[Trombone-l] Church music, tbn solos

[Robert Holland]

John Burton wrote:

> I'm not  an arranger or publisher, but I'm wondering if on-line 
> publishing might be a profitable answer to the small-time (low-volume) 
> publisher.
>
> For example, selling a PDF of your arrangement, collect via PayPal.  
> All you need is a bank account to work with to collect the money.  An 
> on-line store is quite inexpensive to set up, and naturally depending 
> on how much you charge for your charts may pay for itself with one or 
> two sales per month.

Someone trots this idea out on the list every year or so. I've 
responded before and will reprise just a couple points.

The physical medium of the score and parts, like a book or magazine, 
has some value over a sheaf of loose papers from your printer. 
Similarly, the paper version of a piece of music has some value over 
the electronic stands folks are trying to develop and market. Whereas 
the mp3 version of a recording may be worthwhile as a portable version, 
the physical package with the cover art, lyrics, liner notes, etc. has 
some value over the electronic version inside an iPod.

No one can predict the future all that well. Those who have observed 
the presumed death of the recording industry -- or at least a radical 
transformation in its mode of delivery -- may be correct, but I rather 
doubt it. The same goes for traditional modes of print publishing.

> Just a thought, but from the standpoint of a consumer, I much prefer 
> on-line sources of arrangements.  It satisfies my need for "right now" 
> service and allows me to search with e-tools much more effectively.

What may be desirable for the consumer may not be so desirable for the 
seller in terms of cost and profitability. Sure, people these days love 
to shop in their pajamas from home and have something either delivered 
to their doors in a few days or delivered to their computers 
instantaneously. The shift away from the public sphere is often called 
"cocooning." As a business model, the warehouse stores and virtual 
media sellers can get it done more cheaply in many respects, but we've 
clearly lost something in the process. Brick and mortar specialty 
stores that maintains select inventory and employ knowledgeable staff 
may still be worth some extra cost.

Robert Holland, Publisher
Briar Music Press
briar at rcn.com
www.briarmusic.com