DT12 Was Entirly Released on YouTube by Roadrunner?

[jmasterx]

I am seeing this more and more. Why is RR and other publishers releasing the entire album on YT?

Is it because they figure those who will buy it already have, those who will pirate it already have, so they see this as a way to drive ticket sales by potentially bringing in people who refuse to buy it and refuse to pirate it.

Am I on the right track with this marketing strategy or is there some other reason?

[OsMosis2259]

Every band/label nowadays puts a whole album on Youtube.

I've been seeing that from RoadRunner, Century Media, Sumerian etc

I think it's def a marketing strategy for sure. If you hear a song that you like, there is a chance that you will buy it you know

[Sycsa]

I presume now we're allowed to link those songs on DTF. Yay! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU7uGKV7d4E&feature=youtu.be&t=5m00s

Every song has been uploaded to YT countless times anyway, so might as well get some hits for the RR page and all the other bands under their label. The other option would be to try and hunt down all the illegal uploads, but with a band as big as DT that would be impossible to manage. Virgil Donati does that pretty successfully though, once I uploaded a video with a few seconds of Planet X music and it was taken down the next day. You'd be hard pressed to find anything on YT which that guy has the rights to. Well, the perks of having quick hands. 

[Kotowboy]

I assume that must get some of the advertising revenue from Youtube or something.

Plus yeah - if all the songs are online - people probably won't bother pirating so much.

People who pirate obviously don't care about audio quality and can use YouTube as their iTunes in a way.

[The Trooper]

I unfortunately know people that use things like youtube downloader to download the videos and convert them to mp3. so be it.

[Sycsa]

People who pirate obviously don't care about audio quality

I don't quite get this statement. Anything can be pirated in just about every format and quality in which it was officially released.

[goo-goo]

I don't know about revenue but I think the RIAA recently started counting video hits on Youtube for album certifications.

[Bolsters]

People who pirate obviously don't care about audio quality and can use YouTube as their iTunes in a way.

They don't care any less than other people. It's no more difficult to find lossless uploads than mp3 if they do (unfortunately).

On the other hand, I know people who buy CDs, rip them to 192 or even 128 kbps mp3, and then never use the disc again. Even people who buy music don't necessarily give a shit about quality (unfortunately).

[ddtonfire]

It's better for the label that they get the traffic from their albums than some basement dweller who uploads it. If it's going to be on youtube anyways, might as well make the most of it. Pretty sound strategy, and it's great you can preview bands before you buy.

[hefdaddy42]

I don't know about revenue but I think the RIAA recently started counting video hits on Youtube for album certifications.

I can't believe that is true. 

[theseoafs]

I don't know about revenue but I think the RIAA recently started counting video hits on Youtube for album certifications.

I can't believe that is true.

If it is, Gangnam Style went quadruple platinum.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I don't know about revenue but I think the RIAA recently started counting video hits on Youtube for album certifications.

I can't believe that is true.

If it is, Gangnam Style went quadruple platinum.

Yep!

[The Letter M]

People who listen to streamed music obviously don't care about audio quality and can use YouTube as their iTunes in a way.

FTFY

In the generation of digital music and instant gratification, websites that stream music cater to those who love radio, and in this age where kids/teens (and even adults) spend a majority of their time connected to the internet, websites like Spotify offer the chance for these people to listen to music at less-than-CD-quality streams of music, and usually played on poor laptop speakers too. I know plenty of college kids who do this, and not to say it's TERRIBLE that they do that - it's their ears and their music interests. But it's definitely NOT for me. Give me my CD's and high quality downloads any day.

As has been said, pirated music can be found in the highest qualities possible, FLAC and SHN and other lossless files float around all the time. In fact, I've NEVER seen good pirated songs in any quality BELOW 256kbps MP3s, and typicially they are at 320kbps. So even on the MP3 end of pirate downloads, they are still "higher" quality.

-Marc.

[Kotowboy]

I use Spotify but i Use the paid version and you get streaming at 320 so it's all good.

I still buy CDs as well.

[goo-goo]

I don't know about revenue but I think the RIAA recently started counting video hits on Youtube for album certifications.

I can't believe that is true.

https://www.riaa.com/newsitem.php?content_selector=newsandviews&news_month_filter=5&id=03662575-C88F-51CF-779C-8396A2B8D74D

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-riaa-gold-platinum-awards-digital-music-streams-20130509,0,3162726.story

[me7]

Another reason is to just be nice to the fans. I don't buy CDs because I have no other options, I buy them because I would feel guilty pirating al that wonderful music. Making music available on youtube instead of taking it down only increases my motivation to give something back to the artists.
I usually always preview albums before I buy them (except for bands that I'm a die-hard fan of). If previews weren't available via youtube, spotify (or even torrents), I would have never ended up buying the whole discographies of Dream Theater, Opeth, Haken, Leprous...
Basically, putting it for free on youtube in 2013 is the modern equivalent of playing it for free on the radio in the 1950s. It allows people to discover it and become fans who spend money.

Bottom line: you can't beat the pirates anyway, make the best of it and try to convert them to dedicated fans by being nice. Don't let them feel like they are romantic heroes who fight evil greedy record corporations.

[jmasterx]

Another reason is to just be nice to the fans. I don't buy CDs because I have no other options, I buy them because I would feel guilty pirating al that wonderful music. Making music available on youtube instead of taking it down only increases my motivation to give something back to the artists.
I usually always preview albums before I buy them (except for bands that I'm a die-hard fan of). If previews weren't available via youtube, spotify (or even torrents), I would have never ended up buying the whole discographies of Dream Theater, Opeth, Haken, Leprous...
Basically, putting it for free on youtube in 2013 is the modern equivalent of playing it for free on the radio in the 1950s. It allows people to discover it and become fans who spend money.

Bottom line: you can't beat the pirates anyway, make the best of it and try to convert them to dedicated fans by being nice. Don't let them feel like they are romantic heroes who fight evil greedy record corporations.

I certainly agree with this. However what took me aback was that the entire album is available. In the 50's, even if you always listened to the radio, you would never hear certain songs. But I guess with piracy as it is, this is a good way to know if you want to buy and discover music you're willing to pay for.

I guess it also puts pressure on artists to deliver a quality album, not just a great single.

[JiM-Xtreme]

Seems like sound common/business sense to me. In this day and age, it's all too easy to find and listen to music without having to pay for it, pointless trying to fight it.

[nicbor87]

They're all blocked on German YouTube anyway. Yeah, despite being uploaded by Roadrunner. For, you know, reasons. I guess.