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

TenderLovingKiller® said:
Yeah, At a certain point if you can no longer offer the promised curated experience that you had previously, then it’s time to either hang it up or change expectations (and prices to match).
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I think the smartest path is to try to delve more into the new release territory. I am surprised that they haven't done the new album in Essentials thing in a long time (or the Rap/Hip Hop sub either, and I guess in whatever Classics is now known as), because I think there are many new releases that they could be the deliverer of a deluxe super version of and I'd bet that their options would be greater to do so. Right now it feels like they're mining C/D tier releases at A tier prices.
 
wmeugene said:
I think the smartest path is to try to delve more into the new release territory. I am surprised that they haven't done the new album in Essentials thing in a long time (or the Rap/Hip Hop sub either, and I guess in whatever Classics is now known as), because I think there are many new releases that they could be the deliverer of a deluxe super version of and I'd bet that their options would be greater to do so. Right now it feels like they're mining C/D tier releases at A tier prices.
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new album in essentials almost never sells well. would you buy a new release from them? get it a month or two after it's out elsewhere?

they did an exclusive of the latest shabaka album which is WAY better than the general release and i think it still hasn't sold 1,000 copies
 
MikeH said:
new album in essentials almost never sells well. would you buy a new release from them? get it a month or two after it's out elsewhere?

they did an exclusive of the latest shabaka album which is WAY better than the general release and i think it still hasn't sold 1,000 copies
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Right, I don't disagree and they'd need to be in position to release at around the same time. The Shabaka is a perfect example. If it had been a monthly track, I definitely would have been more excited for that than any of their "Classics" releases in a long time. The problem is that their main tracks are so expensive that none of the exclusives seem to sell well anymore.
 
wmeugene said:
Right, I don't disagree and they'd need to be in position to release at around the same time. The Shabaka is a perfect example. If it had been a monthly track, I definitely would have been more excited for that than any of their "Classics" releases in a long time. The problem is that their main tracks are so expensive that none of the exclusives seem to sell well anymore.
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the problem is they got fucked by cam (and their board being idiots) so now need to keep raising prices and trimming fat. if i were them, i'd just make every store drop limited to under 500. the shabaka release was around same price as a ROTM iirc and was also available in swaps I think yet still in stock. i'm not convinced they would sell 10k+ copies of that album.

i also don't know that labels want to cannibalize their own sales by licensing out ROTM numbers. you can get smaller acts like Caroline Rose to agree to it I'm sure. But we all know how that went...
 
MikeH said:
the problem is they got fucked by cam (and their board being idiots) so now need to keep raising prices and trimming fat. if i were them, i'd just make every store drop limited to under 500. the shabaka release was around same price as a ROTM iirc and was also available in swaps I think yet still in stock. i'm not convinced they would sell 10k+ copies of that album.

i also don't know that labels want to cannibalize their own sales by licensing out ROTM numbers. you can get smaller acts like Caroline Rose to agree to it I'm sure. But we all know how that went...
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Fan of Shabaka but truth is, that album was a big change for him from his SoK and CiC material. He's now focused on playing flutes. It's a quiet album and new jazz LPs do not move a lot of units on a good day compared to other genres. New jazz artist sales are greatly impeded by the lack of places to play live and zero radio play or TV opportunities. It requires time and attention to listen and that's not what the masses are into today.

I'll give credit to VMP for trying with his LP and CiC's "H-DEB" sea-blue exclusive, which I think sold out of its 1000 unit run. So maybe people liked his Comet-era more than his solo era?
 
Biscuit said:
Fan of Shabaka but truth is, that album was a big change for him from his SoK and CiC material. He's now focused on playing flutes. It's a quiet album and new jazz LPs do not move a lot of units on a good day compared to other genres. New jazz artist sales are greatly impeded by the lack of places to play live and zero radio play or TV oppoptunities. It requires time and attention to listen and that's not what the masses are into today.

I'll give credit to VMP for trying with his LP and CiC's "H-DEB" sea-blue exclusive, which I think sold out of its 1000 unit run. So maybe people liked his Comet-era more than his solo era?
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The Comet era was about as popular as I can remember any new jazz releases being this side of Kamasi Washington.
 
wmeugene said:
I think the smartest path is to try to delve more into the new release territory. I am surprised that they haven't done the new album in Essentials thing in a long time (or the Rap/Hip Hop sub either, and I guess in whatever Classics is now known as), because I think there are many new releases that they could be the deliverer of a deluxe super version of and I'd bet that their options would be greater to do so. Right now it feels like they're mining C/D tier releases at A tier prices.
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Why would people spend 50 on something they can probably get for 30 or less and why would the labels allow different mastering on new material to undercut their current product. This is a no wheresville street for them.
 
wmeugene said:
As I said, deluxe edition. Artwork, booklet, gatefold, etc.

Their price point is stupid and what is going to cause their inevitable decline.
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I mean they don’t do booklets anymore, they do a zine you may or may not get. And I know companies charge a premium for tip on and gatefold but it still ain’t a twenty dollar swing. Any other attempt at a “deluxe” version makes no sense.. bonus material - the label wants that to fleece fans for the one year anniversary.
 
I honestly think price is their issue right now. They are getting like a tenth of the market’s sloppy seconds and charging more than the companies do for premium editions for the s tier stuff. They need to sell and quick. If Craft is dumb enough to buy then, take whatever offer is on the table and start vinyl me poo.
 
Nee Lewman said:
I mean they don’t do booklets anymore, they do a zine you may or may not get. And I know companies charge a premium for tip on and gatefold but it still ain’t a twenty dollar swing. Any other attempt at a “deluxe” version makes no sense.. bonus material - the label wants that to fleece fans for the one year anniversary.
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i imagine the "deluxe" version would be like what they did with David Gray, Elton John and Shabaka -- exclusive cuts you can only buy at VMP. 45RPM, AAA, RKS, etc. I agree it wouldn't work though. Mostly because their messaging and promotion is shit and i'd bet many of VMP's customers (ya know, the ones that aren't on forums all the time like us) simply don't care.
 
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