Record Labels to turn to USB?
February 25, 2008
Record labels are trying out different ideas to get consumers to BUY music…..The latest format is USB flash drives.
With the increase of file sharings recording companies are trying out the format with specially designed flash drives to encourage consumers to buy their product. “The selling point to the labels is a really good one — it’s a marriage between merchandise and music so that people will at least buy it instead of stealing it because they want the merchandise,” All Access CEO Chris Guggenheim said. “It’s the only for-sure non-stolen product.”
A number of recording artists have experimented with USB releases in recent artists include Jennifer Lopez, Ringo Starr, Mars Volta and Matchbox Twenty.
Many are citing USB to be the future for the industry as you can’t illegally download it, it has room for more features such as music videos and behind the scenes footage, but it has a downside as the format is considerably more expensive than the current CD format. In the US drives are to be retailed at around $30 (£15-£16) although new mother of twins J-Lo or Jennifer Lopez as she now wants to be known as (what next?) is to release her own specially designed luxury drive. Lopez’s “Brave” album on the Adam & Eve flash drive will feature 1GB of storage and is crafted from African Mahogany or African Blackwood, and is said it will be priced at $70 (£35-£36). For me this seems more about merchandising than music.
Other labels are not so convinced it is the future but believe the format has it’s use.
Universal Records doesn’t expect to make money on the 2,000 USB units it put out for Erykah Badu’s February 26 release, “Nu AmErykah,” Universal senior vice president of digital business development Cameo Carlson said., but it does expect to keep fans connected to the act. Badu will create new bonus features throughout the year for those who buy “Nu AmErykah” on USB. “It’s not for everybody,” Carlson said. “It’s for the hardcore fan that wants tons of pictures, who really wants something more and the opportunity to get new stuff every month.”
Another interesting use is the sale of live concerts to concert attendees to leave with. Austin-based All Access, the company behind USB releases will to produce USB keys within minutes of the end of US band Matchbox Twenty’s tour and will sell them from the bands merchandising boothes, selling at the same price as bands t-shirts.
