The PAN Network--any opinions?

[danpowers]

I've given final approval to the artwork on my first CD, and it is on its way to the factory floor even as we speak! :D

I'm turning my attention now to promoting and selling it. Recently I followed a link to the PAN network, ("http://onesource.pan.com/index2.html) which looks like an interesting resource. As I understand it, for a monthly fee of $15, they'll host your CD online making it possible to sell it as a download.

OK, I know, I'm new at this, so I'm asking for opinions. Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing? Is it something I should consider joining? Are there other similar services out there?

Thanks for your input.

[ohernie]

If all you want is a storefront then I'd also check out CDBaby. I haven't used them but a lot of people I know have. I don't think there's a monthly fee.

Ernie

[Bruce A. Richardson]

I think CD Baby has a similar thing...

Hey, do you happen to know my friend Jimmy Finnie? I noticed you're in Terra Haute. He's the percussion chair at the university there, I believe.

[danpowers]

Hey, Bruce, what a small world! Jimmy is a good friend of mine. Last year, he, my wife Martha, and I performed a trio by Lou Harrison ("Varied Trio" for violin, piano, and percussion) here in Terre Haute and had a great time. We've found a couple of other pieces for that combination and we've talked about doing a recital (but who knows if we actually will?)

He and Martha, along with another friend, Paul Bro, commissioned a piece from me a few years ago, "Peel Out" for alto sax, percussion, and piano, and gave it several performances, including one at the World Saxophone Congress in Montreal. That was a fun trip. I may try to include it on a future CD.

Ernie, I'm planning to put it on CD Baby. I'm curious, though, about other venues I could be looking into.

[rob morsberger]

Go to CD Baby. They charge a one time set up fee only and sell hard copies of your CD. Great company. You can additionally opt in to have your record added to most major online digital vendors.

[danpowers]

Ah. I just took a closer look at CD Baby. I knew they sold physical CDs (I've bought quite a few from them) but somehow I missed the information that they dealt with downloads as well. Good to know.

[jeffn1]

I am happy with CD baby. I think for a modest additional fee, they arrange for paid downloads from (its seems to me) most of the companies that offer paid music downloads.

jeffn1

[Andrew Aversa]

My only complaint about CDbaby is it takes them a VERY long time to set up your CD for digital distribution. In the neighborhood of a year or more in some cases!

[Bruce A. Richardson]

Hey, Bruce, what a small world! Jimmy is a good friend of mine. Last year, he, my wife Martha, and I performed a trio by Lou Harrison ("Varied Trio" for violin, piano, and percussion) here in Terre Haute and had a great time. We've found a couple of other pieces for that combination and we've talked about doing a recital (but who knows if we actually will?)

Well, there you go. I went to school with Jimmy in Texas...we had some great times and some wonderful mentors there. He's done very well for himself.

[danpowers]

Next time I see him, I'll be sure to tell him you said Hi.

[howardv]

My only complaint about CDbaby is it takes them a VERY long time to set up your CD for digital distribution. In the neighborhood of a year or more in some cases!My experience is that their lead-time is shorter now. When they 1st offered digital distribution a couple of years ago, they were deluged by their own members opting-in with existing CDs... which was almost their entire catalog in one shot. It took about a year to clear that backlog. Lead time now is down to about a month, depending on the receiver. The slowest is Apple I-Tunes. Apple decides what titles it will accept from CD-Baby (my sense is they take most of them now) but spends the longest time processing new requests: typically 3 but sometimes as long as 5 months. Unless you're a major, CD-Baby is the surest and quickest ticket into Apple I-Tunes.

Orchard is another possibility, featuring physical distribution into Borders. But I've heard so many horror stories about them that I hesitate to even mention their name.

DiskMakers and Oasis, btw, supply a free CD-Baby coupon if you manufacture with them.

Howard