Internet and Merchandising Good For Indie Media

Snotty Pippen writes "A new study online (and its long) compares online revenue streams with brick and mortar ones for converting content into cash, and uses web comics as a basis of comparison. Metrist Partners note the study agrees with looks at indie music, that indicate the web is the place for distribution and that merchandising is where the real money is. T Campbell, who writes a bunch of web comics and edits Graphic Smash, bemoans it didn't come out before he wrote the chapter on money for his forthcoming book on web comics."

Comments

It's also good for off-beat publications

[HunbunFunland]

Lot's of sites are nice daily's but how well would they do in print? Take, for example, daily kos and OHUK.

Re:It's also good for off-beat publications

[LiquidCoooled]

Imagine being able to print your own newspaper as you walk out of the door for your daily commute.

You are just about to spend 45 minutes sat on a train or bus whilst you go to work, your daily read contains all the latest feeds from your respected news sites, your daily comics, a roundup of the sport and also the emails and project outlines you need for the day ahead.

You could arrive in work refreshed, updated entertained and alert.

I would love to have this capability.

Not suprising

[retinaburn]

I am not sure why this is news. It never really affected me in a big way until I started listening to the cbc radio3 podcast. It's a weekly podcast that features indie (for the most part) canadian music, featuring songs off of newmusiccanada. I have bought three cds from india artists in the last week, and each was about 10 bucks Canadian. It's a great way to bring together an indie audience and indie artists.

Re:Indie Music

[saddino]

Check out Not Lame for a site with a similar indie vibe, though more geared towards indie/alt power pop.

CD Baby, by the way, is a great way for indie and unsigned bands to get online music service distribution as well as CD sales. The tracks off my band's CD are just about on every online music store (iTunes, Rhapsody, etc.) thanks to CD Baby. Did I mention how cool CD Baby is? :-)

Webcomics means e-dollars!

[spargos]

I love it when webcomics are potrayed as cash cows.

After several years of trying to generate revenue from my online cartooning, my running total is $5.07.

That's US$5.07 mind you ... woohoo!

A Long shot.

[Jack Taylor]

A new study online (and its long) compares online revenue streams with brick and mortar ones

Well, I hope the long in question is happy about the situation. Did it have any input into the study? Or would the odds be far too long on an abstract concept being capable of market analysis?

...sorry ;)

It's just the long tail at work here

[Skim123]

A short number of publications (be it art, music, novels, journalism, etc.) are 'hits.' The vast, vast, vast majority are non-hits. But with the Internet's capability of having virtually unlimited shelf space, along with the ability to have 'recommendations' from like-minded folks, the revenue generated by long tail items typically exceeds the revenue generated by the concentraded number of 'hits.'

This concept is explored in much greater detail in Chris Anderson's blog, The Long Tail, and his accompanying article, also named The Long Tail.