Ambitious bands are slowly starting to understand the internet. Meet The Floating Men, a band from Tenn. that has generated enough money from their fans to pay for the recording and distribution of their next album.
Through its website, the band did two things. First, they pre-sold the album. Fans forked over cash for a record they hadn’t heard yet, based obviously on their love of the band alone.
Second, they offered a fan club membership for $80:
But those who paid The Floating Men a one-time fee of $80 got the ”Operation F.L.O.A.T. Action Kit,” a metal lunchbox stuffed with goodies including a DVD of a 12th & Porter concert, a VIP pass to a show and a pair of boxer shorts. Subscribers get their name in album liner notes and a password to a restricted access part of the Web site. The box also included five copies of the A Magnificent Man CD for the fans to distribute. (full story)
This is an idea for bands that have some sort of fan base, and it’s a pretty interesting one. As more and more bands start to understand marketing and the internet better, I’m sure we’re going to see a lot of crazy offers like this that actually work.