10,000 downloads. Why?

10,000.

10k.

The number of downloads I want to see in a year for a tune from the Secret Society of Starfish.  Why that number?  Why not, “as many as you can”?  Why not a more “realistic” number?

Simple.  Just like any other endeavor that  intends to sustain itself, SSoS is looking for 1,000 true fans. Check the link–its a great explanation, and worth looking at.  The “1,000 true fans” theory is one which we intend to put to the test, and 10k downloads will be our first Great Experiment.  The real number may well be different–it might take 100k downloads or more…but 10k is a number I expect we can hit quickly, and start tabulating results.

As to the REST of the why…the “art” side of the why…..

We would like to continue making music for as long as we can, and to do that, the music needs to sustain itself.  The music bug bit most of us early, and life has marched along regardless of our desires.  We, like millions of potential music artists out there, have lives/wives/children/friends etc. Those who give to us: whose joy, gifts, and yes, obligations we choose to add to our lives, all need to be met.

Now add to that a burning need to create, and you have a quandry.  The music will always consume a measure of  Time.  It should _not_ consume Capital: it should generate it.  Show me a great artist of the past–I’ll google his/her/their Patron.  Michelangelo had Lorenzo de’ Medici.  The Beatles had a sizable portion of the world’s population.  But one patron or millions, the Artist needs a Patron(s) to continue their work.  I would bet the artist in the caves of Lascaux had someone else hunting and gathering for them, at least part of the time.

Let me be clear: the music needs to make enough money that it doesn’t cost us out of pocket–and preferably allows us to work on music part or full time. This is the only way for the Artist to work in harmony with their purpose.  Starving Artists…..aren’t.

So, in addition to satisfying our need to be heard (After all, if you’re an artist, and no one hears your work, does it actually make any noise?) we need to give our listeners value over and above the music….BUT.

First we need to be heard.  If no one knows your work exists…they can’t decide whether or not you’re worth listening to, much less go and see you live or wear your name on their chest, and tell other people about you.

You need to discover your Patron(s)–and they need to discover you.

The path to 10k downloads will be challenging–but may prove to provide unexpected answers.  I expect that I’ll have to go beyond a Myspace page, or a LastFM spot…those are a start, but what other options are out there?  A YouTube video might work for some (especially if there’s a Kitten in there somewhere), grinding out live performances the way for others. The best way?  Unknown.

And to make matters more interesting, Everyone Else is looking for their Patron too….and the Attention Economy is a moving target.  Careful planning, a know business model…don’t exist.  Not yet, anyway.  So…The Great Experiment begins.

I’ll update the blog with notes about what works, what doesn’t, and how many downloads we get as the year rolls forward–if your reading this…join the Great Experiment…give the Starfish a chance!

And if you’re really brave…let us know what’s worked for you…