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  #1  
Old Jan 5, 2014, 09:16 PM
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Default Bandcamp and Pricing

I have a questions about Bandcamp + Pricing

Bandcamp
From what I understand, artists are credited 200 free download credits a month (right?). After these downloads are exhausted, what happens in regards to the pricing of the album? Does it change to a different set price (like 1$, $3, or $5)?

Example: Anodyne Official Soundtrack is priced at $3 now on Bandcamp when it was originally name-your-price previously (I sent the name-your-price change earlier and confident it was that).

I ask because I’d like a better understanding on album pricing on Bandcamp so I can accurately submit a consistent price on their entries. Granted, if price changes are determined at whim by the artist, then I suppose it doesn’t matter and hope for the best?

I don't mind submitting a pricing edit in whenever I pass by albums I own and check their status by whim. I'm curious as to whether or not the staff wants to keep seeing the edit in their pending pile. Whatever makes your jobs easier while keeping the entry accurate.
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  #2  
Old Jan 6, 2014, 12:10 AM
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Actually, even when prices change later we usually keep the price at release time on the page. It's even perhaps somewhat more useful - as a fairly useless curiosity, I admit - to archive the original price so no matter how much it changes on Bandcamp we know what it was sold for first.
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Old Jan 6, 2014, 12:42 AM
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I'd say it's probably better to change the price and add a note about the original price.
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Old Jan 6, 2014, 03:30 AM
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^No, it's not better, it hasn't worked like that and it shouldn't be like that.

The price used here is the one at the time of the release and it shouldn't be changed. That way consistency is kept and we don't change the price whenever the artist feels like it (or Bandcamp dictates). That is if the contents are the same, meaning the tracks stay same. If some tracks are let's say added at some point (which is always a problem with digital releases at Bandcamp) it's not the same album anymore so in that case it's ok to change the price as well as the tracklist.

Last edited by Efendija; Jan 6, 2014 at 03:35 AM.
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Old Jan 6, 2014, 03:54 AM
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It helps no one if the information here is outdated and inaccurate.
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  #6  
Old Jan 6, 2014, 04:36 AM
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Sure, because it's quite hard to click on Bandcamp link and see the current situation
I don't follow your logic.

I totally understand it's not really similar but what if an album simply isn't available anymore for buying. Should the entry here be removed because well, the info is outdated? I've even seen situation like that - user says in the forums something like 'this can't be bought anymore so you can delete the album entry'.

What about the usual holiday sales and price reduction at your familiar & large retailers there? Should we change the price whenever that happens too, to keep up-to-date?

And clearance sale? Suddenly you can buy some album for 5 bucks instead of the original 30 quite officially from the label store itself because it's clearance sale? Change the price here again?

Like _if says it's good to keep the original price for the reference. And exactly that was what we were doing all this time (usually ). Much, much better than jumping on the train of changing prices all over the place.

Release price here is the first one album/single/whatever is sold for (again, if the content is the same). Simple as that.
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  #7  
Old Jan 6, 2014, 07:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Efendija View Post
The price used here is the one at the time of the release and it shouldn't be changed. That way consistency is kept and we don't change the price whenever the artist feels like it (or Bandcamp dictates). That is if the contents are the same, meaning the tracks stay same. If some tracks are let's say added at some point (which is always a problem with digital releases at Bandcamp) it's not the same album anymore so in that case it's ok to change the price as well as the tracklist.

I'm curious as to how you balance out digital albums, however, if it's okay to change the price when the tracklist changes? Shouldn't the price remain the same even if the tracklist changes, with a note on the bottom that there was additional tracks added on a certain date (or simply stating these X tracks were added)? If the album is not the same album anymore because of those changes, would it be wiser to create a new entry altogether with the updated information if both price and tracklist?

I suppose the question I'm looking to be answered is this:

Accurate or Original?
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  #8  
Old Jan 6, 2014, 07:53 PM
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That's the only real problem with Bandcamp digital releases - possible different content as the time passes. As long as the tracks are just being added, this place does the following: submitting a new accurate tracklist (while possibly keeping the old one), price will be changed because yeah, the content is no longer the same, release date can be also changed or can be just put in the notes, not sure about this one (I guess if there's info when exactly the new tracks were added), new album entry won't be created. I can think of this one atm. That's how's been done. I hope you got an answer.

Last edited by Efendija; Jan 6, 2014 at 08:04 PM.
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  #9  
Old Jan 7, 2014, 12:45 AM
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I don't know, I'm thinking it sounds logical to make a new entry. Although that might create some confusion since both have the same title. Perhaps adding a parenthetical indicator like "(original)" or the release date to the first one's title would help keep it clear. Or we could just ignore that and put something in the notes, the same way we handle reprints of CDs. If we archive the release price why not archive the original track listing as well? We make new entries for the reprints of albums that add a bonus track and that's basically the same situation we're talking about here, the only difference is one type is physical and the other is digital, which I don't think is enough of a distinction to justify separate standards. Digital releases aren't less worthy of archiving historical versions.
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  #10  
Old Jan 7, 2014, 05:47 AM
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I agree the digital versions aren't less worthy. This thing when the tracks are added is annoying though. If the historical versions (of this special case) are kept, that Binding of Isaac should have three different entries, but that isn't the case at the moment because most people probably wouldn't like to see that... I've only been observing this situation, personally I would make different entries to archive things, but then again if the examples of these albums grow in number in the future, people could be like 'wtf why you make a new entry for each new version'.
...and btw I don't know why previous versions of the tracklists (at Isaac) haven't been preserved as alternates because I know that is possible.
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Old Jan 7, 2014, 07:44 AM
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Hmm, that could be a good way of doing it. Keep alternate tracklists and label them by their dates or age. Make the default the most recent. Chronicle changes (including pricing differences) in the notes. Still a bit of a double standard, but there are few downsides and several pluses.
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  #12  
Old Jan 7, 2014, 09:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by _if View Post
Hmm, that could be a good way of doing it. Keep alternate tracklists and label them by their dates or age. Make the default the most recent. Chronicle changes (including pricing differences) in the notes. Still a bit of a double standard, but there are few downsides and several pluses.
I wonder, though, if we choose to make use of the Notes section for chronicling purposes, would it be wiser to create an additional field altogether for the purpose of a public chronicle log (such as below the Notes section)?

I'm curious if it would be easier to take advantage of the tabs in the Tracklist Section to create two tracklists for a digital release then: One for the 'Original' release and the second which is updated. Perhaps add the track and date of entry to the note section, or simply date it in the updated tracklist section?

Then again, that would leave the question of which tab would take priority when a visitor accesses the entry. Will they see the original first, or the present? I suppose it depends entirely on the objective of the site: original or updated?

I'm just throwing ideas out there, but whichever makes the staff job easier and creates a fully(?) complete entry.
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