Why I Love CD Baby
Look! I’m RICH! Well… it’s a start…
Ahhh, look at it. Money I’ve made from music, posted directly to me. No label, no accountants, no expensive audits to see how much money the label has “forgotten” to pay me this time… bliss!
I think this is the fourth cheque this size I’ve got from CD Baby. There were two or three earlier, smaller ones before I raised the payment limit to make the conversion more economical (banks charge to convert because, ummm… they can).
Notice also that most of the money is from digital downloads. In actual, physical CDs, I’m selling a piffling amount. This is the reality for musicians nowadays – nobody really gives a crap about physical product. Sure, I’ll keep on releasing CDs but this is because I’m an old bloke wot likes to hold a lyrics booklet, likes to see artwork. Obviously, that isn’t how most buyers of my music feel. Logically, I should stop manufacturing physical products. But I won’t because I’m nostalgic and illogical and love the feeling when a new album of mine arrives in shrinkwrap. Releasing an album only as an mp3… it just wouldn’t feel as real to me.
Also, the bulk of that digital income is from iTunes. I tried to get on iTunes for around a year with no joy, even got my lawyer to email them. CD Baby got me on there in about a month. That income is money that, if I’d left it to Apple’s iTunes Store admin team, I would never have earned.
If you’re an independent musician who hasn’t ever tried CD Baby, check them out. Having been a musician for 25+ years now, I can tell you it brings a tear to my rheumy old eye to actually get paid for my work.
I’d also like to thank every one of you out there who’s paid to buy my music. Believe me, it does mean a lot to me! 🙂
