From: brian@mel.dit.csiro.au (Brian May)
Subject: Re: Nu-Music and unsigned bands
Organization: CSIRO DIT (Melb.)
Distribution: aus
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 02:42:32 GMT


In article <pet.715222473@munagin>, pet@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (paul eng-yi tan) writes:
|> brian@mel.dit.csiro.au (Brian May) writes:
|> 
|> 
|> >About $750-$800 for 1 track which includes engineer, 1 day in the studio
|> >and mastering - in other words -`everything'.
|> >You missed my point totally.  This CD offers a band the chance to be recorded
|> >and not to worry about any detail of the process (ie S52 supply engineer, studio,
|> >etc etc and you have a fixed price).  Given that, and the other alternative of
|> >finding your own engineer/studio...etc, negotiating prices.....artwork.....
|> >distribution......record launch...and so on - it's hardly surprising that the
|> >bands choose the 'packaged' option!  Look at the bands on the CD.  They are
|> >on the whole new and inexperienced.
|> 
|> True. You won't get bands signed to Virgin or EMI on this CD!!!

why on earth not?  Take the Hummingbirds for example.  They were very
inexperienced live when they started out & have endured a painful experience
growing up in public.  Not signed to EMI, - rooArt is large enough (Polygram
subsiduary)

|> However, you do get bands that have extensive live performances.

Hmm - don't know about that either.

|> And if convenience is offered for a higher price as well as the
|> Studio's experience, that is a choice the band makes. If it's

Actually, if you re-read my text it is _cheaper_ to use Studio 52 for 1 track on
the CD.  A cheap 'quick fix'.  The best reason for doing it yourself is that
you have quality control - start to finish.  It will be more expensive, take
more time and be more painful.  The end result will be exclusively yours and not
a fraction of some other mish-mash of music.

|> a ripoff don't go there! Obviously it's cheaper to do what
|> Ergot did, but it definitely takes heaps more time and effort.
|> Again, I say that those with money should check out the 52 option
|> (and those who don't have time!) and those with time but less money
|> should do it themselves...

I tend to think that hassle is more of an issue.  Recording the music is only
a small portion of the release of a record/CD!  If someone else is supposedly
going to do all the promotion/launch/advertising/artwork/manufacture etc etc
then the band has much hassle saved.  Attractive beacuse it's an easy option.

|> 
|> 
|> >I have interviewed the man behind Studio 52 and the Nu-music series.  He does
|> >not give a shit about any of the bands on the CD.  All he wants to push is his
|> >studio - period.  You might get some lip service paid to the musicians - that's
|> >it.
|> 
|> Was this Paul Higgins or Trevor Carter? I find it hard to believe that
|> either would say these things, coz I know them reasonably well. It's
|> possible you've misinterpreted their attitude?

Paul - He had a guy from New Zealand in the radio studio with him.  It was his
big chance to say what he was about on Melbourne radio & all Paul could do was
talk over him about how fantastic Studio 52 was & the service they were doing
for the bands (ahem).  The kiwi might as well have not been there.  No 
misinterpretation possible there.

|> >There is no 'label' so as to speak.  The CDs are not meant to be for sale.  They
|> >are 'meant' to be sent to industry people.  The fact that some Melbourne shops
|> >have them for sale is curious.  The fact that no-one buys them isn't.
|> 
|> They are meant for promotional purposes, i.e. free gifts to industry people.
|> But they are also meant to be marketed by the bands themselves; they do need
|> to make some money back you know. I assume 52 got various shops to stock

19 bands at $800 for each band

19*800 = $15,200 for the CD project (say)

A guess at costs:

$500 a day for the studio for 19 bands 			$9500
1000 CDs + packaging					$3000
mailouts						$ 500
advertizing						$1000
							=====
							14000

Which still leaves 1,500 remaining.  Studio 52 do charge $10 on the door for
the CD launch gigs (of which there are 4) and give a CD to each pay.  Approx
400 people over the 4 gigs gives them $4000 back in revenue.  The bands play
for nothing unless a S52 person decides that they made enough to pay the band
for playing.

Of course I don't know the real figures.  These are based on real costs I have
come across recently.

Studio 52 do not need to recoup any money.

|> >Now I've canned S52 (sorry, can't help it) - anyone want to talk about the 
|> >RooArt Young Blood samplers? :-)
|> 
|> You don't know them personally :)
|> Paul

eh?  is that a question or a statement?

brian
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|  Brian May, DIT, CSIRO,  |           Open Systems Program           |
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