Erik Peterson

How Hifidelics Can Work For Artists - about about 21 hours ago

by Erik Peterson

If you’re just hearing of us for the first time, Hifidelics assists music artists in developing and releasing top quality, professionally designed, limited edition collector’s vinyl releases adorned in aesthetic packaging. One of the biggest obstacles for any indie artist to release their music in a limited and visually stunning format is money, or lack thereof. We have created a platform to eliminate that obstacle, as well as, guide artists in providing an experience for their fans they will not be forgetting anytime soon. But why on Earth would an artist want to release their music on vinyl with all this new and exciting digital technology readily available, and for a fraction of the cost?

Your fans can get your digital tracks just about anywhere; whether you provide free tracks, they’re purchased, streamed or downloaded illegally. While your music is special, it’s recording is not; nor is acquiring it. This is about creating something special for your fans that they will keep and proudly display for a longtime to come, something in high quality and scarce quantities that cannot be easily duplicated; ultimately giving your fans a reason to buy or support you. So we put a strong emphasis on the packaging and the overall aesthetics of your record. While we will have a professional designer cross the T’s and dot the I’s, it’s the artist that will bring their own packaging design concept to the table. Releasing an ultra-cool record in limited runs helps create demand outside the normal demand for a new release from you, and we want your fans foaming at the mouth to get their hands on your record.

So, how will all this help you and work in your favor? First off, this is another stepping stone in building your brand. In a world where most music fans are quickly scrolling through your images/vidoes, missing your latest posted tracks and/or skipping ahead to the next artist; vinyl stays with your fans, sometimes for many years to come. The beauty of vinyl is that it’s music, art and swag all wrapped into one. No other format can offer that. Secondly, you will build a stronger relationship with your core fanbase throughout your campaign, as well as, create an experience for your fans to remember and associate with your record. Connecting emotion or a personal experience between your music release and your fans is the biggest success of all! And finally, providing that your Hifidelics campaign was a success, you WILL earn a profit; albeit you will not get rich. We understand it’s not all about the money, but it is a little bit. And part of our goal with Hifidelics is to earn artists a profit. Here are some additonal benefits of releasing a vinyl record with Hifidelics:

• 100% creative control. In fact, we almost push you to be more creative.
• It’s another release under your belt, fully funded.
• A unique, collectible to add to your discography.

Some uses for Hifidelics:

• To compliment a much wider release (ie: digital, CD, etc.)
• A teaser for a much wider release.
• A collector’s release (not available in other formats)
• Organize a compilation with similar artists.
• Organize a split record (A side is one artist, B side is another)
• Test new material or for your solo project.
• To compliment or cross promote your (non-music) brand.
• The list goes on! Just let us know your plans & we’ll discuss it further.

Do you need Hifidelics in order to release a vinyl record, or even to raise funds? Absolutely not. However, the dynamics of releasing music in a tangible format, especially records, are quite different nowadays. Anyone can release their music on vinyl. We just want to help you do it right. Each artist/project gets their own A&R representative that will assist and guide artists with their project/release, from start to finish. We urge you to at least try us. Our model is designed to eliminate most of, if not all, the risk involved if you were to do this on your own. You can release any type or style of record at any size, and are not required to release a full 12″ LP. Overall global sales of vinyl continue to rise each year, so now is the perfect time to get some awesome vinyl to your fans. If we still have your attention and you’re interested in learning more, or getting started, please shoot us a message to discuss your plans: hifidelics@gmail.com

Recommended reading:

Bob Lefsetz on ‘Emotional Content’

Blueprint for a Hifidelics Campaign

Blueprint for a Hifidelics Campaign - about 9 months ago

by Erik Peterson

This is the original campaigning method I envisioned for artists using Hifidelics to release some beautiful vinyl. This is just a blueprint to guide you and help you prepare for your own campaign.

Selling anything online can be very tough. Somehow we have been conditioned to believe that if you put a buy button on our website that the money will soon start rolling in. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Take a look at the online Adult industry; on average one person joins a premium website for every 1,000-1,500 targeted visitors. And sex sells itself! So don’t get discouraged when most of your new visitors show little to no interest when they’re on your site. It very well could be a lackluster product or service that’s being offered, but more often than not it’s lack of experience in online marketing.

I began marketing online in the year 2000. A lot has changed since then and I learn new things everyday, so I wouldn’t consider myself an expert by any means. However I have tried many different approaches-some successful, some a miserable failure. It was after learning about a few artists having success with their new approach that I began formulating this plan. What I’m about to present you with is a basic, yet proven campaign foundation. There are many different variations and/or concepts that can be added (ie: contests, fan participation, etc.), but I have found this to be the most important to ensure engagement.

Our campaign goal is to create an engaging experience for your fans and followers, and not necessarily to be selling anything. Your goal should always be fans, not consumers. Consumers will come from your true fans.

By doing this our intent is to:

*Solidify current fans and attract new ones.
*Add another stepping stone in building your brand

Distinguish a Clear Goal for Your Campaign

First thing’s first. Before you go any further it’s imperative that you are actually going somewhere with all this. I have almost forty years experience with “winging-it” and I can tell you it’s a horrible plan. In the case of a Hifidelics’ artist, the basic goal would be a completed vinyl record into the hands of their fans. However, there’s more to it than that when it comes to delivering something of value. Like a business plan, you want to think about and plan for every aspect of your pitch, campaign and finished product. I’ve found what works best is reverting to your school days when you were taught to answer; who, what, where, when, why and how.

Develop a Story to Drive Your Campaign

I hate to say this, but YOUR goal is unimportant to most everyone else. Sure, your family and friends will encourage you and you may have some strangers behind you, but ultimately nobody REALLY cares. It’s also important for musicians to get the notion that “the music will speak for itself” out of their heads. Yes, great music is very important, but there are already a lot of great musicians out there who will never go beyond their small circle of friends and fans. It’s up to you to paint the picture that surrounds your brand and music, and make them care. This is where you can really have some fun and shape your campaign. Brian Clark of Copyblogger explains it best in his article, The Jedi Master Approach to Content Marketing that Converts.

“You need to tell a Star Wars story. And by that, I mean you need to take your prospects along a content marketing version of the mythic hero’s journey.”

Record and Journal Everything

Using multimedia (video, photos, audio, etc.) is important. Nowadays, it’s almost imperative for any artist and/or marketer to own a video camera of some sort; whether it’s a phone camera or a professional. Most people don’t like to, or do not have the time to read these days, but they will be more likely to read some of your copy if you mix it up a bit with visuals. People always ask me, “what kind of content should I be sharing?” The answer is, anything and everything that has something to do with your campaign and/or project. You can filter what’s important as you go along. Your fans will love getting a glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes and videos, or video blogging, goes a long way. Not only will this keep your fans and followers up-to-date, but it also shows your personal side. This is the next best thing to your fans actually being there with you. Whether it was planned or stumbled upon, Imogen Heap practiced this method back in 2009 for her album “Ellipse” and her fans loved her for it. This will help build a more personal and intimate connection with your fans.

“Heap maintained a regular video blog on YouTube. In total, she posted 40 episodes, during the past 2 years, each running between 3 and 12 minutes long. Although, they’re publicly available, Heap’s vLogs make viewers feel like they’ve been invited into her home (indeed, most vLogs are shot in Heap’s home) for an intimate conversation. The vLogs capture Heap’s personality, her fun and celebratory nature, and allow fans to really get to know Heap even though they may never have met her in person.”

Share It All and Build Steam

This goes hand-in-hand with ‘Record and Journal Everything’. You’re telling your story with content and you should share your content accordingly. In other words, you don’t want to just post all your content at once. You want to slowly unfold your story, titillate and keep your fans coming back to follow your progress and to see what you’re going to do or say next. You have probably already heard this a million times, but the goal here is to engage your fans.

You will need a central hub to share all this (ie: blog, journal, etc.), but be sure to also share it on your social networks as well (ie: Youtube, Vimeo, flickr, facebook, etc.) with a link back to your content/campaign hub. Not only will this attract new followers, but they are all set-up for quick and easy sharing; hopefully drawing even more followers to your campaign through word-of-mouth.

Pay-off and Reward

Your reward will come with a finished product or completed goal. If you have followed all the steps above you will have built a steady and loyal following while building more intimate connections with your fans. When fans and followers feel they have a personal connection with you and your campaign, they are more likely to tell their friends about you and more likely to give some sort of financial support, whether it’s for this campaign, the next one or even supporting you on another level (live shows, etc.)

Do it all over again

During your campaign be sure you’re paying attention to what is working for you and what was a mistake. If you intend to run another campaign it’s important not to make the same mistakes this time around. I know, mistakes in a public forum can be embarrassing, but it happens to all of us; myself included. This is how we learn, because what works well for you just might be a miserable failure for me, and vice versa. Once you have this figured out, begin planning your campaign as soon as possible. I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase, “strike while the iron is hot”. You have already built some momentum with your previous campaign and you don’t want to lose that momentum. Trust me, it will make your next campaign all the more easier.

Additional reading:

Tell a Story for Your CD Release and Beyond

3 Ways to Crush It With Your Music Marketing!

97 Ideas for Building a Valuable Platform

The 3 C’s Of Effective Artist Branding

7 Content Marketing Articles Worth Reading

Aesthetic Packaging for Vinyl Records - about 10 months ago

by Erik Peterson

Nowadays it’s becoming increasingly more important that artists, especially independent, really use their imagination when it comes to presentation. It’s pretty tough to be creative with digital tracks, however focusing your creativity on tangible items will not go unnoticed. Not only does your creativity help make your music (or merch) stand out and get people talking about you, but it also adds value and that gives your fans a reason to make the purchase. Since so many choose to follow the path most taken, it’s not easy to find music releases, in this case vinyl, that really goes outside the box when it comes to packaging and presentation. I’ve recently come across several that I believe really put some creative effort into their vinyl release and I wanted to share them with you for ideas and inspiration for your own release, hopefully on Hifidelics. ;)

These are in no particular order…

Lapse, or Richard Vergez, released this beauty. It’s a 10″ box set that comes in a hand-crafted wooden box and equipped with collage artwork from the artist. The vinyl is clear 10″ lathe-cut and unfortunately only one was made. Extremely limited edition, but a gorgeous example all the same. More info here

Next up is a new split 7” between The Everybody and Stationary Odyssey (featuring members of the Pixies) comes with an awesome custom silk-screened wooden casing. The vinyl record, itself, looks pretty interesting, as well. More info here

Venturing away from the wooden packaging we have a very eye-catching release from Martin Creed & Box Codax. These white records come in a neon-colored frame and the center label is hand painted by Martin Creed, and signed by both artists. This release limited to a total quantity of only (100). More info here

This final example isn’t so much focusing on the design of their packaging, but concept is very cool. This vinyl record comes from the band, Why I Must Be Careful, and is limited to (100) copies. “Each of the limited-edition albums is housed in a handmade wooden frame that has spent enough time inside of a beehive for a colony to form their iconic honeycomb structures on either side of the record”. The album is appropriately titled, Honeycomb. More info here

I’ll keep updating you with new vinyl releases that stand out from the crowd. If you have your own concept or would like to discuss some of your ideas, I, or Hifidelics, would be glad to assist you. Feel free to hit us up at: hifidelics@gmail.com You can also check out our other posts about some creative vinyl release.

[ mirror post on corporate blog ]

Receiving Digital Tracks with Vinyl [Study] - about 11 months ago

by Erik Peterson

When we first began developing Hifidelics the concept of download codes for the digital version of the record’s tracks never crossed my mind. I have a turntable that rips the vinyl tracks to digital should I feel the need, so other people’s desire to have the digital tracks bundled with the record was not part of our original thought process. The more records I received for personal use I started to notice receiving more download cards/codes along with them. Around this time I also began reading more and more about how vinyl fans expect the digital tracks. The whole process of having to visit a label’s website, register, enter a code and download the tracks all seemed a bit inconvenient to me, though. I figured it would be much easier to just to receive a flash drive with all the tracks loaded and ready to go.

By chance, I stumbled upon an interesting article discussing something very similar on the yvynyl music blog. The author talks about how widely different the user experience is for each label’s site, and the hoops one must jump through in order to download their tracks. He is absolutely correct; it shouldn’t be that difficult. So that got me thinking, why don’t I just ask people what they would prefer?

I first asked on Twitter to see what kind of response we would get, and to my surprise we actually received some feedback I wasn’t expecting.

“When purchasing a new #vinyl record would you rather get a download code for the digital tracks, or a flash drive with all the tracks?” — hifidelics (@hifidelics) March 3, 2012

Based on the options I gave, people’s preferences were fairly even, but a few people responded by saying they would prefer a CD along with the record. That surprised me.

“@hifidelics I actually prefer the CD copy with the vinyl.One for home, car, and easily burned onto computer.” — Beat Pharm (@beatpharm) March 3, 2012

I attempted a poll on our Facebook page, but for some reason I can never get people to participate with polls on Facebook. I could only get three votes after posting it numerous times. TwtPoll was the next option and it’s a great free poll service if it’s used for smaller scale polls (premium service for larger polls). They even make a nice, little pie chart for you.

Sadly, after a week and almost 900 page views only 22 people participated in the poll, but the outcome was still surprising. Not many were interested in the flash drive at all, and combined with the response from Twitter and Facebook, just as many people preferred a CD as they did a web download. There was also a suggestion of QR codes so you can just download the tracks directly to your phone, which is a great idea; and another said, “As part of an innovative packaging design or content rich and engaging app”. I immediately thought of the Metal on Metal record, where it has “flash memory circuitry built into it so that you can plug a usb cable directly into the record and download the songs.”

The results still didn’t help us decide on what format we should offer on Hifidelics – maybe we can provide several options – however, it did open my eyes to the fact that not only are CDs still desirable with vinyl fans, but there’s no one preferable format; even when it comes to digital. Admittedly, this “study” is hardly scientific; especially with so few participants, but it’s definitely an issue that we, or any label that offers vinyl, need to work on and find a seamless solution that’s a quick and simple process.

[ mirror post on corporate blog ]

More Creative Vinyl Inspiration - about about 1 year ago

by Erik Peterson

A couple months ago I published a post of a few cool and creative vinyl record releases for inspiration for those of you considering releasing a record with Hifidelics. As you may or may not already know, Hifidelics is about releasing limited runs of custom vinyl records in beautiful, creative packaging. From time to time I will stumble across a vinyl release that really stands out and I think to myself, “Man, I wish we were the ones releasing this record”. So instead of just passing-on by, I wanted to share some of these stand-out record releases with you and give you some ideas as to what else is out there, and what can make an ordinary record into a masterpiece.

This time around, the records I’m sharing here are less of a focus on packaging, and more of a focus on just some killer vinyl. Now, imagine these records also coming in some awesomely designed packaging, as well. Your fans would be fighting to get their hands on just one, of very few, copies.

First up is a copper record from the band Scrap Iron called, “Shovel”. Technically not ‘vinyl’, but it does fall into the same category. I researched to find out more about this band and record, but turned up nothing. I believe the band’s name and associated keywords are too similar to common searches. However, the record manufacturer had this to say about the record; “This is the prototype. The finished version will have flash memory circuitry built into it so that you can plug a usb cable directly into the record and download the songs!”. It sounds pretty damn cool, doesn’t it? Not only that, but the non-groove side is a piece of artwork. This would be a very memorable release if they can get the word out.

Next we have a very cool record of Boys Noize & Erol Alkan remixes. Yes, that IS a 12″ vinyl record! It’s a picture-disc, actually. Picture-discs are not all that original in the world of vinyl, however I find the picture they used to be very clever! From what I can tell, it seems this record sold out very quickly, too.

Last, but certainly not the least, comes from Jack White’s Third Man Records. As many of you know, Third Man is also a crusader for vinyl records (I swear, Third Man had no influence on Hifidelics!) I’ve mentioned this record before. I’m not sure about it’s practicality for listeners, but collectors will love something like this. One comment on this video’s Youtube page mentioned they saw this record for sale on eBay for $600! It’s a triple-decker record for one of Jack’s many projects, The Dead Weather. He begins to explain and show you the record at about 00:35.

If you’re an artist and have a fanbase of vinyl-lovers, Hifidelics can help you release awesome records just like these! Just contact us with the concept you have in mind and we can get you started. Or, check out this blog’s Hifidelics page to learn a bit more on what we are all about.