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Post by Michael Angelo Batio on Nov 23, 2012 14:42:19 GMT -6
Hello everyone. As most of you know, I am releasing a new record early next year called "Intermezzo." I decided to use Kickstarter as a way to help with the promotion and engage and involve my fans. I am sorry if there has been some confusion about me using Kickstarter, but I am not asking for you to donate money. What I am asking is this - to go to the Kickstarter site and order, in advance, a copy of my new record. I have set up many different kinds of what Kickstarter calls awards as well. Some as I just stated, like getting a signed copy of the new album to jamming on stage with me or even being listed as an Executive Producer! If you are going to buy my new CD when it is released, I am asking you to now go to Kickstarter and buy it in advance. That's it. I have helped countless guitarists throughout my career and I am now asking for your help. Here is the link for Kickstarter - We are on our way to meeting the goal at Kickstarter but we are not there yet! I would really like to see at least 50 to 100 forum members support this! Again, if you are going to buy my new record when it is released, I am asking you to buy it in advance. We only have 21 more days to meet the Kickstarter goal so please, order it now! Thanks to you, this will be my best record yet!
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Post by zenshredder on Nov 24, 2012 14:39:37 GMT -6
Thank you for clearing that up, but even if you were asking to donate money I still would anyways. I already pledged $25 when I said I would a few days ago so you already have me backing you, and I'm sure a lot of other forum members *cough* *cough*
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Post by blackjack on Nov 26, 2012 3:37:14 GMT -6
I appreciate that you are trying this new way of funding your latest project, and as you said, the hosts of digitally downloading songs such as itunes and amazon charge 99 cents per song or amazon does anyway. Then they keep part of that themselves. Having earned a B.A In Marketing from The University of South Florida, I can see that is a big part of the financial problems musicians are facing these days. 99 cents is what it used to cost to buy a 45 single at a record store back in the 1970's! Adjust for inflation, and it's apparent that these singles should cost AT LEAST $2 or $2.50 each on amazon or itunes. It should cost less to buy a CD than to buy each song on that CD separately. That's the way it always was when the music business was providing a much better living for musicians for decades and decades until the internet come along. They're robbing you by charging so little for your songs and then keeping some of that money for themselves so you're not even making a dollar per single that you sell. Is it possible that all you professional musicians could unionize and demand that prices for digitally downloaded songs be adjusted to rates that accurately reflect what a single should cost in 2012 and stop charging what they charged for singles back in the 1970's when a dollar went a lot further in everything else except apparently, buying singles?
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Post by jacoby3mnk on Nov 26, 2012 6:35:22 GMT -6
Blackjack, a lot of musicians are in the musician's union. Even if they did raise the price of singles people would still download illegally. People got upset with Metallica for going after Napster and those downloading without paying for material but look what is happening now to the music business.
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Post by BKW on Nov 26, 2012 9:13:32 GMT -6
Blackjack, a lot of musicians are in the musician's union. Even if they did raise the price of singles people would still download illegally. People got upset with Metallica for going after Napster and those downloading without paying for material but look what is happening now to the music business. Not only did people get upset with Metallica; they also got very little support from other musicians and record companies at the time. Then a year or so later, the Recording Industry Association, after being pressured by the record companies, started to sue people over illegal downloads. The problem was two fold at that point.... the cat was already out of the bag & the negative press was enormous! Now record companies can't afford to gamble on new bands or genres, like they did in the past. In fact, in the old days the record company would put out the album (and the artist would get very little money for it) and then tour to advertise the album. That is why, back in the day, that concerts were so cheap. Now it is the other way around. The concerts is where the bands, and record companies, make their money. Which is why some concert tickets are $200 and up in the US these days. I personally think that a lot of artists didn't fight the 'Napster/file downloads' at the time it came out in the late 90's/early 2000's, as most felt like the record companies had not been fair with them. A lot of companies were paying very little to bands that did well... but they were financing all the bands that didn't do well... but it helped those who were not as interested in 'Popular' bands.
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Post by Michael Angelo Batio on Nov 26, 2012 10:22:44 GMT -6
BKW is right. Also, the "Napster" phenomenon happened so fast that it took record companies not only by surprise, but it took them almost 2 years to coordinate a response. By then - it was too late. The damage was done and unfortunately at this time, it has been irreversible - so far. Regarding my Kickstarter promotion, I am sad to say that at this time only a few forum members, only a few of you here have supported my effort. I really need your help and hope this changes. We only have 19 more days until the Kickstarter project time is up! Thanks!
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Post by themaidenmaniac on Nov 27, 2012 13:07:13 GMT -6
I will be ordering up tonight! Interesting Metallica fact! One of the reasons Cliff Burton was recruited in Metallica was his excellent organisation on the "tape trading" scene!
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Post by Michael Angelo Batio on Nov 27, 2012 15:25:47 GMT -6
That's great regarding Cliff! But as we all know, there is a huge difference between the generational loss of fidelity on trading cassettes and the perfect, pristine digital copy that can be perfectly duplicated - every single time. The amount of cassette file sharing was most likely not even 1,000th of 1% of the amount of digital downloading that occurs today. If it was - the labels would have been in trouble then like they are now - and in that time, the record companies were at their peak of earnings. Thanks for posting everyone!
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Post by blackjack on Nov 27, 2012 16:08:45 GMT -6
That's great regarding Cliff! But as we all know, there is a huge difference between the generational loss of fidelity on trading cassettes and the perfect, pristine digital copy that can be perfectly duplicated - every single time. The amount of cassette file sharing was most likely not even 1,000th of 1% of the amount of digital downloading that occurs today. If it was - the labels would have been in trouble then like they are now - and in that time, the record companies were at their peak of earnings. Thanks for posting everyone! There is that and the fact that the tape trading scene was a small group of people trading demos of bands who didn't even have record deals yet. These guys weren't trading tapes of albums you could just go down to the record store to buy. The tape tarders also knew each other. Today music is up on illegal sites for total strangers to copy, it's up there for anyone who wants to download it - nothing at all like the tape trading scene. I still say it's crazy for the record companies and musicians to be offering their singles for 99 cents on amazon and itunes when it cost as much or more than that to buy a single in the 1970's! Every single other business adjusts for inflation. If they weren't adjusting their prices for inflation, they wouldn't be in business! Realistically looking at what it cost to buy a single in the 1970's, it should cost a MINIMUM of $2 or $2.50 to buy a single today, and probably more like $3. Combine that with serious enforcement of shutting down illegal downloading sites, and prosecuting the people who break the law, and they might be able to save the music business. You can't run a business in 2012 while charging 1970's prices for your product; it does not work.
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Post by Michael Angelo Batio on Nov 27, 2012 16:30:09 GMT -6
blackjack - you are right. I agree with you 100%. Thanks for sharing this.
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Post by jacoby3mnk on Nov 27, 2012 20:48:34 GMT -6
Great job on helping Michael reach the goal with time left !!!
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Post by Pain on Nov 27, 2012 23:03:58 GMT -6
Well, I have decided to do one thing though...I'm going to be buying three copies of Intermezzo and will gift them to worthy guitarists I know. That should earn me a lot of good Karma.
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Post by Michael Angelo Batio on Nov 28, 2012 9:57:36 GMT -6
Thanks Pain! I would like to thank everyone that has supported my new "Intermezzo" album. We reached the initial goal! But, I still really need your help and support! We have 16 days left before the Kickstarter project time ends. Please go there and pre order "Intermezzo" today! Thank you.
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Post by Carlos Lobo on Nov 29, 2012 13:30:32 GMT -6
Hi everyone!
I'm sorry I've been away for a while, but I've been really busy and couldn't come here.
Michael Angelo Batio, I'm really excited about this new album and I'm already supporting you through kickstarter. I always thought you deserved the world and beyond for your skills, knowledge and kindness. I really hope you can have your record all over the world on the stores and get the recognition you finally deserve.
I do have a question though. I made my pledge but I'm not sure I have the amount of money I chose on my bank account at this moment. What happens if I don't? Is the money I pledged automatically delivered or do I still have the time to go to my bank and put that amount in the bank account?
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Post by Michael Angelo Batio on Nov 29, 2012 13:42:17 GMT -6
Carlos, Kickstarter is owned by Amazon.com We get paid from Amazon.com, not from the people who pledge and support my record project at Kickstarter. I think that if your credit card did not get authorized, you can try it again. Once they approve, that's it. Kickstarter is very safe for both the people like you supporting projects and people like me who are working with Kickstarter. Amazon.com has very strict rules regarding credit cards and who qualifies for Kickstarter. Thanks for your support! We have 15 days left. Again, a sincere thanks for your tremendous support! I won't let you down. "Intermezzo," IMHO, is a great, great record!
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Post by Carlos Lobo on Nov 29, 2012 14:04:28 GMT -6
Thanks for the quick reply I 'ran' to the website to make my pledge and didn't read anything quite well actually lol This is the first and probably last time I support a project like this (I made my subscription today only to pledge for Intermezzo), so I'm really new to this type of stuff. But I trust you and your work so I pledged without even reading or thinking much I know you won't disappoint
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Post by BKW on Nov 29, 2012 14:21:32 GMT -6
<Snip> I do have a question though. I made my pledge but I'm not sure I have the amount of money I chose on my bank account at this moment. What happens if I don't? Is the money I pledged automatically delivered or do I still have the time to go to my bank and put that amount in the bank account? Carlos, Here is the detailed information from the Kickstarter site: "... your card will be charged on Saturday Dec 15, 10:36am EST, along with all the other backers of this project. "
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Post by Carlos Lobo on Nov 29, 2012 14:34:01 GMT -6
Thanks BKW I did read this on the website after I spoke to Michael: This project will be funded on Saturday Dec 15, 10:36am EST. Like I said, when I heard about all this I dashed to make the pledge and didn't read much then I really appreciate your help!
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Post by Carlos Lobo on Nov 29, 2012 14:49:29 GMT -6
Huh.. I just noticed a mistake on the kickstarter website. In the box where it says "Pledge 1850€ or more" there is repeated information on the text.
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Post by Michael Angelo Batio on Nov 29, 2012 22:43:15 GMT -6
Carlos, thanks for pointing that out, but there is no mistake on that pledge. That is a 1 time pledge that is specific for not 1, but 2 people. That's why there is some doubling of what is being offered. It states exactly what each person is getting. I have some amazing fans! Thanks! We still have 2 weeks left at Kickstarter, so you have 14 more days to pre order "Intermezzo" there!
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Post by BKW on Nov 30, 2012 9:57:01 GMT -6
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Post by Brian on Nov 30, 2012 10:49:11 GMT -6
That just blew my mind.
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Post by jacoby3mnk on Nov 30, 2012 18:18:12 GMT -6
Sounds great. Looking forward to 2013 to hear the rest of what you have for the disc.
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Post by Cybersquatch on Nov 30, 2012 19:04:52 GMT -6
Glad I could support wish it wasn't so close to Christmas though, but I do understand how every little bit helps....P.S. I hate teasers, but I'm glad they exist! ;D You folks here surely know what I mean by that. MAB RULES!
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Post by Cybersquatch on Nov 30, 2012 19:44:23 GMT -6
and oh Amazon rules to!
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