10 replies to this topic

[EliK]

hi i was just wondering if anybody here knows of a good place/way to sell CDs through any sort of online website or anyhting??
i was just looking at cdbaby.com and they take $4 per each sale; plus shipping costs, that = way too expensive, in my opinion. maybe theres no other cheaper alternative out there, but thats why i ask for your input! ok! thanks

[unluckycharm]

Hi

I sell cds through CDBAby & for the level of service and support they provide I feel $4.00 is totally justified.

I understand there have been a few other outfits out there that tried to provide a similar service for less, but didn't last as a sustainable business.

[mothrock]

don't do it.

unless you know where the company is physcally located and you can drive there.

I've tried the whole online thing. I sent them about 20 cds, apparently they sold, but I have yet to see any money. This was over 2 years ago.

the company exists still, I guess, but they don't answer emails, and they don't answer phone calls. I guess I wouldn't either if there was no way to obtain my address because everything I did was online.

it's a messed up situation.

If I were you, go the MP3 route only for online music.

sell cds at shows, on your own website, or at stinkweeds or other local record stores.

[unluckycharm]

i can say at least from personal experience i've never had a problem with CDBaby paying out or answering emails. they have been around for a long time and have a good reputation.

it's cool if you can sell them thru your own website, but i prefer to have someone else deal with the card merchant stuff & shipping.

[EliK]

I sell cds through CDBAby & for the level of service and support they provide I feel $4.00 is totally justified.

hey thanks everybody for the input,
cdbaby definately does seem the easiest to set up/best service, and it's good to know that people have had positive experiences with them.
but for our particular situation it doesnt really make economic sense:
we're trying to sell an EP (which we will sell for $5 at shows) and even if we were just to cover costs, it would end up being $2ish for the CD expenses, $4 to cdbaby, $2+ for shipping.. that already puts the cost to least $8; and if we were hoping to pay back a little more than just the cost for each CD we sell, we would have to raise the price even higher.
$8+ for a 5 song EP is not worth it and i would feel like a jerk if that's how we chose to sell it, so that's why i hoped to find a possible alternative.

(im not trying to be argumentative, im just explaining why cdbaby wasnt appealing to us... it probably makes sense for already higher priced items, with a larger profit margin, yes; and not having to do any of the work would be very nice)

i think for now just mailing them out ourselves is looking like the best option, and setting up the paypal thing so people can pay with credit card if they must. ok!
thanks again

[unluckycharm]

add 4 more songs and it becomes an LP. voila!

[EliK]

add 4 more songs and it becomes an LP. voila!

good call.
then i can sell it for $18.99 at Tower.

[psykosteve]

www.shopazpunk.com (30% of sales)
www.stinkweeds.com (regular stinkweeds consinment plus shiping fee)
www.smartpunk.com (its only like 2 bucks plus shiping)
www.interpunk.com (similar to smart punk)

your own site with a paypal acount.