. People will find it anyway.

The point is to make people find it. If you don't have a good label, you have to do the marketing yourself. Good music don't sell itself.

Back OT: I don't keep stats really but CD-albums and vinyls 500-1000 copies each, downloads up to 40k, according to archive.org. (dunno if it's individual tracks or full album)

It's all about demand, right? Simplicity and accessibility are in higher demand than exceptional/technical production or composition, for better or for worse.