Indie Vinyl Subscription Clubs Are A Booming Niche
Indie subscription services of all kinds are doing quite well these days. In music we're seeing everything from Drip.FM's digital subscriptions to Turntable Kitchen's combination of meal fixings and vinyl in a box. Marc Hogan recently took a look at vinyl subscription clubs for Wondering Sound. He shows that, though some have folded, a wide range of such clubs are finding unique niches and variations on the theme of subscription vinyl.
Marc Hogan kicks off his look at vinyl subscription clubs (via @hifidelics) with a heart-warming tale of indie act Sylvan Esso's return to the Billboard 200 due to Vinyl Me, Please making their vinyl release "record of the month."
Seriously, that warms my heart. I love it when indies find creative ways to make art, share art and do business all at the same time. It's not easy to do even when they make it look easy.
Hogan considers a number of different angles but I was most struck by the unique approaches successful subscription services are taking:
Vinyl Me, Please – $23 a month, subscribers receive a vinyl record paired with a cocktail recipe and art print plus access to a private digital magazine.
Feedbands -$14.95 a month, "always a first pressing, always a new release." Subscriber votes are considered in choosing who's up next.
Turntable Kitchen – $25 a month "pairings box" with exclusive 7" vinyl, digital mixtape, 1-2 ingredients, 3 recipes, tasting notes.
Vault from Third Man records – $60 a quarter for quarterly Vault package with 12", 7" and a bonus item. Plus lots of digital goodies, ticket presales and exclusive access to the Vault Novelties shop.
Hogan has more on a great trend at Wondering Sound.
More:
- Sub Pop Launches Drip.fm-Powered Digital Music Subscription Service
- The Turntable Kitchen's Subscription 'Pairings Box' Continues Its Unique Path
- Vinyl News: Sales Growth, Vinyl Kickstarters, Marshall Crenshaw's Vinyl Subscriptions
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch) recently launched DanceLand. Send news about music tech startups and services, DIY music biz and music marketing to: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
