Merge Records has a good idea...free download w/vinyl purchase

So for a few years it seemed like everyone was doing this, to the point where I didn't even bother checking anymore whether an MP3 download was included with the purchase of a new record. Now it seems like hardly anyone is doing it; when I bought Yellow and Green by Baroness & there was no download included I sent a nice little message off to Relapse asking whether they had considered including an MP3 download with vinyl purchase, and received this response:

"We decided not to put a download code card into the new Baroness record so that we could keep costs down and focus on providing the best sounding, best looking record to our customers. We wanted to maintain reasonable price points on what we consider a kick ass product, and we hope you are stoked the way it looks and sounds as well."

If I remember correctly, the price point was about $40, which is not unreasonable for a double LP but not exactly bargain-priced, either. I'm not paying for an album twice, so of course I went and found a torrent. *BAD PIRATE*

(and no, it's not a great pressing, either; the center-hole is off-center in one of the records, and there's a native skip in the other)

Today, bought the new Cave and Tim Hecker records: same thing, no download.

Question is this: Am I just being a spoiled baby expecting record companies to include a digital version with new vinyl? Or are the record companies being greedy, hoping they can sell something twice to vinyl fetishists who also (and let's face it, who doesn't!?) have MP3 players? I realize there's a small cost involved with hosting digital files and with inserting a download code card into an LP, but considering that a) record companies are generally hosting their own files anyhow regardless and b) the cost of inserting download cards is less than .50/copy (which you could easily pass on to the consumer - if I'm gonna pay $25 for an album, I'll pay $26 for it without thinking)... is it really so much to ask?

yes

(sorry)

what I want is a FLAC download with my vinyl purchase, good luck with that!

also the idea that providing MP3s to a vinyl purchaser increases costs by a significant amount is suspect to me, Dan Selzer would know...

You should def demand satisfaction re off-center hole and native skip of their kick ass product.

Subpop's thing is bullshit, if you order a record from their website you have to wait until it's physically delivered with the download coupon to get the files. Pretty much every other decent sized indie label, even those significantly smaller than them gives you access to the downloads as soon as you checkout. Wouldn't even bother me so much if their delivery times weren't so long.

The flip side of that kind of annoys me- labels that provide mp3s but only for direct orders. I ran into this with the Young Echo LP on RAMP (I'm embarrassed to admit that I was suckered into getting it on vinyl for the first pressing flexidisc with a non-album track, which of course arrived with a crease because fucking flexidiscs). Worse are labels that both rely on a download coupon AND are exclusive for direct orders (Mego/Spectrum Spools); not that I'd pay twice, but with their stuff it'd actually be cheaper to buy vinyl AND a paid download than to ship an order to the US.

The latest Retribution Gospel Choir vinyl from Chaperone records came with not a download code but an actual CD. That was a nice touch.

Italians Do It Better do this insanely well- I ordered a couple of records recently and got instant downloads at checkout, download coupons in the sleeves, and separate full, packaged CDs at no extra charge.

The worst is Drag City - they've never included downloads (or explained why, that I know of) - and I know it's entitled or whatever, bit I kind of DO think they should explain themselves!! It's just a bummer for the workin' man who wants to listen to stuff on the bus...!!

Very annoying with the recent double-LP reissue of the Neo Boys on K not to get a digital download. Two LPs... which would mean a couple hours of transferring, cleaning up, tracking, and ripping to iTunes. I capitulated and also bought the cd, which I'll now sell...figuring the $8 loss is worth a few hours of my weekend.

And don't get me started on the vinyl-only folk like Dark Entries and Medical Records.

Most annoying of all was the Goner live Toy Love double LP. Yes, they say on the cover sticker that there's an mp3 download, but it turns out that it's missing the same four tracks as the cd version. You could digitize just those four tracks, but given that this is a live album with continuous sound, you'd have to spend a fair amount of time to then merge those four tracks into the set. Probably less time and energy to do the whole thing yourself.

http://www.dropcards.com/45rpm/

about 240 bucks to add mp3s and codes to 500 records. Really not that bad. There may be cheaper ways as well.

http://www.bellwethermfg.com/digitaldownloads.php

bandcamp is cheaper for generating download codes, but you need to print them out + insert them in the sleeves yourself (or find someway to get them into the sleeves before the shrink goes on)

If I remember correctly, the price point was about $40, which is not unreasonable for a double LP

This is actually a fucking insane price point as far as I'm concerned. Domestic double LP shouldn't really be more than $25 (I'd say $20, maybe $30 for a really nice package, but the market is stupid overpriced anymore) and that should damn well come with a download code.

And they owe you a replacement for the defects you mentioned - I had a pressing flaw in one disc of a limited Numero Group record and emailed them about it, they sent me a replacement for the whole thing a week later.

I wonder what the statute of limitations on that is. I didn't notice the defects at first, because I didn't listen to the record very much, because it's not very good.

I've encountered a few tape labels that will include an mp3 DL with each tape, from bandcamp

I wonder what the statute of limitations on that is. I didn't notice the defects at first, because I didn't listen to the record very much, because it's not very good.

This is kind of what's wrong with the current vinyl market in a nutshell. Bloated, mediocre 2xLP that costs $40 and has manufacturing defects. No DL card to boot!

No wonder people just listen to Spotify.

Yeah I would be all over new vinyl that was £10-£15 and invariably came with a DL code. bring it on! Anything more than £20 I would think very long and hard about.

recently ordered 3 LPs from suicide squeeze (2 by yamantaka//sonic titan and the new audacity). each cost $13, came on nicely pressed vinyl w/ download, poster and extras. minimal packaging, really, but attractive and more than worth it at the price.

^ how to do

i got the new Bottomless Pit LP on Comedy Minus One for $14.99 and it came with the CD version inside.

i gotta get that, their records sound so much better on vinyl

Bottomless Pit has had the discs included since the first record I think. Even the EP.

Shellac were doing the CD included with vinyl thing back when they released 1000 Hurts in 2000 (so to speak!) great idea then, great idea now

The worst is Drag City - they've never included downloads (or explained why, that I know of) - and I know it's entitled or whatever, bit I kind of DO think they should explain themselves!! It's just a bummer for the workin' man who wants to listen to stuff on the bus...!!

An extra level of annoying with the DC thing is that if you buy the CD from Amazon, you get the download straightaway through the AutoRip thing. If you go for the vinyl instead, then sorry pal, fat fucking chance of that.

If I remember correctly, the price point was about $40, which is not unreasonable for a double LP

This is actually a fucking insane price point as far as I'm concerned. Domestic double LP shouldn't really be more than $25 (I'd say $20, maybe $30 for a really nice package, but the market is stupid overpriced anymore) and that should damn well come with a download code.

yea i'm completely priced out of the vinyl market. i'd love to participate. vinyl is beautiful and at this point seems like the most enduring physical medium. but i've got a one-year-old and a wife who only works part-time to be home with our son and i could never afford a $40 record, let alone a $25 or even a $20 record. or, let's face it, even a $15 record to match the rate at which i listen to music. i bought some will oldham used cds the other day at waterloo records, one was $3 and the other was $2 and that's the first time i've bought multiple albums in one visit in a few years.

I bought the new Omar Souleyman album "Wenu Wenu" last night on cassette. I mostly buy tapes as a fetishistic thing (though I do have a working tape desk, I really only use it for things that are exclusive to tape), but this one was only £5.99 and came with .mp3s! I would buy SO MUCH more stuff at that price/convenience!

Just bought "Person Pitch" - still no download (altho I already had MP3s from my stint on eMusic): Double album for $17. Fuck you, Relapse.

been eyeing a reissue of richard thompson's i want to see the bright lights tonight, but the damn thing costs $30 -- for a single lp in what looks like basic packaging! just can't justify the expense. and while i love a lot of music put out by rise above records (electric wizard, moss, uncle acid), their vinyl pricing is obscene. i mean, i know that import prices are always going to be relatively high, but they charge at least 30% more than their competition, closing in on $50 for a double album. hell no.

that said, there are lots of labels still making reasonably priced vinyl. bought the alternatentacles reissues of the 2nd & 3rd kylesa albums this afternoon for about $14 apiece. nice new art, remastered sound, candylike vinyl. otoh, no free download codes. doesn't bother me much. i've officially tithed, so i feel entitled to piracy.

^ suppose i shouldn't be so quick to blame rise above. maybe their distributor is responsible, i dunno. shame no matter what.

nah that is ridiculous, I found a used Carthage copy of that LP for $5.