TasDom Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Sounds like fun and a great idea For your website consideration: ***If you are dissatisfied for any reason, please let me know and "I'll rip you a new one" 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finallygotmyheresies Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 I'd be happy to send you some CDs. I'm interested to compare your product with my current files. PM sent 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 website is done-ish. waiting for some feedback from the marketing chick at my day-job. should have hardware sometime this week and be ready to do some small batches by next week. I've got FGMH signed up to test things out and I can take on two additional 25 CD test batches at this time, shoot me a PM if you're interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 User Finallygotmyheresies, above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Starting to do the math and my killer rate sucks for profit margins. I continue to research competitors and from what I can tell my service is equivalent to their "premium" service tiers, which averages around $1.30/disc. For a 100 CD order from a customer in NY, via UPS and $10/CD insurance, which includes mailing empty shipping supplies and shipping the final job order: @ $.60 per disc I make $6.84 (per job). @ $1.30 per disc I make $76.84 (per job). So what's your pain point for this type of service? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) $47 is the cost of shipping an almost empty box and to return the CD's and USB drive. Currently the customer would cover the cost of the initial CD shipment to me. Is it more attractive to: .. increase the per disc rate in order to cover those costs? .. or have the customer cover initial CD shipment and return shipping? .. or charge a flat shipping fee of $30-ish for every job? Edited January 19, 2015 by Thaddeus Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eth2 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 .. or have the customer cover initial CD shipment and return shipping It is all psychological but I always think I am getting a better deal at a lower cost + shipping. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 removing the CD/USB shipping costs (i would still provide the shipping materials to ensure consistency) would make my current pricing structure much more viable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 If you had on hand a bulk cd blank, ready to be burned, then it is a matter to get the USB drive to you plus insert artwork. You could charge a built-in cost for the cd's you had on hand. The more that could be done by sending art/music(?) over the computer has to be a good thing for both parties? Not trying to make more complicated than it is already, as I have limited knowledge of the process. Standardizing would be nice but not always possible. Some may want this or that, like using their own cd blanks. Custom order customers? As for me, until I get our new computer tower up and running, USB drive not handy. I am happy with just ordering from someone my list of music albums which would come in at a lower cost than amazon for instance. Simple name of artist on label, no artwork, just music. Yes, you have to make enough profit to make it work and yes, outlay for cd blank inventory is a startup outlay of capital. Hope I have not gone into the weeds too far. If so, you should know to ignore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Starting to do the math and my killer rate sucks for profit margins. I continue to research competitors and from what I can tell my service is equivalent to their "premium" service tiers, which averages around $1.30/disc. For a 100 CD order from a customer in NY, via UPS and $10/CD insurance, which includes mailing empty shipping supplies and shipping the final job order: @ $.60 per disc I make $6.84 (per job). @ $1.30 per disc I make $76.84 (per job). So what's your pain point for this type of service? The profits will start when you already have most of the CD's ripped and ready to go. You are not going to rip a CD when it is already done and on your server. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 I'm not creating music CD's guys.. I'm taking yours and converting them to computer based music. So if you've got the 1984 version of Pink Floyd's DSotM on CD - that's what you get in return, along with your original discs. It's the only way to keep this in legal accordance to US copyright law. There may be ways to increase efficiencies in the future, but I'm not sure what those are yet. I'm getting great feedback and advice from multiple people offline and it's a big help to narrow my focus more and more - so thank you all for helping me out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Copyright law is based on the "Mesmionic Fog of uncommon sense". There are very few lawyers who have an understanding of it. Anyway that's my .02 cents. Best of luck, JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 I can't legally retain copies of the music if I don't have possession of the physical media. Pretty simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I can't legally retain copies of the music if I don't have possession of the physical media. Pretty simple. Good answer. Memorize it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I think doing this to generate spare $$ is possible at 60 cent a disk with owner supplying the drive and shipping to and from, I do not think this is much of a viable business where you have overhead expenses at 60 cent a disc, and if you get much higher on cost now you are competing with established companies, I would INSIST on insurance for return shipping I also dont see shipping the discs without art work as an issue in 90+ percent of the cases you would encounter, shipping would be much less expensive if you simply had the customer place the discs in a cd wallet That they supply and then you perform the service and return the discs in the same manner especially if you put a 100 disc limit per order Just my 02 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I would not get into offering different levels of service (basic vs. premium). Do it right and the best possible! Set fee per disk and keep shipping separate. Your actual shipping cost will be different every time after all. I hate it when there is a set shipping rate that I know is screwing me. I would not mail shipping supplies to the customer... that is a waste of time and money when they could buy the materials and have it in the mail to you already. Personally, I think you are pretty nice to be willing to do this for 60 cents per CD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Crunching the numbers and I have to tier the pricing, but it will be based on volume and not services offered. It also seems that most competitors provide a shipping kit and that its the only real way to ensure quality control for shipping. I've learned a lot over the last three days. :| Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Alright guys - I'm live. I've still got one more 25-disc "beta" slot open. Otherwise start ordering! http://www.tunestransfer.com - Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Looks like a nice professional web site, Good Luck with the endeavor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Thanks Joe. Everyone's support and input has been helpful as I give shape to this idea and I'm very grateful for everything you guys have "invested" in me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.