Dropcards

Dropcards speaks to Favored Nations Records

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:28:00 -0500

[As part of our continuing client spotlight series, we are exploring the opinions, advice, and experiences of some of the brightest minds in the entertainment industry. Please feel free to be part of the conversation by emailing us hello@dropcards.com.]

Favored Nations is an independent label started by guitar hero Steve Vai. Household name Guitar Heroes like Tommy Emmanuel, Andy Timmons, Eric Johnson as well Steve Vai all call Favored Nations home. The label has also been aggressive in branching in to wider directions with recent signings of 80’s metallers LA GUNS and comedian Jim Florentine.

Dropcards VP Steve Ceragno sits with Daniel Dalton, COO at Favored Nations Records

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Tell me a little bit about how you got the gig with Favored Nations.

In late 2009, I had just returned home to LA. after graduating from Loyola University New Orleans with a degree in Music Industry Studies. I ended up meeting Steve Vai at his home and he offered for me to come in and intern part time doing work for the label. He also wanted me to work out with him in his home gym (I was running a fitness business at the time.) After only two months of interning, Steve asked me if I would run Favored Nations. Before I knew it, I was overseeing all elements of an established independent label operating worldwide, working directly with one of the most legendary guitarists of all time. I would be diving head first into A&R, licensing, worldwide distribution, digital / new media, marketing, publicity and everything else that came along with running a major business… I was 22 years old.

What should bands be doing that get them noticed by a label?

Without question, the most important thing any artist can do is to be great… be beyond great. Make music that is so great that when people hear it they have to call their friends to tell them about it. If you do everything right except that step, you still might run into problems. Greatness is more important than it has ever been. Understand it takes time to get there, but once you’re there, your hard work is recognized and rewarded. I buy every Joe Bonamassa record that comes out… I don’t even need to preview it. I am certain that it’s going to be good, and I like contributing in some small way to an artist that has worked hard to achieve greatness.

Greatness aside, you need to understand that a record label is a business. While it certainly is more complex and detailed than what I’m about to say, it doesn’t hurt to visualize signing with a label the same way you would signing up for a bank loan. The label will not sign you if they do not think that at some point they can turn a profit with you. As an artist, the best way that you can convince a label that your band can be profitable, is to already be profitable. I encourage every artist to stop spending their time thinking about what it is a label can do for them, but instead spend all of their time thinking what they can bring to the table themselves. The more an artist goes out and makes things happen for themselves and their band, the more a label will be attracted to them, and the more negotiating power the artist will have when/if they want to join forces with a label.

Is getting your music as mp3s out there and to an audience more important than gigging and building up a fanbase? You often hear that gigging around your local area and beyond is the only way to establish yourself, but is this really less important than spreading your music to a wide audience?

One is not as effective without the other, in my opinion. You should be doing both. Your live show should be so great that it drives people to buy / download your music, and your music should be so great that it drives them to see you live. This does however bring up an issue that I speak with bands about all the time, which is playing live too much in your local area. When you are a brand new band and you are just starting to get your stage presence together, then I think you should be playing wherever you can as much as you can, preferably in non traditional venues like parties. These gigs aren’t to build a fan base or sell merch as much as they are to make sure your band is tight live and that your show is great.

After you get to that point, the all too common mistake that most bands make is to keep playing weekly or bi weekly in the same 20 mile zone, with only a handful of friends showing up most of the time. Stop playing gigs just for the sake of playing gigs. It’s a waste of your time, your money, and it over-saturates your market. Your friends and parents can only stand seeing you play a handful of times. You should only be playing shows that will positively effect your fan base, or are financially rewarding.

Every time you play live, you need to ask yourself, “Why am I playing this show?” Are you opening for a band that is of the same style but has a ton more fans? That’s a good reason, but you better make sure you have an email list, merch, and promotional material ready to nab those fans and make them your own, or else you’re just wasting your time. Give them a dropcard, so they don’t forget your band’s name by the time they drive home. Maximize your gigs. Play events or venues that have a built in audience with similar tastes and values. Drive one or two hours out of the way to play with a band that has a following in that territory. Make your live show an event. Why would I spend $10 to see your band this week, when I can see them next week at a free show around the corner? Why would I even see that show, knowing that I could see you play just about any time? Be creative.

Can you tell me how you approach Social media for the label?

Since Favored Nations at it’s core is a guitar label, and my feeling being that great guitar playing is a most impressive visual experience, I like utilizing videos of our artists which we can feature on social media outlets. Social media by nature is so immediate that it has become one of our main tools for promotion. Through our facebook/twitter we’re always featuring giveaway contests, videos, mp3s, and news updates. Additionally, Favored Nations has it’s own digital outlet called Digital Nations, which a lot of artists are finding is a more proactive and cost efficient way to continuously release their music as opposed to the cost involved with physical distribution.

What pitfalls or fads should a band avoid not to waste time on?

Don’t take shortcuts… with anything. If a band hires a second rate web artist to make them a second rate website for a second rate fee, I’m going to think they’re a second rate band when they show it to me. It’s very difficult to correct a bad first impression. The same can be said for an artist that sends me a demo in a paper sleeve with a sharpee track list and a note that says “Our singer had bronchitis during these recordings, so keep that in mind.” It’s the equivalent of writing your resume with crayon on a Denny’s napkin; it doesn’t matter if you have all of the qualifications. Your lack of care for your presentation will kill your success.

I know that it’s not cheap to pay for quality, but stop thinking of it as an expense and start thinking of it as an investment. Convincing people that you’re already successful is half the battle towards achieving success. Fake it till you make it.

If you’re in a band, make the small investment to have a band agreement drafted by a lawyer to outline the inner-workings of your band. Do this early on, before money and success complicate the issue. More bands have probably broken up over this than anything, and it only costs a couple hundred dollars and an uncomfortable, yet necessary conversation.

One of the things I did as a musician was ignore rejection, and always kept a positive outlook. Would you agree with the old Joe Perry quote “Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing?”

I suggest taking the time to have an honest conversation with yourself and list all of the things you have ultimately decided in your heart you want to do, and how you plan on doing them. From there, you must pursue it beyond your fullest extent and with no apologies. You must be willing to do the things that nobody else wants to do to get there. If friends or family get in your way and try to convince you that you can’t accomplish your dreams, get rid of them. Don’t let anyone bring you down. If this is what you really want, it won’t be a difficult decision.

Favored Nations have been known to be creative in offering a lot of ‘value adds’ to enhance the value of your release for your fans and customers. Most recently Dropcards did a VIP Pass for Steve Vai’s vinyl release “Where the Wild Things Are” containing the ‘Naked Tracks’ as well as a chance to meet Steve at a live concert. How important is it for a band/artist to create added value for their fans?

Added value, in my opinion, is the name of the game now. This is especially true in a rough economy. If I have $10 to spend on music, I want to get the most bang for my buck. The two factors at play are quality and convenience. I also think having a choice is important. I like having packages available on artist’s websites. It is extremely valuable, and it gives the fan a choice. For instance maybe Package A has a CD, Tshirt and poster for $20, package B has a CD, vinyl, tshirt, poster and signed mug for $40, and package C has the same as package B plus a meet and greet and limited edition guitar strap for $80. From my understanding, research has shown that the more expensive and involved package is usually the most popular. Give people a choice, and collect their information so you can keep them up to date with all of your happenings.

Lastly, as a guitar player and established musician yourself, who is the one artist you would love to jam with????

For the last 10 years, I haven’t gone to bed at night without visualizing myself jamming to “Movin’ Out” with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. I know you said one artist, but it’s gotta be those two. I’m excited to make that happen; it’ll happen.

Dropcards Holiday Savings

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:06:53 -0500

Bust out the stockings. It’s that time of the year when all of your fans, loved ones, and loyal followers get download cards. We honestly can’t think of a better gift idea.

To help alleviate the stress of your holiday shopping, we’ll be offering 20% your orders until January 15th and throw in some free ground shipping* when you use coupon code: HOLIDAYSROCK on your next order.

Check out our portfolio for ideas and inspiration for your next project.

*Offer applies to orders of 10,000 cards or less. Free shipping applies to FedEx ground in the U.S. only. Limit one per customer. Expires January, 15th 2012.

Get Dropcards Through Your Orchard Account!

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:15:00 -0500

Our friends at The Orchard recently launched The Orchard Marketplace, a collection of discounted sales, marketing and business tools for artists and labels, and Dropcards is among the apps offered!

The Marketplace is one of many handy solutions that The Orchard offers to its clients through an organized account dashboard. These tools, which are intended to make your life a lot easier, also include management of all your releases and artist information, easy ways to update and maintain your social networking pages and detailed analytics and accounting.

Through the Marketplace, artists and labels have the opportunity to purchase Dropcards at a discounted rate as well as transfer selected media items directly from their Orchard account to their new Dropcards account in one click. We also automatically create and sign into accounts for Marketplace users, so you don’t have to remember another login and password.

Dropcards is available through The Orchard Marketplace, among many other great apps. This is definitely something to take advantage of if you are an Orchard customer, or are considering becoming one.

Learn more about The Orchard and its offerings by clicking here: www.theorchard.com.

Dropcards speaks to Century Media

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:59:58 -0500

Century Media Records became a major independent label in the 1990’s with the signing of bands like Iced Earth, Eyehategod, and Nevermore. These bands would go on to become quite popular in their respective genres. Century Media has broken major metal bands like Lacuna Coil and Shadows Fall, and has had tremendous success in the past year in developing great new bands like Turisas and Vampires Everywhere.

Dropcards VP Steve Ceragno sits with Brian Sharp, COO at Century Media.

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Steve: How long have you been with Century Media and how did you get started there?

Brian: I’m about to start my 15^th year with Century Media. I originally started working at Metal Blade Records in 1993 while I was simultaneously working at a record store. I worked at Metal Blade until the end of 1997 when a former Metal Blade employee, Marco Barbieri, convinced me to come to Century Media. So I started with Century Media in January, 1998.

Steve: What was your reason for going into the music industry?

Brian: I have always been a huge music fan for my entire life so when I graduated college and was about to start grad school I decided to take some time off from school and got a job at a local record store. From there I started interning at Metal Blade Records and eventually started working there fulltime. So I guess my reason for going into the music industry is because I’ve always loved all types of music and got tired of going to school.

Steve: What should bands be doing that will get them noticed by a label?

Brian: As far as rock bands, I think the key is putting on a great live show and creating a buzz through your live shows. If you start consistently selling out local shows, promoters will notice and will talk. Other bands will notice and want you to play with them or promoters will want you on shows when national acts come through. All of this will lead to being noticed by the people either at labels or who talk to labels.

Steve: As a musician in a band, I was always focused on understanding how the business side of music worked. What do you think most bands are lacking in understanding how the music business works?

Brian: Now days I think bands have a much better understanding of how the music business works. There is a lot more information available and you can even take classes in how the music industry operates. One thing that musicians need to be aware of is that if they do get a deal with a record label, that’s when their work really starts. Especially with rock bands it means they need to tour constantly to build their reputation as a live act and establish a fan base. It means doing interviews with as many outlets as possible and always being available. There is a lot of work involved if you want to make a career out of being a professional musician and it can be very rewarding and lucrative but it is still a job and you need to recognize that with that comes responsibilities and sometimes it can involve tedious stuff that you don’t want to do. Most of the bands on our label can tell you about signing thousands of promo materials for give-aways and specials or having to get up early for interviews when it was the last thing they wanted to do.

Steve: What’s the difference between a distribution deal and a recording deal?

Brian: From an artist’s point of view, a distribution deal could be for distributing a master which has already been recorded in the final version. This could also be a licensing deal where an artist would own the copyright to the master and license it to a label for a determined amount of time. During the term the label would have the rights to produce, distribute and hopefully profit off of the master. A classic recording deal is when the label pays for the recording of the master and typically owns the master for perpetuity afterwards. This means that the label has the rights to produce, distribute and profit from the master forever.

Steve: Century Media has set up pre-release campaigns for new albums by offering a ‘limited edition Dropcards’ on a lanyard with collector art and having the bands sign the cards for sale at venue that the artists are playing at. Has it increased awareness for the artists?

Brian: I think it has increased awareness for the bands to the degree that the Dropcards have probably gotten into the hands of fans who might not have listened to the bands otherwise. Dropcards are an inexpensive bonus that we can add to our specials. Anything we can add helps the pre-order look more attractive especially if it is exclusive digital content.

Steve: Lastly, Yankees or Red Sox?

Brian: Since I grew up in Los Angeles and remember all too well how Reggie Jackson and the Yankees would demolish the Dodgers during the championships in the 1970s, I’m inclined to say Red Sox. I never had any ill will for the Red Sox, especially since they had such a long dry spell without winning the World Series, but I’m starting to get tired of them recently. Although I will say, as a Dodger fan, I’d root for either the Yankees or the Red Sox over the San Francisco Giants!

Fall into Dropcards

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:23:00 -0500

Fall is finally here on the East Coast of the US. The weather is getting colder, the leaves are turning brown, and the worst part is there’s no more baseball until Spring training. That said, we’re droppin’ some knowledge on you with an interview with Century Media COO Brian Sharp and talking about our recent project for Batman: Arkman City. Let’s get started, shall we?

Got Video games? Dropcards recently provided download cards for the Batman: Arkham City videogame available in the Collector’s Edition of the PS3 and Xbox. To gave gamers another reason to buy the Collector’s Edition, a Dropcard was inserted as part of the Collector’s Edition Bonus. The soundtrack features 12 original tracks by Daughtry, Panic! At The Disco, Coheed and Cambria, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and more. Every artist featured on the soundtrack contributed their own exclusive interpretations of the stories surrounding Batman in the songs they wrote. With the Holidays coming, we officially have this on our list for Santa.

Halloween at Dropcards.We’ll give 100 Free Dropcards for the first person to correctly guess who our Customer Relations Managers Melissa and Kristen are dressed as for Halloween.

Here’s your hint - Party on, Dropcards!

E-mail your guess to Hello@Dropcards.com

Check Out Our New Dashboard. It’s Cool #%@!.

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:00:00 -0400

Dropcards, the industry leader in custom music download cards for bands and artists, is proud to announce the release of our new and improved client services dashboard. The new and improved web application allows customers to manage their download card projects in a better online environment that takes advantage of advances in web technologies, the most notable of which being HTML5.

Users will immediately notice a cleaner, more simple, interface design that carries through to more fan-facing areas of the platform such as a new “artist profile” and embeddable download manager that is completely free of Flash dependence, allowing it to function on a larger range of devices.

Managing Dropcards projects from your dashboard is also even easier and more powerful than before with new features such as the ability to update ID3 tags on the fly, import media from one project in your account to another with the click of a button, and the ability to view and export more granular data on fans who redeemed your card.

Additionally, Dropcards customers now have the option to select alternative hosting methods for powering their download card projects. Users will still have the option to create an artist profile on www.dropcards.com or use our embeddable download manager to run a project on their own website, but now have the alternate option of using the services offered by third-party companies like our friends at Topspin by simply by exporting codes from their preferred service and then uploading them during the Dropcards checkout process.

Since our inception in 2004, Dropcards has been dedicated to making download card technology user friendly for our customers and their fans alike and these new developments are no exception to that philosophy. We’re really stoked about these new changes and think that you will be too.

Sign up today for free at www.dropcards.com to take a test drive of the improvements or check out their webinar on Thursday, October 20th at 3PM EST to watch a live demo. Click here to register.

Hand out some Dropcards this summer.

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:51:12 -0400

Remember merch tables? They are these wooden, sometimes plastic objects that display your band’s merchandise for people who like your music and want to buy some stuff. Sometimes they hold t-shirts, LP’s, and various items with your bands name printed on them. I recently visited some of these at a music festival this summer and was happy to see a lot of Dropcards sprawled out with signs that said “Take one, they’re free”.

One of the most important things we can do as musicians is promote own music. Obviously you see the value in your art and by telling people about your shows, upcoming albums and updates they are kept interested in what you’re doing. Of course it’s important to build a fan base online and eat breath and sleep social networking sometimes, but it’s important to remember the other side of the spectrum. It’s called real life.

Have some human interactions and hand out some Dropcards at your next show. It’s fun.

Dropcards Summer Style

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:00:00 -0400

Roll out the lawn chairs and coolers! It’s that time of the year again. A new summer of music events and releases is underway, and in preparation our staff is standing by to help out with all of your download card needs. With a range of sizes, Dropcards is your one stop shop for promotional Dropcards and Droptags in our standard, event pass, or VIP pass sizes. Give your fans a souvenir Dropcard that includes exclusive downloads from your next release or a live recording or your show. You can even hook up your crew, staff, and VIP’s with some sweet event badges for no frill access to your event. We’ll even help you design them!

Check out all of products Dropcards has to offer here.

Check out these summer specials!
(some limitations may apply)

1) Free Set-Up on orders of 2500 or more. (Mention this blog add when you order!)
2) Buy one order of cards, get your next order for 10% off (within 6 months when you mention this ad)

We're Hiring: General Manager

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:57:00 -0400

About our company

Established in 2007, Dropcards works with some of the world’s largest entertainment companies and consumer brands to create music download cards and code based promotions. Our clients range from local musicians and independent record companies to major labels, movie studios and Fortune 500 consumer brands.

We are located in the New York Metro area of New Jersey, USA. You can visit us online at http://www.dropcards.com.

This is a full-time position and you must be able to work out of our office in Parsippany, New Jersey.

About this position

The role of General Manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a small sales and customer service staff. This team is responsible for servicing our customers on an in-bound basis as well as achieving a pre-determined amount of daily outbound communications to build and maintain relationships with our customers. You will be responsible for managing this team to ensure that they are properly servicing our clients and hitting outbound communication goals.

Additional responsibilities include monitoring and consulting on market outreach and product development in addition to forming your own relationships with new clients.

Requirements:

Requirements for this position include:

10+ years work experience, with 5+ years of previous sales management experience.
Strong background in the music and entertainment industry on both an independent and major label level.
High-energy, enthusiastic personality with the ability to direct professionals and manage others through influence and cooperation.
Knowledge and understanding of current Internet technologies and trends.
Ability to occasionally travel for meetings and trade conferences (SXSW, NARM, etc.).
Experience and discipline in using enterprise level CRM software.

We offer:

Competitive base salary, health and dental benefits, 401k, department performance bonuses and the best work environment in the North Jersey area.

Interested in applying?

Please send a resume along with a cover letter and salary history to jobs (at) dropcards.com with the subject line “General Manager – Dropcards”. Please do not call our office. We will contact you once we receive and review your information.

Pre-Sell Your Album With Dropcards

Sun, 08 May 2011 12:00:06 -0400

Pre-selling an album is one of the easiest ways to generate a buzz and get fans excited about your new record. Selling a download card puts the album in your fans hand before it’s even available. It also gives you time to plan your pre-sale strategy and reward your fans along the way.

The key to a good pre-sale is to carefully plan ahead and send a clear message to your fans about the perks of pre-ordering. What’s included? For example, our client Bullet For My Valentine included a free video of the making of one of their songs to insentivize the pre-order of their album Fever. By using a Dropcard they were able to give fans a “key” they could use to unlock the album download later.

Here are some other ideas to consider:

- Sell your pre-order Dropcard as part of a merch package.

- Give your fans a discount for buying the album early.

- Include bonus material on the Dropcard that will not be on the record.

- Use the Dropcard for the album download as well a fan club card for discounts at shows.

- Make the Dropcard a VIP pass for your album release show.

Take it from bands like The Word Alive, Eisley, Bullet For My Valentine, The Hold Steady and Kylesa. Pre-orders are the way to go. For ideas and tips, give us a call at (800) 608-2811 or shoot us an email. We’d be happy to help you plan your next pre-order with Dropcards.

Dropcards Webinar Time!

Sat, 07 May 2011 12:00:05 -0400

We’ll be having a quick webinar to introduce you to who we are and what we do. Visit our registration page HERE to sign up for the presentation on Thursday May 26th at 3:00PM EST.

Add downloads to your record pressings.

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:00:00 -0400

Whether you’re an artist or a record pressing company, we have the tools you need to add digital downloads to your vinyl records.

We’re not here to overcomplicate things, but only help you understand how incredibly simple yet valuable 45RPM inserts can be to your customers and their fans. Here are a few reasons why choosing 45RPM by Dropcards is a good idea:

1) It’s a turn key solution. We manage everything under one roof from our facility here in New Jersey. Our staff of designers, developers and customer service representatives have you covered.

2) We’ve been at this longer than anybody (Since 2004!). We know that records can sit on a shelf for a long time and that the download cards inside need to be supported when they are eventually redeemed. We’re not a start up and we’re not going anywhere.

3) Our development team works around the clock to improve our existing systems and create new and exciting features for our customers. This is not a hobby for us, it’s all we do. On-staff support means that we’re able to easily fix glitches and make improvements within minutes, not weeks.

4) When fans buy a new record everything about their experience should be great. We understand that human errors may occur in the download process, so we’ve created an internal customer support team to answer questions as they come in, not days later. If fans want to speak with a human all they have to do is call our 800 number and a live representative will help them instantly.

5) In addition to being a music download company we are a full service printer producing millions of cards annually. A short stroll down the hall allows us to check on your order at anytime.

Ready to get started?

Check out www.dropcards.com/45rpm

You can either call or email us to discuss how 45RPM may be right for you or your company.

(800) 608-2811

hello@dropcards.com

Another great year in Austin.

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:08:00 -0400

It’s taken a few days for us to get re-adjusted now that we’re back in New Jersey. Our trip to Austin was well worth it and we’re really missing those 80 degree days. Did we mention it’s snowing here?

There were a lot of highlights to the trip, including seeing a ton of new bands (our wonderful customers), seeing famous people (which as it turns out are not the friendliest when you try and take pictures of them), and eating every pork and beef product within a 5 mile radius of our hotel.

As with past SXSW’s the best way to tell the tale is really in pictures, so we’ve fished through the cameras to bring you a little photo journal of how it went down.

6th Street on Tuesday

Seeing Bad Brains at Emo’s

Running into some Cold War Kids at Lustre Pearl

A little Cloud Nothing on the roof

Bright Eyes

Megan with the lead singer of Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst on our plane after she cornered him coming out of the bathroom.

Free Metal is the best kind.

Free hugs are not worth it sometimes.

The Screaming Females from NJ

Jack White in the Third Man Records truck

A band of traveling gypsies on stilts

A band of traveling gypies on foot

Megan and I took a ride on peddy cab downtown. Check out the “dog’s head out the window” expression on my face.

Do you know about The Driskill? We do : )

We took refuge at the HP corner. I’m really considering fake grass for my yard now.

6th St. on Saturday night

See you all next year!!

Can you design nice looking websites? Want some work?

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:20:09 -0500

Hello! Come work here!

About our company

Dropcards is a young and energetic music download card company located in Parsippany, NJ. We specialize in music download promotions for some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment industries. Our clients include indie and major music labels as well as consumer brands, authors, filmmakers, and bands. You can learn more about us by visiting www.dropcards.com.

We are looking to add a few more designers to our development team…

We would like you to be in the North Jersey / NYC area but if you’ve got the skills and a Skype account we can figure something out. The ideal candidate should be up to date with current design standards, trends and new technologies.

You should have an advanced knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

You should have a current working knowledge of JavaScript (jQuery), AJAX, CSS, and HTML. Flash is a plus, but not required.

You should have a complete understanding of the latest user experience and user interface designs and best practices. You should also have the ability to show experience with cross-browser and cross-platform issues (IE, Firefox, Safari, etc.)

If you are local, we offer:

Competitive salary, health benefits, 401k, merit bonuses and the best work environment in the North Jersey area.

If you are not local:

Lets talk and we’ll figure something out, cool?

Interested in applying?

Please email jobs@dropcards.com with samples of your work and resume along with a cover letter and salary requirements. Please do not call our office. We will contact you once we receive and review your information.

It's time to head to Austin!

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:00:07 -0500

Dropcards will be heading south to Austin, TX on March 15th for music week! We’re setting up shop right in the heart of it all and looking forward to seeing some familiar faces. Shoot us an email with your showcase info; we’d love to see you too!

Like previous years, we’ll be offering some promos to help you cut costs on your Dropcards campaigns for the festival. Follow us on Twitter for the latest deals. In the mean time enjoy some free ground shipping in the U.S. when you enter coupon code AUSTIN2011 upon check out.

With the festival only 2 weeks away, it’s time to place those orders! Please call or simply order online.

See you all very soon!
- The Dropcards Team

What People Are Saying About DropcardsAt Dropcards, we recognize...

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:00:00 -0500

What People Are Saying About Dropcards

At Dropcards, we recognize that our customers are the glue that holds us together. We don’t believe in waiting a whole day to respond to your questions or pretending we’re too cool to call you back, because we’re not. We were established on the belief that your experience is what ultimately matters. Sure, our product is really simple, but there’s a lot of TLC that goes into making a campaign great. Our clients can attest to that. Here are some kind words from customers that know what we’re all about:

“Ryko has worked with Dropcards for the past three years for all of our download card needs. The Dropcards Team provides a high level of service and quality on every job.”
- Thom Storr, Ryko

“Dropcards have taken the traditional model of the music industry and turned it into the future! We are looking forward to working more with these guys and bringing all of our bands on board. P.S. Steve rocks.”
- Joss Sierad, Century Media

“If CD’s are a stepping stone, Dropcards are a launch pad. Thank you for kickstarting our career!”
-Adam Dick, Two Crown King

“Our experience was perfect. The process from start to finish was quick, easy and was tailored specifically to our needs. Couldn’t have asked for a better team behind the project.”
-Michael Laniak, Warner Music Group

“We love the turnkey solution Dropcards provides for our artists and releases. I often only have a few days notice to get a campaign up and live and they come through every time with amazing customer support and great results.”
- Matt Mundt, Tooth And Nail Records

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To learn about how Dropcards can help you, click here.

Say hello to Dropcards! We’ll be having a quick webinar to...

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:48:00 -0500

Say hello to Dropcards!

We’ll be having a quick webinar to introduce you to who we are and what we do. Visit our registration page HERE to sign up for the presentation on Thursday February 24th at 3:30PM EST.

Magazines and Music - Project Spotlight Our friends at Season Of...

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:05:07 -0500

Magazines and Music - Project Spotlight

Our friends at Season Of Mist, an independent rock metal label based in France, are experts when it comes to promoting their bands. The label has been widely respected as one of the top metal labels in the scene. Recently, in anticipation of a newly anticipated album by their band SEPTICFLESH, Season Of Mist decided to give away an exclusive track from the band as well as other tracks by artists on the label. The delivery method was simply a Dropcard stuck into Hard Rock Magazine in France. Purchasers will receive free music and learn more about the label’s artists (most of which are spotlighted in the magazine). The concept is simple and straight forward. Promotions like these focus on the demographic most likely to reciprocate. Needless to say, we think this is great campaign concept.

The tentative release date for the album is March 7th, 2011. You can learn more about Season Of Mist and all of their bands by clicking here.

[As part of our new client spotlight series, we’ll be...

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:00:00 -0500

[As part of our new client spotlight series, we’ll be exploring the opinions, advise, and experiences of some of the brightest minds in the industry. Listen up kids! Please feel free to be part of the conversation by emailing me at melissa@dropcards.com.]

Alternative Tentacles has a reputation for being one of the oldest and most well known underground labels in the world. Established in June of 1979, A.T. is well known for its outspoken provocateur owner, talent scout and recording artist, Jello Biafra and his former band Dead Kennedys.

An interview with Jesse Townley, General Manager at Alternative Tentacles

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Melissa: How long have you been with the label and how did you get started there?

Jesse: I’ve worked at AT since 2002. I started running the mail order department (I worked mail order for Lookout! in the late 1990s) and have been the General Manager since 2007.

Melissa: What would you say the biggest pro is when it comes to working in the music industry?

Jesse: Being able to spread great, often subversive art, music, politics, and thought around the world. Also, even though it’s also the biggest con, having a job in this business during this historic time of upheaval. Seeing everything from inside a legendary independent label is really eye-opening!

Melissa: Biggest con?

Jesse: The financial woes of the “music industry” are magnified at our level, but unlike the flabby major labels we’re more flexible and this helps mitigate some of the financial pain. We cut 1/2 our staff in early 2009 (from 4 down to 2), so that helped a lot even as it increased workloads above a realistic level.

Melissa: In the time you’ve been with Alternative Tentacles have you grown particularly fond of any one release or band?

Jesse: Two that come to mind instantly (since they’re still existing and have new releases out) are 2 of our twang bands I had heard of but never heard much from before I started at AT: Slim Cessna’s Auto Club and Dash Rip Rock. Now I’m a huge fan of both! This goes for a lot of our bands, especially some of the ones who I didn’t grow up with (my first punk compilation was “Let Them Eat Jellybeans”!). There are some really great bands like Facepuller, Flaming Stars, eX-Girl who are criminally underappreciated.

Melissa: Do you think a lot of the bands on the label have adjusted to the advent of mainly digital music delivery or are vinyl and CD’s still a big part of your distribution efforts?

Jesse: Our sales are split 2/3rd physical, 1/3rd digital. Vinyl has made an exceptionally strong comeback, compared to where it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It’s a band-by-band decision- what do their crowd/their scene prefer? Some bands are CD/digital only, others are LP/digital only.

Melissa: Do you have any tips you would share with young artists trying to get heard?

Jesse: Tour a LOT. Put out your own EPs. Make them sound good. Tour a LOT. Repeat.

Melissa: We’ve had a few labels create merch, pair it with a download card, and sell it as their album. Has Alternative Tentacles ever sold pairings like this to add extra incentive?

Jesse: No, but Triclops! did that with a hand-crafted monster doll & a flash drive with their excellent 1st AT record. Creative ideas like this are really welcome.

Melissa: Are there any new trends in the music industry you think will crash and burn or alternatively make a positive impact?

Jesse: I am always meeting people who have no physical music collection. I don’t understand it because I don’t have as much trust in digital systems (i.e. computer hard drives) as they do. We’re told that physical is on the way out, but that trend is belied by the people who continue to buy physical product. I think that at the very least niches will always be out there for physical, but the question is, in what formats?

Right now, I don’t think that the “new trend” of cloud-based music/art is going to work because of the often-rickety nature of internet connectivity (sometimes due to issues completely outside of human control like the weather). AT&T’s connectivity issues with the iPhone are infamous (at least if you have an iPhone, sigh…). It also ignores the technological gap between first world technologically savvy music fans who are fully connected, and the rest of the planet. Having a cell phone in equatorial Africa doesn’t mean automatic access to music/programming.

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Learn More About Alternative Tentacles here:http://www.alternativetentacles.com
Also check out:
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club
Dash Rip Rock

On Screen Reads Like music, books are taking the fast track with...

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:37:42 -0500

On Screen Reads

Like music, books are taking the fast track with digital delivery. During their second quarter of this year Amazon announced eBook sales outnumbered hard copy sales. Of course the price of an eBook is significantly less than that of its hard copy counterpart, but it’s telling of which route readers are taking to access new reads. Digital books aren’t intended to replace the traditional book, but make it a little easier for readers to have instant access, and promote the hard copy sale. So why are so many of our customers choosing to distribute their eBooks on Dropcards? Here are a few reasons:

- It’s easier to carry 100 Dropcards than 100 books. Authors need to network too, and what better way to promote your work than give people a digital preview of it so they purchase the hard copy.

- A digital book doesn’t require space on the book shelf, just about 300KB’s on your computer, phone, or reader.

- The files are delivered instantly and give readers an opportunity to contact you or learn more about your other books or publications from your landing page.

- Digital books cut down on our environmental impact.

Interested in learning more about how to get your books digitized? Here are some great resources we’ve found:

Make your own PDF eBook - http://www.squidoo.com/howtomakeanEbook

Use Lulu’s eBook wizard - http://www.lulu.com/publish/ebooks/?cid=us_home_nav_ebk

Good tips on file formatting - http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Format-an-Ebook&id=1820805