Cherry Red make beautiful reissues and compilations but are known for not paying the artists at least there’s royalties. Cool 8 track gawd I loved 8 tracks!!
I've been waiting for someone to float this idea. Let's talk about the finances for a box set that retails for the equivalent of $15 in 1991. 3 CDs, 79 songs. Liner notes that took *way* too long to research and write, plus the time and efforts of a crazy person who decided he needed to investigate every band that might possibly fit on a collection like this. Let's just say that the person in question got paid less than what he routinely spent on taking bands out to expense account dinners back in the 90s.
(Here's a good example: Rhino's "Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding" 4-CD box set retailed for $60 in 1993, which equals roughly $133 today. I couldn't think of a 3-CD box set as an example, but 75% of $133 is $100. $30 vs. $100 means there's a lot less money sloshing around compared to what we could make back in the CD's glory days.)
Cherry Red offers a royalty that's split 79 ways based on a low list price. They also offer a modest buyout advance if the artist prefers.
Is anyone getting ripped off here? I thought about this a lot and I decided that the answer is no. Cherry Red is obviously making enough money to stay in business and pay a staff who do all the work of licensing, physical production, sales and A&R. They put out a *ton* of releases and maybe all those pennies/pence add up to a handsome living for the owners. Somehow I don't think anyone's floating off the coast of Cannes in a yacht they bought with Cherry Red profits.
I know the people I work with are in it for the art project aspect of this. I know other people who don't think the amount of money on offer is worth their time. There are songs missing because artists didn't want to take the deal. There's a MASSIVE hole in one of my upcoming projects because a label owner has an inflated notion of what his catalog is worth and he's not doing anything to promote the legacy of his very important artists. He'd rather keep them out of the conversation rather than adjust expectations based on the current marketplace. That's his right.
Everyone would be a lot happier if there was a market for these things at the $75-$80 that they're actually worth. I'm just glad that we get to make them.
I have Per Madsen storage too (CD, vinyl, 45's). Such great stuff. Had it about 40 years now. As a frequent Cherry Red customer I'll definitely check out "Young and Wild".
I found that rack at an estate sale after someone sent me a picture of the records on offer. I saw the RackIt in the background and drove straight over. His 45 drawers are the best storage investment I ever made.
I have a Klipsch The Three II bookshelf speaker with an iPod wired to it. I stream Tidal on the iPod to listen on the speaker. Would I benefit from an external DAC like the Questyle M18i or from a streamer like the WiiM Pro or the WiiM Pro Plus that you mentioned in another post? (I don't fully understand the purpose of the latter two) Or do I already have the DAC that I need, within the Klipsch? Thank you
Cool recs
Cherry Red make beautiful reissues and compilations but are known for not paying the artists at least there’s royalties. Cool 8 track gawd I loved 8 tracks!!
I really should share my 8-track art here. I'm about to make a new one and I'll try to document it while I'm working on it.
I've been waiting for someone to float this idea. Let's talk about the finances for a box set that retails for the equivalent of $15 in 1991. 3 CDs, 79 songs. Liner notes that took *way* too long to research and write, plus the time and efforts of a crazy person who decided he needed to investigate every band that might possibly fit on a collection like this. Let's just say that the person in question got paid less than what he routinely spent on taking bands out to expense account dinners back in the 90s.
(Here's a good example: Rhino's "Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding" 4-CD box set retailed for $60 in 1993, which equals roughly $133 today. I couldn't think of a 3-CD box set as an example, but 75% of $133 is $100. $30 vs. $100 means there's a lot less money sloshing around compared to what we could make back in the CD's glory days.)
Cherry Red offers a royalty that's split 79 ways based on a low list price. They also offer a modest buyout advance if the artist prefers.
Is anyone getting ripped off here? I thought about this a lot and I decided that the answer is no. Cherry Red is obviously making enough money to stay in business and pay a staff who do all the work of licensing, physical production, sales and A&R. They put out a *ton* of releases and maybe all those pennies/pence add up to a handsome living for the owners. Somehow I don't think anyone's floating off the coast of Cannes in a yacht they bought with Cherry Red profits.
I know the people I work with are in it for the art project aspect of this. I know other people who don't think the amount of money on offer is worth their time. There are songs missing because artists didn't want to take the deal. There's a MASSIVE hole in one of my upcoming projects because a label owner has an inflated notion of what his catalog is worth and he's not doing anything to promote the legacy of his very important artists. He'd rather keep them out of the conversation rather than adjust expectations based on the current marketplace. That's his right.
Everyone would be a lot happier if there was a market for these things at the $75-$80 that they're actually worth. I'm just glad that we get to make them.
I do not doubt the investment, they make beautiful product.
Very helpful. I’m going to take your recommendation on that DAC
Before I listened, I thought they were pushing it at $350. It's really worth it for anyone who can afford one.
I have Per Madsen storage too (CD, vinyl, 45's). Such great stuff. Had it about 40 years now. As a frequent Cherry Red customer I'll definitely check out "Young and Wild".
I found that rack at an estate sale after someone sent me a picture of the records on offer. I saw the RackIt in the background and drove straight over. His 45 drawers are the best storage investment I ever made.
I have a Klipsch The Three II bookshelf speaker with an iPod wired to it. I stream Tidal on the iPod to listen on the speaker. Would I benefit from an external DAC like the Questyle M18i or from a streamer like the WiiM Pro or the WiiM Pro Plus that you mentioned in another post? (I don't fully understand the purpose of the latter two) Or do I already have the DAC that I need, within the Klipsch? Thank you