I have to whinge about record labels and music zines for a second. They always want a free CD, a press kit, etc. One site actually had a diatribe about how they don’t want to “visit your myspace page.” I read an article somewhere espousing the same thing, and even got sought out by a label asking for one.

I have to say, this is snobbish & insensitive. For one: an artist puts their best foot forward on the myspace page or website. It’s pretty much their demo and press kit all in one place. Convenient for us, convenient for you, too!

My main point though is that these CDs aren’t free. The disc, the case, the artwork, the shipping envelope, and the shipping all cost money. That’s just the parts, not the recording fees, the instruments, the time spent on them. I know there aren’t that many truly starving musos out there, but there aren’t a whole lot who are just going to toss a $5 product on the off chance you might like it. We’re aware you have the intent of doing us a favor, but we have essentially the same thing up on the internet and it’s not costing us a cent (unless it’s on a self-hosted site like this one).

I can completely understand this stuff happening if you’re dealing with them in person, but if the label or the zine is doing their business with you online (or the zine is published online), what do they need a hard copy of the music for?