# How does anyone make money recording classical music?



## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Returning back to classical music after a long gap and fascinated how things have changed.
I remember buying my first classical CD in 1985 Beethoven Violin Concerto for £10 over the next few years the price of CD's gradually went up to about £15 from memory.
Now I can see all the same recordings for a fraction of the price and frankly as a consumer it is great.
However the economics for the classical music world must be terrible, so my question is how is anyone making money from new recordings of classical music?


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

I see there are many sponsored classical recordings, so most likely business is pretty poor in this area. The live music is not the good business either, except for conductors and super star solo artists.


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

One answer to your question could be the Naxos business model.

Here's an interesting article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/enter...231344-1877-11e2-9855-71f2b202721b_story.html


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Naxos CDs aren't that cheap anymore. The average list price has risen over the years from around 5.99 to 10.99. They are pretty consistent as far as recording quality. 

It's up to the record labels to figure out how to market their product successfully. Their own back catalogs compete with the new releases. In my case, I tend to buy a lot more back catalog recordings. They obviously make some profit on this end, as production costs were paid for decades ago.

But a bigger problem in today's world is that many people don't think they need to pay for music. They get it for free, and don't think about the repercussions.


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## DimiFrang (Jan 23, 2014)

GioCar said:


> One answer to your question could be the Naxos business model.
> 
> Here's an interesting article
> 
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/enter...231344-1877-11e2-9855-71f2b202721b_story.html


Great article...
I am getting into the "Voice" business... and I do see that their has to be a new way to present classical music in order for it to thrive. 
I think presenting the classical music should mix with art. If you add visual to the beautiful sound then it will add to the overall experience and more people could enjoy it maybe in a different way.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

The article was interesting and explains why I am seeing all the same recordings I remember from years ago 
Wonderful music like Periha's Mozart Concerto box set and Dorati's Haydn are now easier to obtain and cheaper to boot


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I recently purchased Brahms 1st, 2nd and 4th symphonies from the early stereo late 1950's, Charles Munch, Boston Symphony and the sound happens to be more natural than a lot of the digital garbage being recorded these days that I've heard.

Better to re-issue older performances. A lot of gold there.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

starthrower said:


> Naxos CDs aren't that cheap anymore. The average list price has risen over the years from around 5.99 to 10.99. They are pretty consistent as far as recording quality.
> 
> It's up to the record labels to figure out how to market their product successfully. Their own back catalogs compete with the new releases. In my case, I tend to buy a lot more back catalog recordings. They obviously make some profit on this end, as production costs were paid for decades ago.
> 
> But a bigger problem in today's world is that many people don't think they need to pay for music. They get it for free, and don't think about the repercussions.


Most Naxos CDs appear to cost £6.25. That means that I can buy Joseph Szigetti with Beecham conducting doing the Mendelssohn and Brahms concertos i.e. £3.13 each...what do you want BLOOD ???


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

DimiFrang said:


> Great article...
> I am getting into the "Voice" business... and I do see that their has to be a new way to present classical music in order for it to thrive.
> I think presenting the classical music should mix with art. If you add visual to the beautiful sound then it will add to the overall experience and more people could enjoy it maybe in a different way.


Eye candy certainly helps to sell what is otherwise as abstract audio... it is well known in advertising that packaging and package design are a highly significant factor if a product sells.

So do very much pay attention to the look of your CD's cover, copy, etc. (I still think your idea to 'illustrate' a music video with sequential story-board illustrations, or a more frame-by frame video, is dreadful, but that is my take on that.) The greatest per cent of the general population just loves the visual with the music, will 'go for' a storyline and visuals running alongside an absolute concert piece even though the piece has no such content. (I take such a presentation as being told what to think, and manipulated / told as to what to feel in reaction to what I'm hearing. I find it ghastly, and a dynamic we are all too familiar with from tyrannical and fascist political regimes.)

Me, I do not want to add to the already growing fuel of what I think are presentations which literally rob the listeners of their own personal reactions, but which instead provides "a program" for them to attach to the music, a form of literalism which closes the boundaries of imagination vs. allowing imagination to freely roam.

_You should have a dynamite CD cover_, however, _that is an absolute requirement not at all in question._


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2014)

The answer to the question posed in the OP as to why CD prices have fallen in real terms since their first introduction is very probably due to the fact that the CD market is now a long way down its life-cycle. Typically real prices for consumer durable products tend to fall over time since all of the initial startup costs have been absorbed, the techonology is proven so there's no need for further R&D to support the product. As well, there could possibly be some surplus capacity which tends to act as a drag on the market. There are alternatives to CDs which could be providing stiff competition and hence the need for a tightening of margins and cost reduction strategies. That's all there is to with nothing remotely sinister or unique about this phenomenon.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

PetrB said:


> Eye candy certainly helps to sell what is otherwise as abstract audio... it is well known in advertising that packaging and package design are a highly significant factor if a product sells.
> 
> So do very much pay attention to the look of your CD's cover, copy, etc. (I still think your idea to 'illustrate' a music video with sequential story-board illustrations, or a more frame-by frame video, is dreadful, but that is my take on that.) The greatest per cent of the general population just loves the visual with the music, will 'go for' a storyline and visuals running alongside an absolute concert piece even though the piece has no such content. (I take such a presentation as being told what to think, and manipulated / told as to what to feel in reaction to what I'm hearing. I find it ghastly, and a dynamic we are all too familiar with from tyrannical and fascist political regimes.)
> 
> ...


Can I ask you where it comes from that the greatest proportion of the population likes visuals / story with music. While it might be true for pop music I don't think it can be applied to classical. Outside of certain operas (mainly by Mozart) I generally prefer listening only.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

When I first started taking the gramophone magazine about 50 years ago there were very many recordings in production. These gradually worked up until the advent of seeking when there has been a decline in the recording industry. Most recording now is not done by the Major Connie's but by smaller independent labels like Hyperion. Many orchestras now have their own labels also. So there has been a seismic shift in the industry which comes down to a bottom line - money. Not that this should worry the collector. CDs are now very much cheaper in real terms and the back catalogue is full of reissues that have enough artistic merit to cater for all but the most fanatical audiophile.


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## Grandma (Jan 27, 2014)

Most artists don't get the profit of their original and often very hard work, 10% royalties and that's it. I read in some digital news articles that last year seems to have had an uprising where more of them are making demands. HOWEVER the cd industry has also been rammed with competition from online stores and streaming services. And now all creators have more opportunity to upload and sell their work at maximum royalties, at least 90% back to their pockets. I've recently started hunting on itunes, etc and there is no problem with sound, it remains full, rich and stereo. My most recent discovery is a website Zimbalam that offers artists excellent service to publish - once they've uploaded, their work gets released/published at a lot online stores. They also have an 'artist page' for their clients with links to online retail to buy. So I guess then, for the classical composers this is a far better future in stead of other record labels and publishers. In today's rushed life its no fun anymore to find parking just to buy a cd or video - so I started shopping the www right in my armchair... no fuel, no fuss and so easy to sample! Most record labels are in any case available at these online stores. I got convinced to research this after my Daughter played an Edith Piaff on her ipod - sounded really fantastic!


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## Berlioznestpasmort (Jan 24, 2014)

I can sympathize with Grandma, however, speaking for myself, I have so many fond memories of LP and CD shop experiences, chatting with listeners and esp. enjoying the "obsessives" and the occasional "nutter" (some of whom I would come to resemble more than not), enjoying the serendipitous find, something new to take a chance on, or exclaiming "Oooo, just what I wanted!" I was sad to see so many brick and mortar stores close their doors and those memories become no longer living ones...


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## Centropolis (Jul 8, 2013)

I would really hate it if we won't be able to buy CDs in my lifetime. I love the physical aspect of holding a CD and reading the liner notes. I have no problems with the sound quality of the high bit rate MP3s but I just prefer CDs to MP3s when it comes to this hobby.

In terms of making money, a lot of things we buy are re-issues of older recordings. I wonder how these performers, if they are still surviving, get their money from these numerous re-issues.


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## Nagging Grasshopper (Feb 9, 2014)

Interesting article, thank you!


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