Josh Freese, former drummer for Nine Inch Nails has come up with an innovative take on "pay what you want". For $7, you can download his new album. For $50, you get the album and a "thank you" phone call. For $1,000 you get the album and he'll come over to do your laundry. The entire list is hilarious and worth reading, check it out here.
This was partially a publicity stunt, but the idea of having multiple price points is a good one. Businesses do this all the time -- it's called merchandising.
Instead of just selling a CD, can you throw in something unique to add value for your fans? How about an acoustic track recorded just for them, a CD-R of studio outtakes, or even a living room concert for different price points? Some "out of the box" thinking can help you create a product that is exciting for your fans, and get them even closer to your music.
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Chris Vinson is the creator of Bandzoogle.com the leading website builder for bands. Before launching Bandzoogle he worked as a web designer for a major record label, building dozens of sites for multi-platinum artists.