Comments on: Dove Brothers to change CD prices

By: David Bruce Murray

David Bruce Murray — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:47:41 +0000

A bit of historical perspective might not hurt….
I promoted a concert with Michael English in 1998. At that event, his CDs were priced $20 at the table. He sold out of all he had brought to a crowd of approximately 750. This was ten years ago. Of course, you should keep in mind that the eagerness for his CDs was fueled by the fact that bookstores weren’t stocking his stuff at that time. He was signed to Curb, but a lot of stores were boycotting his products. At the same time, realize the Southern Gospel is often difficult to find at local retail. Some fans will go to a group’s website and order there, but won’t have the time or know how to locate other online sources.

There is still a level of excitement that happens in concert or with a fan who is more interested in creating some sort of relationship with a group. If you’re the sort of person who has the patience and time to shop for the best deal or you’re accustomed to already ordering from a source other than the group, it isn’t going to affect you or the group at all. Those fan were already going that route. If you’re the sort of person who won’t drop $2 in the offering plate at a church concert and borrows CDs from your friends to avoid purchase, it won’t affect you or the group either.

Here’s where it could have an impact. It stands to reason that a price increase of $5 will likely drive a few fans who currently buy direct from the group to other sources. What the DBQ is doing is a bit of a gamble, for sure. Will it drive so many away that the overall profit from online sales is diminished? My gut feeling is that it won’t. If you assume they were clearing $10 per unit before vs. $15 per unit now in profit, they’d have to see a decline of 33% in orders or more for it to have an impact on their bottom line.

It’s simply too convenient for a fan who’s gone to the trouble of finding the group’s website to go ahead and purchase direct while they’re there…and assuming the DBQ has gone to $20 pricing at the concert table ($23 minus the shipping), it’s just way too convenient. People will pay $20 at the concert table for a CD. I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes. The group may not move as many pieces overall, but they can afford it when they’re getting $5 more each time than they were previously.

By: Matt Baker

Matt Baker — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:56:35 +0000

Thanks, Chris White, for your post. It is so easy to criticize DBQ for their change. I for one, am surprised it took this long for someone to do something like this. We should just sit back and let economics do its thing. Either people want it, or they don’t. That means that either people will pay that, or they won’t. End of story. Whether they choose to pay that or not is in their hands. DBQ, as well as every other group, has the right to rise or lower their prices. On a side note, I would much rather pay $23 for a Gospel CD that i know I can listen to without reservation than pay $13 for a secular CD that I will grimace at the content. We sometimes forget that as a ministry, there are still bills to be paid, and salaries, and mouths to be fed. So I can’t say I blame them. But time will tell whether it helps or hurts them. So like I said before, just let economics do its job.

By: Chris White

Chris White — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:30:34 +0000

I never post on these sites but there is a first for everything. As the Dove Brothers A&R director and an officer of Crossroads, I can assure you that this matter has been given thought and reason. #7 mentioned the business model. Well, we have had a little experience with business models over the years and they are like a glass. They can be made and they can be broken. It will not effect table sales, nor pricing on crossroadsmusic.com for hard copy or downloads. Don’t think this will be the only artists in the business to make some price adjustments in today’s economies. How they make them and where they make them, are yet to be seen.

By: Chris Unthank

Chris Unthank — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:16:17 +0000

Just got off the phone with McCray – the $23 cost is NOT the cost at the table. More info on the increase in price will be announced shortly.

By: Seaton

Seaton — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:30:14 +0000

I highly doubt the Dove Brothers are going to charge $23 for a CD at their product table. They may raise their price but as I said in my earlier post, there are already groups charging $17 per CD.

By: Chris Unthank

Chris Unthank — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:14:25 +0000

I haven’t discussed this McCray in anyway – so I don’t know his reasoning behind it – but has anything been mentioned about this possibly being for the online store only? Have prices gone up with table sales as well?

I know McCray – and like Daniel said, he’s no dummy. He knows what he’s doing.

By: Norman Waggoner

Norman Waggoner — Thu, 29 May 2008 01:06:55 +0000

I must question the logic of this move. I do not see other groups following this change. Supply and demand, and competition are still realities. With today’s economy I see the Dove Brothers sales taking a dive.

By: natesings

natesings — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:04:59 +0000

#8- Good to know, thanks! I’ve purchased a monthly special CD from the site but wasn’t aware of the digital albums being available.

By: Bev

Bev — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:57:20 +0000

In response to #7. As I said before it costs more for the artist to travel the many miles that they do. If you were to go to another music venue other then Souther Gospel you would pay much more for the price of a ticket to hear a concert. Where else can you go to hear the word of God being sung? If they charge more per concert and raise their price for CD’s I wouldn’t think twice of not buying a ticket or a CD. They have to make a living too. We as christians should support them or soon they will fade away so to speak.

By: Amy Rogers

Amy Rogers — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:15:22 +0000

That’s possible, I guess. Just adjust the prices to make the same amount of profit on either format, perhaps. All the same, I’m thinking a lot of their biggest fans aren’t interested in downloading music. I’m thinking of the poll on SN forums on how folks listen to their SG – on CDs versus the latest technologies. Sure, you can burn the downloads, but if you asked my dad to go through that process, you would find him pretty frustrated.

And it seems it would hurt product sales at concerts significantly. That said, I agree on the major premise – McCray is no dummy.