Digital sheet music vs. hard copies

[PMeuph]

PM is correct.

WOW! Someone on Tubenet actually agrees with me....

[PMeuph]

[Also, for booklet form, I like the folded booklet stapled in the middle, and that's a pain to do, too. When I buy preprinted, all that is taken care of.]

This can be done with a long arm stapler. They can be quite pricy, put you can easily make one yourself.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Long-Re ... -Your-Own/" target="_blank

[Dan Schultz]

I like the availability of a downloadable product when I am in a hurry to get the music.

I prefer to receive hard copy when I have the time, because I like the (frequently) larger paper; I like having double pages that I don't have to turn; I don't have a printer that handles 11 x 17 (or larger), auto-duplexing, and can do booklet format printing (for longer works, and especially scores).

[Also, for booklet form, I like the folded booklet stapled in the middle, and that's a pain to do, too. When I buy preprinted, all that is taken care of.]

DG

P.S. Any suggestions for a printer that does the above, <=$500?

Purchase a comb binder and put your 8 1/2 x 11 material into book form without any staples. You can pick up a descent binding machine for under $50 and just use regular printer pages if you like.

[PMeuph]

Getting back to the original topic...

he only time I see having printed music as a distinct advantage is a festival or conference. If the vendor has music in a box, then I can sift through and look at titles I know nothing about. I can even I have quick look through the music to see if there is anything I would like. If they become a digital only enterprise, I can sift through the music from my computer at any time. Unfortunately, I find that if a publisher has 2000 titles on their web page, if I am not actively looking to buy something right away, I might just have a look at what's on the first page and browse away.

I think a good comprise could be to print hard copies of a couple pieces (some popular, some unknown and bring them to conferences) and, also have the option of buying all the music in one's catalogue online. I am not too sure that an only online venture will boost sales, but I do think that adding it will really improve sales.

(Also, for conferences, it would be conceivable to bring a printer and laptop so that you can print any music off that you might not have a hard copy off)

[BVD Press]

I think a good comprise could be to print hard copies of a couple pieces (some popular, some unknown and bring them to conferences) and, also have the option of buying all the music in one's catalogue online. I am not too sure that an only online venture will boost sales, but I do think that adding it will really improve sales.

(Also, for conferences, it would be conceivable to bring a printer and laptop so that you can print any music off that you might not have a hard copy off)

Both of the above I have actually considered and still am thinking about (my head hurts). I always try to approach things for the customer end or what would I want if I am looking for a product? I have wondered if there would be a way to license an entire catalog or part of it so one would have access anytime they need it? For example, the way Spotify works. A couple issues I see:

1. How much to charge (per month, year, etc.)?
2. If someone licenses for a month for let's say $10.00, prints off the whole catalog for their own use and then cancels their subscription that leaves the publisher no where. It is also incredibly hard to figure out royalties when the pie gets divided more and more...

There are oodles more, but those two hurdles are difficult ones...

I love the idea of printing off copies at shows! It sure would reduce the amount of booths needed. My simple idea is bring catalogs with samples of all the tunes and hand those out. Let someone know what you need and come back in an hour or so. The downside is if something happens to the printer or you run out of ink or paper. Then again if you run out of both, that was probably a good for sales! Anyone know of anyone who has printed this way at a show? I am guessing the shows would frown upon it as their table fees would be greatly reduced...

For those purchasing music digitally, I curious if you have favorite stores?

Time to get back to work...

[PMeuph]

2. If someone licenses for a month for let's say $10.00, prints off the whole catalog for their own use and then cancels their subscription that leaves the publisher no where. It is also incredibly hard to figure out royalties when the pie gets divided more and more...

Why not make incremental memberships that limit the amount and type (full band vs chamber, etc) of downloads. Say: $10.00/ month (3-4 downloads); $20.00 (8-10); etc...You could also reward those who take yearly subscriptions so that they don't just take one month and then run away.

[JohnSzkutko]

Only downside I see (and some have pointed out) is the option to resell.

I'm assuming you're talking about other people re selling your music from your site for a commission, ie. an affiliate system.

I think your assumption is off. I thinks he means re-selling the music once you are done with it. (i.e. If you quit music, or have too much music, or never play a tune anymore) I have found a couple great deals on a book I already owned. I bought the cheap one and sold the other at half the value I paid for it. This becomes tricky with digital music.

I see.

[bearphonium]

Bryan,
Some scanning and some transcribing the unreadable hand written arrangements. I am trying to convince one of our other arrangers that a PDF document isn't too hard to create...

[BVD Press]

2. If someone licenses for a month for let's say $10.00, prints off the whole catalog for their own use and then cancels their subscription that leaves the publisher no where. It is also incredibly hard to figure out royalties when the pie gets divided more and more...

Why not make incremental memberships that limit the amount and type (full band vs chamber, etc) of downloads. Say: $10.00/ month (3-4 downloads); $20.00 (8-10); etc...You could also reward those who take yearly subscriptions so that they don't just take one month and then run away.

I am usually an all in or none type, but the above might be something to think about. So many parameters...

[pgym]

Only downside I see (and some have pointed out) is the option to resell.

I'm assuming you're talking about other people re selling your music from your site for a commission, ie. an affiliate system.

I think your assumption is off. I thinks he means re-selling the music once you are done with it. (i.e. If you quit music, or have too much music, or never play a tune anymore) I have found a couple great deals on a book I already owned. I bought the cheap one and sold the other at half the value I paid for it. This becomes tricky with digital music.

No, it doesn't.

First sale exhaustion of rights is written into copyright law and has been affirmed by the Courts. As long as the copies offered for sale are lawfully made copies, and the owner/seller does not retain any copies for his or her future use, the owner of a lawfully made copy has the right to sell, give away, display or otherwise dispose of that particular copy, notwithstanding the interests of the copyright owner.

[THE TUBA]

I like the idea of a subscription-based digital sheet music service.

A big benefit of a service like this would be the opportunity to frequently try and see many different musical works. I find myself watching movies and shows on Netflix that I would probably would have never watched had they not been available to stream online. I know that I personally do not often purchase sheet music without seeing the score or hearing a recording first. A service like this could give lesser-known composers and/or new works increased exposure.

Another option that I have seen some websites utilize is to provide sheet music in "view-only" file formats that can not be downloaded and distributed like .pdf files. The idea is that customers can print from the website their own copies but can not save the files to their hard-drive. This would protect the composer and publisher from customers copying and distributing the sheet music digitally to other people. Of course, there are always ways around everything on computers (people can "print screen" to save images that can not be manually downloaded), but having download-prevention measures may provide a middle ground for publishers weary of illegal sheet music distribution.

[PMeuph]

This becomes tricky with digital music.

No, it doesn't.

First sale exhaustion of rights is written into copyright law and has been affirmed by the Courts. As long as the copies offered for sale are lawfully made copies, and the owner/seller does not retain any copies for his or her future use, the owner of a lawfully made copy has the right to sell, give away, display or otherwise dispose of that particular copy, notwithstanding the interests of the copyright owner.

This is why it gets tricky, in my opinion. How do you know, as a buyer, that a seller is not ripping you off? How do you know that the seller hasn't kept a copy on his/her hard-drive. Such actions are illegal, but so hard to verify.

As a buyer of music, I don't think I would ever buy a used copy of a digital version, I am way too skeptical. I believe I am not the only one out there to hold such an opinion. I would also think that the value of a used digital copy is proportionally less than that of a used hard copy, even though the actual material is in better condition...

(I was lazy, when I first posted and didn't want to add the caveat of the legality of reselling online music, of which I am aware. In hindsight, maybe I should have let it known)

Let me ask you this, Have you ever purchased a used digital file? (Mp3, ebook, sheet music, etc...) I have never, and am not sure I ever will...

The only way I could see around this, was if there was some kind of encryption key that would only allow one user to use a work at a time. I have yet to purchase digital media (except for software) that has this.

[PMeuph]

Personally, the only sheet music I don't sell in digital format is pedagogy. Can you imagine the Arban's being sold in digital PDF format? Might cost a ream of paper just to print that one off...

And on an inkjet printer it might take a whole cartridge of ink!

[BVD Press]

Personally, the only sheet music I don't sell in digital format is pedagogy. Can you imagine the Arban's being sold in digital PDF format? Might cost a ream of paper just to print that one off...

And on an inkjet printer it might take a whole cartridge of ink!

Don't get any spit on it either...