All in the music business today know that it is becoming ever more challenging to earn “real” money (or at least enough to allow you to stop busking and sleeping in your car). With the advent of the 360 degree recording deal and the introduction of digital downloads and streaming, earnings, even by major artists, are lower than ever.
But, artists are finding inventive ways of filling the “gaps”. Most artists are now, in addition to the main streams of royalties, including publishing rights and sales of singles, LPs and EPs, are focusing more attention than before on “value-added” fan-based “products”. They are seeking new ways to engage their fans and provide additional, appealing methods and means to obtain this income.
A prime example of this is Eminem. Digital Music News stated in a recent article:
‘ Last year, as part of its fifteenth anniversary, Eminem re-released The Slim Shady LP in cassette tape form. He did the same for the sixteenth anniversary of The Marshall Mathers LP,and gave some fans bricks from his childhood home.’
How is that for ingenuity? He has brought something very personal to him into the hands of his most loyal (and probably wealthiest) fans. This is what the “new-age” fan really wants; a real piece of the artist they adore. It’s not enough just to buy your favorite artist’s album or go to his show, or even purchase some merchandise on his/her website. Additionally, the cassette tape is warmly remembered by those born pre-90s as a medium to buy their artist’s latest release and even more so, create mix-tapes for personal use or for that “special person”. The revival of this medium of recording by Eminem, even amongst his youngest fans, for the re-release of his albums, creates that warm, nostalgic connection or re-connection between him and his fans.
As a new project, Eminem will give a similar cassette tape form treatment to his third album, The Eminem Show.
Eminem first released The Eminem Show in 2002. Now, the rapper will release a series of “bundles” to commemorate the album’s fifteenth anniversary. Along with a cassette tape re-release, he’ll sell t-shirts and autographed posters.
For example:
“Celebrate the Anniversary of The Eminem Show with limited edition cassette re-issue, featuring lenticular motion printed cover, plus a 24″ x 18″ poster featuring prints of handwritten annotations of the liner notes by Eminem.”
2. For $35, you can purchase the album in cassette tape along with a T-shirt in small, medium, large, extra large, or 2-XL. The description reads,
“Celebrate the Anniversary of The Eminem Show with limited edition cassette re-issue, featuring lenticular motion printed cover, plus a t-shirt that pays homage to album artwork featured in the liner notes.”
Other artists have revived the vinyl medium (which would include, perhaps, special artwork, a copy of the album both in vinyl and a code to download the album on iTunes, etc). Another interesting recent release was David Bowie’s “Blackstar” album (which was released on 8 January 2016 – what a New Year’s gift to his fans) which still to this day, fans are discovering new bite-size nuggets of meaningful information from the artist on the album cover and within it. So, fans still feel connected to Bowie beyond his passing, and ensures that the album and the artist will live on (probably ensuring a future revenue stream for his wife and family).
Advice for the up-and-coming artist: