Offering Digital Downloads

[kopper]

I think the smart thing for labels to do nowadays is to put out all their stuff on vinyl only (CDs just aren't selling anymore, but are good for promo) and then offer digital downloads of the songs so people can make their own CDs if they want to, or so they can put the songs easily on their iPods or other MP3 players/libraries. Personally, I think the MP3s should just be given away, since sooner or later you'll probably be able to find them for free online somewhere. But one good option is to give people a download code so they can go online and download the stuff with the code, but without it you're outta luck. One such service that offers this is TransmitVinyl.com, but it's not free. However, $50 for 500 downloads isn't too bad, I don't think. Another option you could have is to just create a password-protected directory on your website, but to do that you need a website, not just a Myspace page or something, and then another drawback is you just create one password that everyone will share. Sooner or later, that password will get around and lots of other people will get it and use it. Which brings me back around to just offering the downloads for free anyway.

Are there any services out there like TransmitVinyl.com that are free?

[Ken]

I know that as part of its basic Merchant package, yahoo offers the ability to offer downloads. I don't know if they'll let you set the Price to "free" though.

[Weirdonia]

bandcamp.com is incredibly handy for online downloads. anyone who downloads off of the site can download the songs in whatever file format they want, from mp3 to flac..

just you can't upload mp3s to the site.. because an mp3 converted to flac just isn't kosher

also, you get 200 free download codes when you make the page, and you can get 500 for $15 or 1000 for $20

[The Blue Giant Zeta Puppies]

With Weirdonia on this one...Bandcamp offer an excellent service....as well as free or fixed price downloads you can set name your own price downloads with or without a minimum figure...(but watch out for PayPal's minimum transaction cost)...you can also bundle tracks into "albums" and include artwork and videos and stuff in the download....