Introduction to Proper

1
Steve Kersley

• Introduction to Proper
• Role of a distributor
• CDs vs Digital
• UK retail today
• Future of UK retail
• Release checklist
• Getting the most from distribution
• Do It Yourself

2
Introduction to Proper

• Largest independently owned distributor in the UK
• 55 employees
• Sell 2,000,000 CDs each year
• Focus on specialities Folk, Jazz, Country,
  Americana, Blues, World etc
• Dolly Parton, Nickel Creek, Joan Baez, Mary
  Chapin Carpenter, Jamie Cullum, John Prine, Nick
  Lowe, Levellers, Joan Armatrading, Tim McGraw,
  Alison Krauss, Mindy Smith, Esbjorn Svensson
  Trio, Patty Griffin, Sinead OConnor, Nanci
  Griffith, Soweto Kinch, Linda Ronstadt , Polar
  Bear, Public Enemy.
• Proud of our folk heritage
• 75 of Folk Awards winners

3
Role of a distributor

• Changes in recent years
• From Getting CDs into stores (push)
• To Telling the audience about the CDs (pull)
• Access to markets National International
• Access to marketing, advertising, promotion and
  PR
• Enables facilitate artist and label growth
• Advice partnership
• Filter
• Retailers are public companies
• Distributors are commercial entities

4
CDs vs Digital

• In the USA 90 of album revenues are still
  physical product
• In the UK digital has a share of less than 5 and
  revenues less than that
• Digital suits deep catalogues
• Digital is complimentary This is like LP /
  cassette not like 78s How do you sell digital
  at the interval?
• But Digital IS killing music
• Pick n mix approach reducing overall revenue
• Were talking ourselves out of business

5
UK retail today

• Wide variance in retail pricing 8 to 15 for
  fullprice albums
• Online prices artificially low due to VAT
  avoidance
• Est. 75 of the folk market is HMV Amazon
• The major squeeze
• Liege Lief 5.98 / Penguin Eggs 9.98
• The issues with live festival sales

6
The future of UK retail

• Those weve lost
• Our Price, MVC, Sanity, Music Zone, Fopp,
  Choices, 200 plus indies etc. etc.
• High Street
• HMV, Zavvi (Virgin), Borders, Independents
• Supermarkets, Woolies, WHSmiths
• Internet
• Amazon, HMV.com, Play.com, zavvi.co.uk
  specialists
• iTunes
• Others
• Festival sales
• Mail order

7
Release checklist

• Design
• Retail price sticker goes in top right corner
• Picture of the act
• Oversticker with reviews
• Has to have a barcode
• No CDRs
• Dont miss your release date
• Plan your advertising, marketing promo
• Where are your 7 impressions?
• Retailers want to see activity, support
  (non-refundable) SoR
• Update your website. Look busy!

8
Getting the most from distribution

• Distributors dont sell CDs.
• Make your album the best it can be
• Set your goals
• Are you expanding your audience?
• Are you trying to maximise your audience reach?
• Have a long range plan
• Know your target market
• The online advantage
• Audience reach
• Trend analysis
• Brand alignment
• HMV Choice / Amazon / Properganda

9
Do It Yourself

• Industry trend but nothing new in folk
• Understand your role
• Dont get out of your depth
• Do you have the finance?

Artist
Manager / Agent / Publicist
Label
Distributor
Retail
Public