Junkie XL/Radio JXL

[~intro]

So the man puts out a double album, and it's ¤¤¤¤ing killer. Guest vocalists include Dave Gahan, Robert Smith, Gary Numan, Peter Tosh, Chuck D(!!!), Solomon Burke etc.

Then the man sets up a web site and sells a companion album, also a double, for $5. You can download it in 192kbps MP3s for five bucks.

In addition to this he creates a net radio broadcast for the site with Sasha behind the decks (playing all sorts of unreleased remixes), is in the process of posting videos and creating an entire online community, and lots more.

So, while I'm sitting here listening to the broadcast, with my Junke XL album sitting on my desk, and the 7AM album currently downloading (legally) via MSIE, I'm feeling excited. I'm feeling like this guy is truly breaking a little ground in terms of modern music distribution.

So I'm curious what the rest of you think about this whole deal. Are you going to buy the album? Will you buy the bonus album for $5 off the site? Is this truly a step in the right direction?

Would love to hear some feedback from some of you on here.

I for one am inspired by all this, and trying to take lessons from it wherever I can. I'm sure I'll implement something like this (on a smaller scale due to money constraints; i.e. no sasha mixing on my site) when I finally quit producing other people and get my own album together.

Think. Discuss. Let's hear it.

-Mark
www.djintrovert.com

[~NullDevice]

I think this is brilliant. I am getting the album (it's on order), I'll download the companion, and while I don't really like his website's UI, the wealth of content on it makes up for it.

Finally, a musician is using the web correctly and is actually involved in the process. There are a lot of good band websites out there with lots of content, but so few of them actually have much input from the artist (with some exceptions, like BowieNet and to a lesser extent conjureone.com).

But exclusive content, cheaper extra music, tidbits for trainspotters - making a web visit worthwhile could change the way the industry works - I mean, why buy a CD when you can get 35x more information for free, online, and have some interaction with the artist? This is excellent.

[Electroswank]

uh....
http://www.electrogarden.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6949

[~amyagogo]

Welcome to the world famous Short Attention Span Forum at EGN, kids!!

:p

[seraphim]

Well, I think the new Junkie XL album is....ooo what's that over there? It's shiny. Oh wait, what was I saying? Oh never mind, I think I'll go start a Junkie XL thread because I don't think anyone else has.

[~cliffwalk]

hehehe.... I dunno about everyone else but I only read the posts in the "MOST RECENT THREADS" that comes up on first hit to the site. I think quite a few of us do that because we tend to see the same three-four times before we commit to a single thread to start our standard dramatic "let's drive this thread into the sewer" motive.

Dave

[~intro]

Well, uhh, you see... I knew there was a thread talking about the album itself and how great it was. And I saw that. In fact, that thread is why I picked up the album.

But I wanted to start a thread in the electronic artist cafe to discuss the thinking behind the marketing strategy, not the music. Wanted to talk with some artists about how we could take cues from this guy and do similar stuff with our own music.

-Mark
www.djintrovert.com

[~NullDevice]

Yeah, I agree, I see this as two distinctly different threads. This one isn't so much about the album itself, as the other one is. Maybe it could be retitled?

[~technosapien]

well to those that dont have the internet, that marketing wont work well...

and although synthpop fans are rejoicing because Gary Numan and Dave Gahan are singing on the album, i have yet to hear one person outside this community say one word about it

i havent heard it so i cant respond about it but i think that JunkieXL's remix of Dirty Sticky Floors is horrible for the dancefloor.. its okay to listen to if you like trance synths.. but if a DJ played it i'd be hitting the bar

[~intro]

Gotta agree with Joel on the Gahan remix. It's pretty weak. But I like the JXL album.

Anyway, back to the marketing. Yeah, it's a bit weak if you're not on the net, but these days at least half the population has access. And I'm sure if you were to break it down and really look at the demographic he's targeting, I'm sure you'd find that a strong majority have internet access. So it works well.

My only concern is what Null said a few posts back, about not buying the CD and just hitting the web site. Obviously album sales are still crucial to his success with this, and anyone approaching an album release in this way would want to make sure he or she could still get decent album sales.

-Mark
www.djintrovert.com

[~cosmicity]

First of all: Who's the fool? The guy who starts a second thread about Junkie XL with a different content twist, or the people who jump all over him about it and don't even realize it's a different subject? God damn, people.

As for the ACTUAL SUBJECT of this thread... I think it's very cool when artists get actively involved with their own web pages. And I'm totally in favor of the artists giving people more content and more info via the internet. It rules. And the artists stand to make some cash the record label can't touch (can't recoup 98% of) if they offer cool exclusive merchandise from their sites. But, will I go download the Junkie XL bonus album? No. I still want a real CD. If I became a Junkie XL fan (I'm not yet), I would probably buy the bonus CD if it were formally released. But as mp3 downloads, I wouldn't. I want uncompressed CD quality music, a jewel case, and some nice artwork if I'm paying for it. I want it on my CD rack. I don't want to put CD-Rs on there.

But I may very well be in the minority there. Times ARE a changin'. It'll be interesting to see how well this works for him. As I recall, it wasn't that successful for Prince or Pearl Jam in the past.

I like the new iTunes thing, though. It's high-time you could get a single for $0.99 again. Since vinyl 45s from K-Mart aren't a reality anymore (yes, I'm older than you), this is a great modern solution. If they cut it out with the BS compression scheme and specail encoding that limits how many copies you can make, I'll jump all over it.

-m

[~technosapien]

well i cant speak for other people... but i know of a few people who have large collections of legal mp3s they have purchased from sites that have that technology... i forget the names of the sites but you pay a flat fee for a year and can download whatever you want... but they love the service and use it all the time... and right now i'm officially over having to have the jewel case put together for me.. i can download the tracks, print the artwork, and buy a jewel case and stick it in there if its going to be cheaper for me than going to the store and buying it there.

as far as buying additional music on someones website as a companion to the album... well, it depends on what it is.. if its something crucial to have then i would... lets say for instance, um... is anyone familiar with the Accession Records Vol 1 cd? it was a cd full of exclusive (at the time) remixes and tracks.. it had two tracks which i wanted badly... lets say that instead of the label releasing that cd, they said that if you bought the particular bands album that you could purchase the mp3 online for some price.. then i would do it.. i dont mind downloading songs if its a song that i want

but i still cant say if i'd do that for JunkieXL or not


the question i'd like to pose is if any of you think that offering a bonus disc for $5 on the website is going to help sales for his album? its only a marketing campaign if it helps you sell something.

look at the Matrix 2 marketing campaign.. a video game (helps sell tickets), that anime feature movie (helps sell tickets) and whatever else they did... all those things led to the selling of the ticket to watch the movie

but in this case it seems that you buy the album first and then go to the website and listen to the streaming radio and download the bonus disc.. so its like add-ons.. extras... not something thats going to sell the record

could you imagine someone going to the website, buying the bonus disc for $5 and then saying that they wanted the album and buying that?

[~intro]

They might. You don't HAVE to purchase the album in order to pick up the companion CD for five bucks or listen to the stream. The stuff on the web site is basically remixes and b-sides. If you want the real deal, you still gotta hit the record store and pick up the album.

I think the radio stream and some of the other stuff planned for the site will be more helpful to record sales than the bonus album is. But I do like the bonus album. It's a neat little addon to the purchased disc.

And I especially like that it's 192kbps MP3s with zero copy protection. Very nice! The fact that he's being so open about it will keep me from copying it. But I know most people won't be like that.

I think the trick in this day and age is to make the consumer genuinely like the artist and want to spend the money on his material. You can download just about anything you want illegally and never have to pay a cent. I downloaded the Junkie XL album before it was even released. But after seeing what he was doing with the web site, and how interactive he was being with his fans, I went straight to Tower and purchased it.

Things like this develop a rapport with your listeners and make them feel as if they're truly meaningful, as if they're a part of something. And that's how you can start getting album sales. Rather than demanding that people pay for it, you can make them want to pay for it. Then it seems like their idea and they're even more motivated to do it.

-Mark
www.djintrovert.com

[~cliffwalk]

Originally posted by cosmicity
First of all: Who's the fool? The guy who starts a second thread about Junkie XL with a different content twist, or the people who jump all over him about it and don't even realize it's a different subject? God damn, people.

No fools here... just a great deal of fun had by all tossing poo at each other like monkeys :) :) :)

As far as the rest of this thread, since I'm trying to be less wordy..

(a) Love the way the website is constructed.
(b) Love the fact that the artist isn't utilizing their label as the ONLY means to generating income for themselves.

and lastly.. the word is INFRASTRUCTURE.

As connectivity becomes less and less of a barrier for entry:

INFRASTRUCTURE will be what lies between you and the consumer. The ones building their business connections to it now are smart. Regardless of what you may or may not think conventional preferences will be if you are not connecting your marketing efforts into working online strategies NOW you will have a harder time doing it LATER.

Dave

[~KissTheStar]

I like ponies ... and dogs too ....

[~technosapien]

Originally posted by intro
I think the trick in this day and age is to make the consumer genuinely like the artist and want to spend the money on his material. You can download just about anything you want illegally and never have to pay a cent. I downloaded the Junkie XL album before it was even released. But after seeing what he was doing with the web site, and how interactive he was being with his fans, I went straight to Tower and purchased it.

Things like this develop a rapport with your listeners and make them feel as if they're truly meaningful, as if they're a part of something. And that's how you can start getting album sales. Rather than demanding that people pay for it, you can make them want to pay for it. Then it seems like their idea and they're even more motivated to do it.

-Mark
www.djintrovert.com



i think you are part of a vast MINORITY of people who would react to the situation in that way

i dont think that more than 3 people will think of what JunkieXL did in the way that you did

i know i didnt


for the record, i dont care if artists make me think i'm a part of something... i dont care if they make other stuff available in other mediums than compact discs.. all i care about is them making good music.. if its good, i buy it...

but i'm probably in the minority too since i think christina aguileras album went platinum