West Coast Connection Forum

DUBCC - Tha Connection => West Coast Classics => Topic started by: smegma on January 26, 2008, 10:19:02 AM

Title: Online distribution
Post by: smegma on January 26, 2008, 10:19:02 AM
I just saw a post of Shade Sheist about free ringtones. This is thread is not meant as a diss towards any artist, but I do feel like complaining.

Why is snocap.com only for U.S. costumors? I have seen several artists on myspace that sell certain tracks solely through their myspace. I would buy those tracks (in a digital form) if it was available for me, but I can't. The same type of shit happens with iTunes.

Also, I live in Holland and there are quite a few albums that I would love to buy, but can't find in any store. It's music that I can only buy online. Now I don't have a credit card and I have yet to find an international website that doesn't require a credit card. A few weeks ago I sent a message to T-Hud (who by the way now doesn't use myspace anymore it seems :-\) to ask if I could pay for his album through Western Union. Guess what? I didn't get a reply.

If I think your music is worth buying and I can get my hands on it, I will buy it! Are all these artists actually surprised that their music get bootlegged so fast? I'm sure that all artists would sell more than they do now if their music/goodies was available for more people.
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: smegma on January 26, 2008, 10:43:09 AM
I would like to see some artists to reply in here and see what they have to say about this.
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: peterstannard on January 26, 2008, 10:44:29 AM
I offer a service where people can sell digital downloads. Payments are through PayPal, so with PayPal balance, credit card or debit cards. There are the services out there, the artists/labels just don't utilize them.
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: smegma on January 26, 2008, 10:55:41 AM
I offer a service where people can sell digital downloads. Payments are through PayPal, so with PayPal balance, credit card or debit cards. There are the services out there, the artists/labels just don't utilize them.

I have tried to sign up for PayPal a dozen times and it always required a credit card.

A few years ago Shade Sheist was sending out free mixtapes. The only thing you had to pay for was the shipping. Eventually I downloaded all the stuff and got to listen to the music anyway, but I couldn't get hard copies of the mixtapes.  If anyone in in Holland would actually know him, maybe stores would sell his stuff, but that is not the case. Well, maybe Informal Introduction is available because it was released on a major, but I happen to have bought that in the States.

Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: Mygla on January 26, 2008, 11:32:49 AM
I don't pay for downloads... so that's no problem to me.

But who the fuck over 18 doesn't have a credit card?
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: smegma on January 27, 2008, 04:31:07 AM
I don't pay for downloads... so that's no problem to me.

Downloads are unfortunately the future of music. In 20 years our kids will be like: "My father used to go out to a store to buy music. Can you believe that?"

I will always prefer a hard copy, but if an artist has such a small fanbase that the music he sells exclusively online doesn't even leak out all over the internet, then I want to buy it.

But who the fuck over 18 doesn't have a credit card?

I don't know where you're from, but outside of the U.S.A. you do not automatically get a credit card when you open a bank account. I could get a credit card for a certain price per year, since I have have a certain income per month, but I also know that credit cards can get you in trouble if you can't pay them back. As long as I don't have a full time job I will not get me a credit card. Period.
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: Fonky Fresh on January 27, 2008, 05:04:47 AM
short answer: you're not from the us so u're not a target as a customer

Have you tried to surf with a proxy to have access to the snocap player on space's pages.
Though i don't know what happen when you try to buy a track with that if you can pay with PP i guess there are no restrictions.
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: K.Dub on January 27, 2008, 06:40:06 AM
Mauzip, u don't even have a Visa Card? I got that shit when I was 15.
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: MIC on January 27, 2008, 07:00:32 AM
I could get a credit card for a certain price per year, since I have have a certain income per month, but I also know that credit cards can get you in trouble if you can't pay them back.

Ever heard of debit cards?  :)
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: ~Lucien~ on January 27, 2008, 07:10:56 AM
mauzip... you can buy from snocap if you're from holland.
the link to snocap has to be in a bulletin not on the page.
it worked for the fixxers bootleg.
and another thing.... Holland is different from the US when it comes to creditcards.
US people don't know how it works over here so don't argue with them  :)
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: smegma on January 27, 2008, 08:06:23 AM
mauzip... you can buy from snocap if you're from holland.
the link to snocap has to be in a bulletin not on the page.
it worked for the fixxers bootleg.

Haha, I know you didn't even buy that Fixxers bootleg... and guess what the 'terms of service and license agreement' says. "The SNOCAP store(s) are currently available in the United States only and SNOCAP is unable to accept credit cards that are issued by banks outside of the United States."



short answer: you're not from the us so u're not a target as a customer

If that would be true, then I guess the artists wouldn't mind if I'd send their music to all of my friends through msn. They're missing out on my money anyway.



Have you tried to surf with a proxy to have access to the snocap player on space's pages.
Though i don't know what happen when you try to buy a track with that if you can pay with PP i guess there are no restrictions.

That is some hi-tech internet stuff. The artist (or record label) should send me his entire catalogue before I would consider to start to school myself to do that type of stuff. If they want to sell it, they need to make it available. If not, they won't fill their pockets as much as they could.



Ever heard of debit cards?  :)

Why don't you tell me how to do it instead of asking a suggestive question?
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: topshotta on January 27, 2008, 08:20:03 AM
Get yourself a visa card ain't no thang but a chicken-wing!
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: MIC on January 27, 2008, 08:51:01 AM
Ever heard of debit cards?  :)
Why don't you tell me how to do it instead of asking a suggestive question?

Go to a bank and ask for a debit card. It's a card which allows you to spend no more than what is in your bank account (every transaction has to be verified electronically) so there's no possibility of getting into debt. If you are afraid someone might get hold of your cc number, pin or whatever, keep only minimal amount on the account and transfer money there only when you need to buy something using the credit card.

Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: Ese Torsido on January 27, 2008, 10:24:54 AM
Also, I live in Holland and there are quite a few albums that I would love to buy, but can't find in any store. It's music that I can only buy online. Now I don't have a credit card and I have yet to find an international website that doesn't require a credit card. A few weeks ago I sent a message to T-Hud (who by the way now doesn't use myspace anymore it seems :-\) to ask if I could pay for his album through Western Union. Guess what? I didn't get a reply.

Hmm. I think you're a special case. PayPal only takes a handfull of countries. If you can tell me which country you live in, I can send a letter to both Snopad AND PayPal to see if you're eligible. Cause there are a few that cannot be taken whatsoever.
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: smegma on January 27, 2008, 11:08:25 AM
Hmm. I think you're a special case. PayPal only takes a handfull of countries. If you can tell me which country you live in, I can send a letter to both Snopad AND PayPal to see if you're eligible. Cause there are a few that cannot be taken whatsoever.

The Netherlands.




Go to a bank and ask for a debit card. It's a card which allows you to spend no more than what is in your bank account (every transaction has to be verified electronically) so there's no possibility of getting into debt. If you are afraid someone might get hold of your cc number, pin or whatever, keep only minimal amount on the account and transfer money there only when you need to buy something using the credit card.

I have a debit card, unless you're talking about a different pass that you can put in an ATM machine.
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: smegma on January 27, 2008, 11:44:56 AM
...was just talking to Ese... They must have changed that PayPal shit not too long ago. Last time I tried to sign up I needed a credit card, but now I can just use my regular bank pass. Woo :P I'll get back to this in a week or so, hehe.

The iTunes and Snocap shit is still fucked up though.
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: Hash on January 27, 2008, 01:24:31 PM
As for the buying digital downloads on Itunes, Napster, Rhapsody, etc.  I believe it depends on the artists online distributor's agreement with these companies.

I know my distributor Onward & Upward has my album the "Latinz Finest" album available in many other countries besides the United States like Japan, Germany, England, France, Italy, & more because when I get my checks from them it outlines where and when the digital sales were made.  However, the royalty rate is different from country to country because I get paid less for the same sale and sometimes more depending on the country, but that 's also because of the difference in how much 1 Dollar is to a Euro, to a Yen, etc.

www.myspace.com/hashlosangeles and download the free mixtape here at dubcnn

Hash - Latinz Finest
also buy the Latinz Finest album on Itunes, Napster, Rhapsody and any other digital download network
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: Ese Torsido on January 27, 2008, 01:50:52 PM
Hash - just as an example - how much would you normally earn from Japan?
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: Hash on January 28, 2008, 12:32:10 AM
From what I remember ... dont have the statement in front of me ... it's around 14-18 cents per download in Japan
Title: Re: Online distribution
Post by: smegma on January 28, 2008, 02:46:08 AM
As for the buying digital downloads on Itunes, Napster, Rhapsody, etc.  I believe it depends on the artists online distributor's agreement with these companies.

I know my distributor Onward & Upward has my album the "Latinz Finest" album available in many other countries besides the United States like Japan, Germany, England, France, Italy, & more because when I get my checks from them it outlines where and when the digital sales were made.  However, the royalty rate is different from country to country because I get paid less for the same sale and sometimes more depending on the country, but that 's also because of the difference in how much 1 Dollar is to a Euro, to a Yen, etc.

www.myspace.com/hashlosangeles and download the free mixtape here at dubcnn

Hash - Latinz Finest
also buy the Latinz Finest album on Itunes, Napster, Rhapsody and any other digital download network

Alright, so basically it depends on the distributor what countries you can release it in?

Wouldn't it possible to sign a contract with whoever/whatever to release something in every country that is a member of the European Union? Or do you really have to make deals for each country?