Vinyl Me Please (store, exclusives, swaps, etc)

[hatfieldpdx]

Most of the time companies fail because of poor management decisions not because of how well sales and business is going. So it's a hard thing to judge but I don't think sales and business are hurting based on the 20,000 subscribers and the fact that all of their latest blunders have been blunders in an attempt to vastly expand their business. Adding more tracks and more anthologies were hits but trying to have their own plant and add the soundtrack feature were misses.

This could be true, but the real question is how much have those numbers - and sales - been propped up by the ridiculous offers that they rolled out continually, throughout 2023. And more importantly, how many folks will actually choose to renew, given recent curation and the extortionate pricing? My prediction is that another round of promos is coming. In either case, I would imagine that trouble is brewing.

 

[tvham]

VMP has a long list of things that they have found to be hard to do.
Proof reading
Setting up an online store
Quality control
Communication
Shipping

Running a forum

 

[MikeH]

This could be true, but the real question is how much have those numbers - and sales - been propped up by the ridiculous offers that they rolled out continually, throughout 2023. And more importantly, how many folks will actually choose to renew, given recent curation and the extortionate pricing? My prediction is that another round of promos is coming. In either case, I would imagine that trouble is brewing.

Yes— I imagine that they need something to entice those who joined with the 8 free records promo to remain as members. I’m in that boat and without a good promo to cut the cost down, I probably won’t rejoin for a year long sub and more likely will dip in and out

 

[Joe Mac]

Yes— I imagine that they need something to entice those who joined with the 8 free records promo to remain as members. I’m in that boat and without a good promo to cut the cost down, I probably won’t rejoin for a year long sub and more likely will dip in and out

Could you pick 8 free records? I couldn't in December and they've only got worse in the curation since then...

 

[MikeH]

Could you pick 8 free records? I couldn't in December and they've only got worse in the curation since then...

I picked 8 freebies and sold half of the ones I didn’t want to recoup more money back. With the freebies, a US subscription came out to something like $18 per album. Even less once I sold 4 of them

 

[Nee Lewman]

Yes— I imagine that they need something to entice those who joined with the 8 free records promo to remain as members. I’m in that boat and without a good promo to cut the cost down, I probably won’t rejoin for a year long sub and more likely will dip in and out

I can save you $80:

Join the Club

Vinyl Me, Please is a record of the month club. The best damn record club, in fact. Our goal is to be the greatest music company ever, and to make your life even more awesome than it already is. We do this by not only sending you great music, but by also offering an amazing experience every month.

www.vinylmeplease.com

 

[MikeH]

I can save you $80:

Join the Club

Vinyl Me, Please is a record of the month club. The best damn record club, in fact. Our goal is to be the greatest music company ever, and to make your life even more awesome than it already is. We do this by not only sending you great music, but by also offering an amazing experience every month.

www.vinylmeplease.com

pass.

 

[Tyr]

Could you pick 8 free records? I couldn't in December and they've only got worse in the curation since then...

I’m so glad I missed the Columbia House-esque promo. I mean, I haven’t been a subscriber since we opened this forum, but still. That sort of promo, to me, is indicative of some very ugly lagging indicators within their business.

 

[MikeH]

I’m so glad I missed the Columbia House-esque promo. I mean, I haven’t been a subscriber since we opened this forum, but still. That sort of promo, to me, is indicative of some very ugly lagging indicators within their business.

Or, ya know, they cleared a ton of inventory space for records that weren't selling and got people to subscribe for a year or longer while adding on tracks and buying store exclusives on top of it.

Not every place that has sales is on the verge of bankruptcy.

 

[Joe Mac]

I’m so glad I missed the Columbia House-esque promo. I mean, I haven’t been a subscriber since we opened this forum, but still. That sort of promo, to me, is indicative of some very ugly lagging indicators within their business.

I actually kinda like halfway between you and Mike on that one. I get where you’re coming from but a company celebrating a round birthday with a giveaway that could clear some dead stock doesn’t immediately blow all the alarm bells. The number of 40% off sales the last 6 months and the pressing plant stuff maybe more so.

For me it was just a stark realisation of just how badly curation can go when you let one questionable guy run it all. I’m a big music fan and it took them 15 months to release 4 albums that I’d want to buy, actually make that two because two of them were replacing older worn copies of an album I already had. That’s from 5 records a month. 4, and 2 fresh from 75 records over the period.

 

[MikeH]

I actually kinda like halfway between you and Mike on that one. I get where you’re coming from but a company celebrating a round birthday with a giveaway that could clear some dead stock doesn’t immediately blow all the alarm bells. The number of 40% off sales the last 6 months and the pressing plant stuff maybe more so.

For me it was just a stark realisation of just how badly curation can go when you let one questionable guy run it all. I’m a big music fan and it took them 15 months to release 4 albums that I’d want to buy, actually make that two because two of them were replacing older worn copies of an album I already had. That’s from 5 records a month. 4, and 2 fresh from 75 records.

I just think that vinyl subscription services simply aren't for everyone. You don't like jazz, which rules out a lot of the classics track, and I don't think you like hiphop or country much. So at least half the offerings are already automatic no's for you without even going into the curation of them.

VMP's price hike has made it much harder to take chances on things I may have 5-6 years ago. And also I'm much pickier now than I used to be when it comes to records because I have a lot and limited space left. I have a feeling a lot of other people are in that boat too. So there are a ton of factors of why VMP has seemingly gone down hill--curation, price, it being harder most likely to license hard-to-find big titles, etc.

Storf isn't the only curator by the way...even though people assume he is since he's the "face" of the picks.

 

[Jeff Lerner]

it took them 15 months to release 4 albums that I’d want to buy

This is how I feel every quarter when they announce. 5 tracks per month for 3 months, I'm like, "ok there have to be 3 titles I'll want (one per month) out of the 15 they are going to announce." And then they announce and I'm like, "nope, swapping for credit again I guess"

 

[hatfieldpdx]

I actually kinda like halfway between you and Mike on that one. I get where you’re coming from but a company celebrating a round birthday with a giveaway that could clear some dead stock doesn’t immediately blow all the alarm bells. The number of 40% off sales the last 6 months and the pressing plant stuff maybe more so.

For me it was just a stark realisation of just how badly curation can go when you let one questionable guy run it all. I’m a big music fan and it took them 15 months to release 4 albums that I’d want to buy, actually make that two because two of them were replacing older worn copies of an album I already had. That’s from 5 records a month. 4, and 2 fresh from 75 records over the period.

I feel the same in regard to recent curation. I have dipped in and out for years, and did a 3 month membership to grab a few titles last year. That stint ended 5 months ago and I have not seen anything that has even remotely tempted me since then. Are there titles that I could talk myself into? Sure. Have there been any titles that I am going to want in my collection in 5 years? Not even close.

 

[Joe Mac]

I just think that vinyl subscription services simply aren't for everyone. You don't like jazz, which rules out a lot of the classics track, and I don't think you like hiphop or country much. So at least half the offerings are already automatic no's for you without even going into the curation of them.

VMP's price hike has made it much harder to take chances on things I may have 5-6 years ago. And also I'm much pickier now than I used to be when it comes to records because I have a lot and limited space left. I have a feeling a lot of other people are in that boat too. So there are a ton of factors of why VMP has seemingly gone down hill--curation, price, it being harder most likely to license hard-to-find big titles, etc.

Storf isn't the only curator by the way...even though people assume he is since he's the "face" of the picks.

But equally classics is supposedly 3 genres and I like good bits of the other two genres. In practice it’s not. And the essentials track is just bizarre, even if you just call it main or AoTM, the picks are often just odd. Pussy Cats really is the perfect highlight of everything that’s wrong.

 

[Twentytwo]

Most of the time companies fail because of poor management decisions not because of how well sales and business is going. So it's a hard thing to judge but I don't think sales and business are hurting based on the 20,000 subscribers and the fact that all of their latest blunders have been blunders in an attempt to vastly expand their business. Adding more tracks and more anthologies were hits but trying to have their own plant and add the soundtrack feature were misses.

So I take it we aren't getting the Goonies soundtrack that was promised last summer. Did they fire the mondo dudes?

 

[MikeH]

This is how I feel every quarter when they announce. 5 tracks per month for 3 months, I'm like, "ok there have to be 3 titles I'll want (one per month) out of the 15 they are going to announce." And then they announce and I'm like, "nope, swapping for credit again I guess"

I think at that point, I just wouldn't subscribe. I went through a stretch like that where I was just dipping in every few months to grab a 3 month when I saw 3 previous ROTMs I wanted.

But equally classics is supposedly 3 genres and I like good bits of the other two genres. In practice it’s not. And the essentials track is just bizarre, even if you just call it main or AoTM, the picks are often just odd. Pussy Cats really is the perfect highlight of everything that’s wrong.

I know that Classics is 3 genres, but jazz sells very well for them which is why they keep putting jazz titles in classics.

 

[MikeH]

So I take it we aren't getting the Goonies soundtrack that was promised last summer. Did they fire the mondo dudes?

yes-- they fired them. that was mentioned a few pages back. someone said for the goonies apparently they couldn;t get the licenses for likenesses from the actors. not sure if that's true.

 

[Joe Mac]

I think at that point, I just wouldn't subscribe. I went through a stretch like that where I was just dipping in every few months to grab a 3 month when I saw 3 previous ROTMs I wanted.


I know that Classics is 3 genres, but jazz sells very well for them which is why they keep putting jazz titles in classics.

We’re just not going to agree here so I’m going to stop arguing but I just think their mechanisms for choosing records is fundamentally broken on many levels.

 

[Twentytwo]

For me it was just a stark realisation of just how badly curation can go when you let one questionable guy run it all. I’m a big music fan and it took them 15 months to release 4 albums that I’d want to buy, actually make that two because two of them were replacing older worn copies of an album I already had. That’s from 5 records a month. 4, and 2 fresh from 75 records over the period.

Not that I am some know it all of music but VMP presses so much crap I have never even heard of especially these all these dumb indie rock bands on these smaller labels. Might as well be setting money on fire.

 

[Twentytwo]

yes-- they fired them. that was mentioned a few pages back. someone said for the goonies apparently they couldn;t get the licenses for likenesses from the actors. not sure if that's true.

Nice of them to put the cart before the horse.