Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Friday edition - 2 min read

Don't Toss the Test Pressings

The Drop

In this economy, you'd better try anything you can to get ahead in the game. Things like turning ‘trash’ into treasure. Whenever you order your next vinyl pressing run, that test pressing you call trash – yeah, that’s where the money is.

The Ripple

Ever wonder why Balenciaga keeps getting away with overpriced trash bags? One of the reasons is brand recognition, of course, but the other one is scarcity. It’s human psychology, baby. Test pressings come in plain white sleeves with no artwork. To a normal person, it looks unfinished. To a superfan, it is the ultimate collector's item. Disc Makers’ CEO suggests signing the white sleeve, numbering them, and charging a premium ($50−$100).

The Take

If you are pressing vinyl, tell the plant you want the maximum allowance of test pressings. Sign them and sell them before the official release to fund the rest of the project.

[Full story at Hypebot]

Making Money for the Holidays

What’s Up

Ah, the holiday season. A time to reflect, spend time with family, and give Spotify the middle finger because the internet is one big open wallet now. While you were stressing about your stats, the Spotify Wrapped deadline passed on Nov 21. That means you can stop refreshing your dashboard; the year is mathematically over.

So What

We all want to get our folks something for the holidays. Relying on the pennies you get from Spotify won’t get you that. A hoodie will. Bundles will. Platforms like Pinterest are a sleeper hit because it’s full of people who are looking to spend money.

Now What

The time to push merch is now. Bundle your merch, and get it in front of people with credit cards. Right now, streams are vanity, but sales are sanity.

[Read More on Music Ally]

XLN’s Making It “Free Downloads” Easy

What's Up

You know the drill: they say the “Free Download”, and you ask, “How high?” Usually, a “free” pack means trading your email address to join a newsletter you don’t want. XLN Audio just skipped all that. They’re giving away free drum samples for Black Friday, and all you need to do is click download.

So What

If you've ever used XLN's Addictive Drums 2, you'll know that they set the standard for realistic drums. We’re talking about polished, mix-ready samples from legendary hardware like CR-78, Korg, etc.

Now What

Go to xlnaudio.com/blackfriday_free_samples and click download. It’s easy and free and doesn’t cost you anything (believe me, there’s a difference). Do it now, before their marketing team realises that they should add an email gate.

[Read more on Bedroom Producers Blog]