Seth Freeman

Planning on doing a product launch in Roctober but need some examples to put on the front page. You worthy?

Not yet.

Here's what I've got going on:

I'm releasing my trilogy of EPs as a box set in late January / early February.

I will have radio promo / publicity.

I will have new photos, new cover art, new videos, and a social media campaign.

the new web site will be part of it.

so will I be ready in October? Not really. Do I want to start building all of this to promote my thing that I'm super proud of and have you promote your thing that you're super proud of at the same time, which would ultimately be mutually beneficial? Yes.

I want to tour to promote it, even if it's one off gigs in Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin. Those are four pretty fuckin' awesome music towns, and probably I pick up something in between.

So ... how can we make your October date and my January date align?

(I can probably get Phoenix / Tuscon / Santa Fe / Albuquerque / El Paso in there too ...)

I think the web site with the teaser videos with the new photos with the new look launching in October sounds awesome

but for one thing ... those photos - I don't look like that any more

I have long-ass hippie hair.

That's kind of the main thing

and I have a photographer lined up to do new stuff - I'll talk to her about getting it happening ASAP

interesting, but good dilemma it think... you can obviously have a new/fancier site launch with your big release... but i don't think having a site that isn't bandcamp would be a distraction... if anything you'd be able to help figure out features/promo/etc that would be best

ya - i'm just pulling from old source material

yeah maybe but I'd rather LAUNCH a new site in anticipation of the new release

dude, you've been rockin' it - this is no reflection on you

so when in october?

when do you need assets from me to build the thing that you will show to people?

isn't that what usually happens? new redesign/site with new release... but it usually just replaces/modifies the existing one

I don't know, but I have no desire to put energy into designing a site to represent who I was two years ago.

smile emoticon

What is your target date?

i get that - well.. the goal is to have something as easy to use as bandzoogle/squarespace etc... not really there (cuz i'm just trying to bootstrap myself).. but you can actually already go in and change shit (cuz you're more of a nerd than me)... product launch is really when the the thing is stable enough/with enough documentation so it's musician friendly... to get there, i'm going to try to charge the same for 1yr hosting (~$300), but help build the sites... also, because I'm in control, I want to do referrals and shit... like maybe 1 month free hosting for any client referrals?

the interesting part is really the whole open source bit - the goal is to have the finished platform also downloadable for anyone who wants to use/modify/you know the deal.. so there will a crowdfunding and open development effort going on... but we're building actual sites for real artists as a way to create stable code - the drupal community is global... so working on sethrockers site in advance of his new release may be a very interesting way to create global buzz

what about $30 / month?

is that a suggestion of a price point or what you could pay? if the former.. that's what i'm trying to figure out w/ the hosting partner (they're in montreal)... i can't start charging monthly until the diy service/ecommerce/documentation/marketing site is ready... but i can build a site / host / and promote for less cost if paid up front... if that makes any sense..haha. basically i'm able to provide almost the same thing as most of the major labels use (drupal) for about .10 of the cost

if i had 100 customers ready to go, i could start charging monthly... but it's hard to find them without some working examples

It's a way for me to pay less now but pay you more over time, and a way for me to make sure it's going to work for me

and it's still twice as much as what bandzoogle charges ...

the open source thing isn't a huge sell for me honestly

I just want something that looks awesome

as much as I agree philosophically with open source wink emoticon

yup - they have a bit more budget/staff/features... the big advantage of this/open source is you own it - can expand - export - host somewhere else

i think the look could/should be as good/better than bandzoogle - not all the features initially, but i think we could catch up/exceed eventually... because it is open source... all that shit has been built... just need to get the more companies to share

well I'm willing to pay you more per month than bandzoogle because I understand the passion etc., but that's not going to get you multiple customers - and artists are going to look for the most features for the least amount of money, because in general, they're broke.

that's really the problem we want to solve... the goal is help sustain musicians - a site that they own/control/could help promote and sell them... a cost along the lines (or maybe a little more) of bandzoogle should be worth it... i think we can find the sweet spot once the product is diy ready..but getting there requires more time (my dilemma since i'm currently the only one building the whole thing)... but again, the experiment of building real sites for real artists should create some interesting opportunities... like when i have enough to reconnect with cashmusic and figure out how to integrate their code (and tap into their network... which IS funded and superconnected)

this ugly ass thing is a new site/release (but i'm sure you know how buzzworthy that band is) http://www.runthejewels.net/

their office is in an old highschool.. which also houses one of the new hip venues around http://www.revolutionhallpdx.com/

that's really an exciting part - 10+ years ago i was trying to do all the shit websites/music community site/shows... but now it's way easier to do the sites and there are many others also doing the latter... so i'd like to pick up those pieces but work with promoters and others like CASH who are doing it alrady

cool, well you know I support your efforts - just how it ties into what I'm trying to do and when is the biggest thing, and the up front money is tough for me right now, but the monthly thing is doable

I think it could go really well for both of us, and hopefully for you lots more artists

funny this was the first thing in my twitter feed after mentioning CASH and run the jewels https://twitter.com/NME/status/649848972073398272

ummm... honestly... and we should probably voicetalk at some point... i think launching a site (with the current you)... where you could do a lot of buildup to your new releases/promo/site with new look/features/etc would only create buzz - starting off monthly is tough 'cuz it's hard to go beyond friends/musicians w/o a ready to go product offering with real examples. that said, i again can make the investment go a long way (free hosting for over a year/new features free/updates/promo/etc)...and could even return the monies if it didn't work out... and that all said... ya... i could start w/ what you could afford if it means we can actually start the process of rocking the world

yes, voicetalk sounds good. I'm sleeping soon and I have a crazy full day tomorrow and hot date with my wife in the evening, so let's really make a chat happen one Saturday?

nice - tell the wifey hello - hopefully we'll be coming down that way to visit soonish... i'm getting stacy at the airport sat afternoon (i think), but should be avail to talk late moringish

that'd be perfect

btw - have you heard the new david gilmour?? i'm listening now for probably the 100th time

nope - but I just clicked play on spotify wink emoticon

nice to hear folks pushing 70 and putting out some of their best music ever - nite seth - good fb chatting

yes! same here - chat Sat late AM

uhhh.. do I even have you're phone #? buzz me at 323.270.3525 if you're avail to chatter - i should be around for next couple hours

Whoops I ended up working in the yard this am and forgetting about our phone call ... 3104305224

might be easier to meet in person. so since our last chat, i've thought of a couple things - 1) you could just keep http://sethfreeman.getopenproducer.com/ until you're good and ready to point your domain name (like to coincide with your releases); 2) i can't start w/ monthly (i need to presell a few just to keep on this); 3) that said, i can give monies back if it doesn't work out (i will); 4) i can do a referral thing (like possibly 1month free hosting for any referral); 5) other perks/incentives i'm listing here (still drafting, so i'm open to suggestions) http://www.drupalkata.org/getopenproducer/getopenproducer

ring me if you wish to talk