#81 Why are we launching albums through Spotify? Tidal? Qobuz and other streaming services?

An interesting question came to our email the other day, why is Blue Coast Records launching titles that are already out on Blue Coast Music?

 

Since the beginning of recorded music, there seemed to be one chosen date that an album was released to the world. Back in the day, a disc of some kind was made with artful packaging. Promotional activities alongside reviews and radio play pushed the day of availability and the discs were distributed to stores for the consumer to buy. It was an expensive process that limited the number of records released and allowed the industry to grow to enormous heights.  

 

Those were the glory days of the industry that had our attention focused on fewer releases. Digital audio changed that. While these physical discs offered information, beauty, and listening longevity it was an expensive adventure unless you had a record label underwriting the costs. The labels began making decisions based on whether you had a tour or fanbase, leaving a lot of talented artists behind. Digital audio began to change that in the 1990's affording a limited number of musicians to record at home to create independent releases. The 2002's furthered that with digital downloads being available to all musicians to sell directly to their fans.

 

When we started Blue Coast Records, we didn't put a lot of attention into the longevity of our label. It was about creating one recording that was the ultimate of our potential that married sound quality and passionate performances. We never thought about making Blue Coast Collection 2. In fact, there wasn't much attention to even releasing the first album except with a comment from Gus Skinas, "You are going to put this out, right?" It was that moment we realized that the music was too good to not let the world hear it.

 

I put the album to the side for a few years until Patrick O'Connor joined me in helping to create Blue Coast Records. With Patrick's graphic, website, and audio experience we were able to create packaging, a website, and release the first Blue Coast Collection. There we were with 1000 copies of a 5 song demo, trying to figure out what to do next. The last thing I wanted to do was start a normal record label.

 

Let's just say the first album took 5 years and more than $150,000 of expenses. We didn't have the money for Blue Coast Collection 2, so in April 2008 I asked Patrick if he could build a download site to accommodate HD audio. He looked around and found a program for $35 that would be our first attempt at direct to consumer HD downloads.

 

I really didn't want to start a download store but HDTracks had originally not answered our requests to sell our music; we were nobodies in a big sea of artists at that time. We launched our download site, Downloads NOW! one month after HDTracks debuted. This gave us the ability to sell HD downloads directly to the music loving consumer. In 2009 we sold the first 9624 downloads and in June 2010 the first direct to consumer DSD downloads.

 

Having our own download site meant we didn't have to design and assume the costs of packaging and discs. It also meant we could sell downloads as soon as we finished mastering a recording, done and up the next day. Except for a few albums, we didn't release SACDs or create packaging and barely gave the albums titles. 

 

You probably have a few "Special Events" in your catalog if you buy our music. :) Easy and convenient way to name albums that were 3 songs, 5 songs, 12 songs, or whatever we wanted to put out. Record and release on the same day at times. Building our own list of subscribers meant that we could bypass the normal 'review' and promotion process (which sadly lead nowhere anyway). Now, 34,000 subscribers later, I'm still writing to you.

 

But times have changed and so have our customers. Streaming services, both high res and mp3, have taken the attention of the consumer and placed a “toll road” for musicians to pass on. If you're not on Spotify, you don't seem to exist. Add to that, most of our artists have a fanbase that is not based on the audiophile community. Their fans are on Spotify. Spotify has become the “go to” place for reviewers, product people, and researchers to find and learn about new music.

 

We made the decision a few years ago to release our music to the mainstream. We found Entertainment One, waited out their buyout from Hasbro, and in January 2021, 30 of our Special Events became albums with titles, new covers, and Spotify accounts. What we've found is that a lot of audiophiles are listening to lossy and lossless audio on Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and 250 other digital service providers (DSPs). And we're seeing new audiophiles coming to the Blue Coast Music store.

 

In 2021, we now have a social media crew, 3-4 months time in advance of a release, album reps to DSPs, and an acceptance we have not been part of before. I'm not really sure how this is going to work out, but we're going to give it a go.

 

I, for one, am ready to start my ambient music service for sleep and calmness. :)

 

Enjoy your week!

 

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