Moods and Genres

A forum for sharing views on the art of film, video and AV sequence making as well as on competitions, judging and festivals.
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bobsongs
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Moods and Genres

Post by bobsongs »

Hi all,
I just stopped by to tell you that I have re-designed and modified my website http://www.bobsongsmusic.com where you download Royalty Free music for use in your projects.
I've now sorted all the tracks into "Moods" and "Genres" so that it is now easier and quicker to access the music that you require.
Please feel free to visit the site to check out what's available.
I've also included a "Feedback" form, and it would be appreciated if you would use it to let me know what you think of the improvements.
Thanks.
All the best
Bob Chambers
ned c
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Post by ned c »

I just checked out this mailing and noticed that not only has Bob updated his website he has also drastically updated his prices. Now between $30 and $49 per CD all originally at $17 when I bought them and thought them good value. Not so sure now.

Ned
bobsongs
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Ouch!!

Post by bobsongs »

Ouch!!

Hi Ned, good to hear from you.

You're quite right, I have increased the prices of my music.
The CDs that you bought were priced at an introductory $17.99 each including shipping worldwide with a view to increase the price to $24.99 each. The mp3 downloads were priced at $1.25 each.

I maintained the introductory price of $17.99 for a whole year hoping that I would sell a decent amount of CDs. I didn't.
I did sell a reasonable amount of mp3's at $1.25 each, but by the time PayPal took their cut of 35cents that left me with 90cents - which equates to about 40 english pence (about the price of a Snickers bar!) which isn't a whole heap of money and isn't going to make me rich.

However, I would rather sell downloads than CDs.

Why? - Well if some nice film maker like you wants to buy a CD, first I have to burn it, print and cut the labelling etc, buy a jiffy bag, go down to the post office and pay a kings ransom to have it mailed to you. I'm lucky if I make about £5.00 out the deal, my time works out at about £2.50 ($5.00) an hour.

As you guys already know, some websites want to charge you $100 for a CD of royalty free music. You can easily pay $10, $20 or $50 for a single track (some only lasting 30 seconds) if you don't believe me go and google "royalty free music" and see what some sites are asking.

All I ask is $2.99 per download track (I get $2.65 for that - about £1.25).

The new prices for the CDs were based on $2.99 per track i.e. 16 tracks for $47.84 (rounded up to $47.99). This price includes shipping worldwide, for 16 tracks of music ranging from 1 minute 42 seconds to 6 minutes 24 seconds, in WAV form on a CD disc with a jewel case and labelling etc.

You know something Ned, we're all in this together. You're working hard making your films which retail for ? I don't know how much, maybe you give them away, that is entirely up to you. I work equally hard creating my music and developing my website - which I have to pay for. I put in thousands of hours of work for a tiny financial reward which probably doesn't cover the cost of the website, but hey who cares I'm doing what I LOVE!

Ned, you paid a measly $17.99 for each of my CDs which are now priced at an affordable and reasonable $47.99, $41.99 and $35.99.

I think you got a great bargain!

All the best to you
Bob Chambers.
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stingman
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Post by stingman »

I`m sorry Bobsongs but they still seem very dear indeed. I think your have to look at you prices again. You can download `real songs/chart` for next to nothing nowdays.
The IAC very kindly has an arrangment (licence) where by we can copy from cd `Proper` songs, store them on our hard drive, edit them and put them in our movies! All for about £9.00 a year!
You`ve come on here, with your FIRST post (since the beginning of this new look forum) and are advertising your goods for sale. Yes, they could help people with there music quality in background music, but please try to join in with all the other threads on here. Otherwise people will think you are on here just to advertise your goods! (oh yes, you are!).
99% of us on here on here make films for pleasure and love of the art. I believe that if someone on here wanted help with something like an extra pair of hands filming something, then any one of us would gladly help and give our time `FREE`. I know I would. It`s called helping each other for no personel gain. We just love to make films and get a sort of buzz when other people see them.
Are you a member of any video club? Would you charge to help someone in the said club. I know things in life arn`t free, but it`s good to try and suppy a service that is. Anyone can ask me if they can have a look at my films (see the swap thread). But it`s just bugging when people come on here trying to sell there goods without helping and answering other peoples questions. I get enougth of that through my letterbox and in my email `inbox`! I don`t really need it here.
Sorry Bob, that`s how I feel on the matter.
Feel free to reply and i`ll reply and proberly not reply anymore on the matter.
Sorry guys on here.
Ian Gardner
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bobsongs
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Post by bobsongs »

Hi Ian,
Thanks for your comments.
As you can see from my last post I have explained (in more detail than I have to) why I have priced my music at $2.99 (or £1.50) per track.
You are absolutely right. You can download "Proper/Chart" music for 99cents/50 pence per track from many websites, however, that does not entitle you to use it without a licence.
I reckon that if you pay 99cents (50 pence)for one of my tracks, then $2.00 (£1.00) is not a lot to pay for the licence, after all if you want to licence "proper/chart" music you would have to pay hundreds or even thousands of pounds for the licence, so a quid isn't a huge sum and as I explained, I have to pay for my website.

I had no idea that you have a £9.00 per year cover-all licence with the IAC. That sounds like a brilliant idea, and I would be more than happy to discuss a similar deal with the IAC and it's members.

I'm not Richard Branson, I'm not a "would be" tycoon, I do not make millions from my music - I don't even cover my costs.
I agree with you about junk mail, I spend a good deal of my time erasing junk mail from my mail box, however, if someone mailed me with something useful or interesting, I might follow it up.

I am not one of those annoying idiots from the third world posing as a service. I'm not trying to rob anyone. I'm just a little guy like you, looking for some recognition for my talents.

I'm not some snotty nosed little whizz-kid, I'm a fifty year old married man. I've been in the music business one way or another for the last 35 years, and like you I am now exploring this new technology called the internet. Apparently, there are supposed to be millions of people out there surfing the web, apparently some people have made fortunes. I think this is crap. Don't believe the hype Ian, it's not true.

You assert that I'm only here to advertise my music - yes you're right, just like you I am here so that other human beings know of my exsistance. What would be the point of having my music available if I didn't make contact with the people I thought may have a use for it?I can't afford to advertise, as I said I'm not Richard Branson, I'm just a regular guy from Seaford in East Sussex like you.

You also assert that I'm here purely for my own interests, and that I wouldn't help anyone for free - Huh?!
Why do you assume that?
Only last week I was approached by a woman by the name of Sharon Hovey who wanted some music for a video she is making for www.canceradvocacy.org. I very happily sent her 3 tracks of my music for free, why not it's a worthy cause, she was delighted, and her gratitude was worth a whole lot more than $2.99!

I would welcome contact from any film-maker out there, and gladly give my time, experience and help to them.
Ian, you've got it all wrong mate. I think your films are worth exactly what you think they are worth. Please don't tell me that $2.99 (£1.50) is too dear, cos it aint.
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stingman
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Post by stingman »

May be I was a little too harsh. May be it`s the time and the month! Good on you, you are actually trying to make ago of a good idea. May be if you answer a few threads on here then it would be a little better. You can always put a few words in your `Sig` after each post concerning your music.
Another reason I was a bit het up is that I have been and others on here have been aproched by musicions (students) about if ever we wanted any music in our films then we could approach them. They were offering to do it for free with just a mention in the credits of our films. They believe that `getting your work and yourself out there` is a good way of people starting to know you and your work.
There`s two sides of the coin and both are acceptable but maybe the Ameatures are on one side and the Pro`s (getting money for work) are on the other.
I`m just here to state my views, as are others, both good and bad. It`s good that we can in a good envirement in an adult way.
Have you tried emailing other IAC (equivilent) website around the world. You may just hit the right note with a country :) (pun intended!)
Good luck with the website and your music.
Ian Gardner
Film Maker
ned c
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Post by ned c »

Let me add my apology, I know that Bob is a small (one man?) operation and I know how tough that can be. His country & western disk, "She Says" is excellent and works well here in the US. So, hang in there Bob and keep us up to date on your developments.

Ned
bobsongs
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Post by bobsongs »

Ned, please don't apologise - I welcome the opportunity to actually have some dialogue with the very people I'm trying to provide a service to. I've found yours and Sting's comments useful.
Thanks for mentioning my other music "She Says".
My vocal/songwriting stuff is no longer on my www.bobsongsmusic.com website I've moved that over to a new site specifically for my vocal songs
www.bob-chambers.com
This is where all my vocal material will be from now on. I've got a new album coming out soon which I'm mixing at the moment and this album will be called "Shortcut to Nashville", twelve more country flavoured songs!
Now following on from what Stingman said about charging for stuff and only being interested in making money etc - It gave me an idea (it may be rubbish - but hear me out!).
I too get a buzz from hearing my work accompanying someone elses creative efforts and so what I propose is this, a film competition using my songs from www.bob-chambers.com.
Any member of the IAC can e-mail me and ask for a free copy of a song from this site, all I ask of them in return is that they make a short film to accompany the music. They can then send me a copy of the film, and the best ones I will post on the website and if you have a website of your own I will incude a link to it.
It doesn't have to be like an MTV music video, it can be any style they choose. If they need a copy of the lyrics I will send them to them as this may help with their storyboard.
Anyway that's the idea, if you think I should post this as a new thread let me know.
Thanks again Ned.
All the best
Bob Chambers.
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stingman
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Post by stingman »

Sounds good to me. As a prize, what about giving away a small selection of your work or a choise of 5 cd`s what the prizewinner can choose from your website or list?
You can advertise the competition as a new thread here and also on other websites and other forums. You could even send a letter to other video clubs in the UK (or email). Even IAC equivilent organisations from around the world! Give a closeing date, say Augest.
I wish I had a product to promote. I get loads of ideas but I do nothing. Doing all the above would really get your product noticed. If people emailed you there details then you could send them the song by email. Yes, they may nick the song and not enter! But in real terms, it`s not costing you any money, only time in clicking `send`!
You may have problems with organising a competition legally, I`m not sure on this but I know that if you pay tax and submit it to the inland revenue then you can claim back expences!
Isn`t it amazing how things turn around! I know that I havn`t bought your product but we could have spent days slagging each other off etc! but we saw each others points of view. The adults do and the way it should be done.
I`m just an ideas man!

Good Luck.
Ian Gardner
Film Maker
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Dave Watterson
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One of your tracks was used at BIAFF 2007

Post by Dave Watterson »

Just to prove that not only do I read all the postings - I even pay attention to them ...

The promo for UNICA 2007 which was screened at BIAFF during the Sunday awards show featured Bob's track "Superstrada". And yes I bought it and downloaded it and other tracks from his website.

Thanks Bob it was just what I needed.

Dave
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stingman
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Post by stingman »

Dave, you like visiting old threads! But the uptodate info was usefull.
When I first saw this thead today, I thought `here we go again!` I must check the dates at the top of the screen.
Ian Gardner
Ian Gardner
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Mike Shaw

Post by Mike Shaw »

Well, I'm going to buck the trend here I think. I've listened to a few of the tracks, and I think its all very reasonably priced - good value for money - and not too exorbitant at all.

I bought quite a few of YOPO music's (Tou Only Pay Once) - discs for £12 ish, and individual tracks for anything from 99p to £3. I've even used one or two of them ( :) ). But the price has now soared - and I mean really soared - I think I saw a disc for £70 odd. So I consider myself lucky to have bought almost the entire collection at the lower prices.

There is a terrible dichotomy when pricing things you have created - do you make it so cheap people will buy and not pirate, but you have to sell thousands just to get some sort of reasonable return, or do you price it so you get a decent return - and watch the sales curve lie flat on the ground - so paradoxically, you still don't get that 'decent' return.

Creative people have the hardest time when selling their goods.
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