This week the Soundtrack to Juno bounded to number one on the charts. A measly 65k units is all it took. Not great for a #1, but these days, its a great total for any theatrical soundtrack. Which raises a question. If a best selling soundtrack sells about 100k units, and 99pct of the rest sell under 10k units, is selling a soundtrack the best use of the music ?
I think not. Whether sold digitally or by CD, the reality of today's music and theatrical release market is such that music from movies would generate more total dollars for everyone if it were given away with the purchase of a movie ticket.
To release a major motion picture theatrically these days costs a lot of money. Not only does it cost a lot of marketing dollars to release a movie, not a single movie company in this country has any idea which money that it spends really drives people to theaters. Thats a problem. So where does music fit in ?
One way to entice people to get off the couch and attend more movies is to increase the value to customers. The most cost effective opportunity to increase value is to give away items to theater goers that have a very high perceived value, but a very lost cost of distribution.
Enter music.
How many people are going to rush out and buy the Soundtrack to the new Rambo movie ? But riddle me this. How many more people would go to the movie if they knew that their movie ticket stub had a code to unlock a free download of the movie's soundtrack ? Or if they bought a ticket online in advance of the release, they could download the soundtrack right from the online ticket site ?
Talk about a possible win win. Music publishers would make far more money getting paid a lump sump or for every song downloaded by ticket buyers than they would from sales of the soundtrack. The total cost per song to the studios would be a fraction of their marketing budgets and probably only in the thousands of dollars. The incentive to consumers to buy movie tickets, lets just say it would certainly be more than without the music.
And there is no reason to stop there. Why not offer downloads of the script to people who have already seen the movie (meaning the download of the script would start a couple months after the movie was released). It could be for free with a ticket stub code, or could be sold for a couple bucks per download without. Again, its just more value to the consumer, without much cost to the studio.
Bottomline, is that anything that can be delivered digitally as a download could be bundled into the value of a movie ticket and delivered from the ticketing site, the studio or from the theater's website. The cost to deliver a song, script or even video (like what you might find as extras on a dvd) digitally is nominal relative to the marketing investment required to get people to the theater.
Why not ?
Music and Movies - Give Away the Soundtrack
Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. Since you're going to give it away for free, why not just put the code on the movie's web site too. The minute the unlock code hits the web everyone will be downloading the music without having to see the movie anyway.
Posted at 12:52PM on Feb 1st 2008 by Michael
3. Mark,
I think this is a good idea. I personally never go to movies anymore. I can usually get the DVD through Netflix within a few months and watch it in the comfort of my home, instead of shelling out $20-30 at the movie theater and deal with crying babies, no way to pause the movie, and uncomfortable seats.
5. How about going the McDonalds Monopoly Game route - give each moviegoer a scratch-off slip where they have a very small chance to win a million bucks, and then if you don't win the grand prize you still get some downloadable consolation prize such as soundtrack downloads, ringtones, wallpapers, and so forth.
Seems to work for Mickey D's, as it seems folks flock there during the Monopoly game. Maybe have a collect-and-win feature for movies from the same studio (Warner Bros. Bucks) or something like that? Cross-promote movies that way?
Posted at 1:21PM on Feb 1st 2008 by Brad
7. I think it's a great idea, but as the one poster said, if it's available online, tons of people will just download it for free somehow and never bother to go to the movies.
The problem with the movies are many of the theatres aren't that clean, are kind of rowdy at times or just plain empty and depressing. That and half the movie theaters aren't up to par with the latest and greatest technologies. And then you realize the fact that a lot of people have 50+ inch HD Tv screens, surround sound audio systems, and so on and the theater is just not as attractive as it once sounded.
The idea of a free download is nice, but people will find a way to steal it without ever going to the movies. I'd say they need to push the IMAX kind of experience. Or maybe make some other kind of movie experience. Make it some kind of event like it used to be. There are too many other options these days and sometimes things need to evolve and change. Most people don't go to the movies just to go to the movies anymore.
The old drive thru movies were events. It was more about hanging out, hooking up, and so on compared to having to see some movie. if the movie was great, great, if not, at least you had fun or hoped to have fun. I missed most of the drive thru era as it was before my time. But I caught the tail end of a few of them and knew a lot of older kids back in the day who spent time there. It was more than just the movies.
I also heard from parents and relatives who loved the drive thru movie theaters. I remember going to see The Thing, Tron, and some other cartoon like movie all in one night. It was an event. Yeah i was only a kid, but I remember that event and those movies more than I remember going to see Rambo. It was an experience as well as a chance to watch movies.
I heard from grand parents and others that the movies were some kind of event back in their day. It wasn't just a movie. It was a night out, a day out, or a local gathering event. Again, it was an experience.
With most things today, it's wham bam thank you maam and move on to the next event. So why would a lot of people care to go to a movie theater if they have huge HD tvs or have friends who have huge HD TVS that are more impressive and have a better picture quality then many theaters? Unless they start making it a memorable event, the theater will continue to lose it's appeal.
8. "But Wait, There's More!"
Giving away a premium is a great idea and the distribution cost of near zero is even better.
It must work. It has been proven for years at product demonstrations at fairs and mail order tv commercials. Price doesn't seem as high when you get extras.
10. Here in Austin we have Entertainment Weekly's #1 movie theater in America called Alamo Drafthouse. I think the experience of the movie theater isn't what it once was. As people have stated, there are more advanced home theaters than ever before. The Alamo Drafthouse is an experience...it's a Drive-In without the crackling window mounted speaker. It's a restaurant with an excellent menu, great drinks on tap and great movies to choose from.
http://www.drafthouse.com/
My point isn't to gush over The Drafthouse. My point is that this is a movie experience you can't get at home. It is something that is more than just watching a movie...we actually get excited to get out of the house and have dinner & a movie (at the same time). The extra content seems like a great idea but at the same time it seems a bit gimmicky.
Unless the soundtrack has original content (Bodyguard, Lion King, Titanic, Men In Black, etc) then it is essentially just a compilation or greatest hits album. I could spend a few minutes compiling them myself through itunes if I wanted. The Juno soundtrack, for example, seems to want to promote some new or underground artists. For an indie band wanting to launch its career from a soundtrack, the downloadable content makes a little more sense. The other hope from the movie company is that you go and see a movie (or rent one for that matter) they have your money, and then afterwards you might be willing to shell out some additional cash for a CD with some tunes you heard in the movie. How many people went out and bought the Top Gun Soundtrack after hearing "Take My Breath Away" in the movie.
11. Several things here.
1. Price is the only reason I don't go to the theaters. Last week we were out shopping and rather than go to see a movie in the same parking lot, we rented 5 movies. 5 movies for $20 for 5 days or 1 movie for 3 kids and 2 adults at $36. Easy choice. Even if you had the soundtrack there.
2. The best invention yet is the CC purchase kiosk on the wall. For those of you who don't know, it is that screen on the wall with no line right next to the line of 100 people waiting to buy tickets from the box office booth.
3. Don't give away the soundtrack, just make it easily available at a discounted price. Either on Fandango, or via kiosk at the theater. Of course this is strangely familiar to the electronic download kiosks at B&N or Borders that I'm still waiting for. But the key is "EASY TO OBTAIN". People will pay for what is easy, don't give it to them free.
4. 2 years ago one of your posts asked for product suggestions. I suggested a hard drive in the car to pause and record live radio. Plus a jack for ipods/pda/mp3's, and sync jack to load my home music. You blew the idea off saying that you just record/download the podcasts on your PC then put them on your mobile unit. Check out the commercials for new cars lately? 1 sale to 1 manufacturer and it'd be golden.
Posted at 3:11PM on Feb 1st 2008 by Pat Crofoot
12. Add value, increase margin.
How much revenue comes from sound tracks compared to the box office or rentals? Probably less than 1%, but add the sound track for free and charge an extra 5% to the ticket price. $10 to $10.50 won't stop me from going to a movie.
Posted at 4:00PM on Feb 1st 2008 by Kyle
13. good idea for giving a boost/incentive to see a movie at the box office instead of waiting for dvd/download/tv-ondemand (which is easier now that theater to home video windows are shrinking).
another outside the box idea, related to movie theaters, the nba, and audiences:
put mavericks games on one screen in every city's landmark theatre -- live in HD -- when the mavs play against each city's local team, or better yet, playoff games of local teams with landmark theatres in their city. advertise the initial simulcast as a groundbreaking nba/sporting event during the ad time before every movie in landmark theatres for weeks in advance. see what happens. work out how to split revenue with the nba and tv networks and the theatre, and you've got a new window/promotion for your team and the nba.
i wonder how many people would go to a landmark theatre to see the nba allstar game this year in HD on the big screen. based on a random sampling -- how most of us need to perform a jedi mind trick just to look away when checking out the biggest HD screens at best buy -- i'd guess theaters would be sold out, as long as promotion was solid.
the new york metropolitan opera may be onto something:
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hd_events.aspx
Posted at 4:09PM on Feb 1st 2008 by db
14. Great idea, agree. The music and movie industries need kicked in the balls. New value adds, delivery & marketing methods...new, or improved business models...
Posted at 4:09PM on Feb 1st 2008 by Nathan
15. You are a genius. Don't mind the naysayers. There are still people who don't own computers. There are still people-like me-who like to see a good movie in the movie theatre-esp if it has a good soundtrack. Free is the greatest word in the english language. I say go for it. I would love to be able to just have the script and the soundtrack maybe even before I see the movie. Then I would know what is coming and appreciate the delivery without concentrating on what they are saying. It is all about appreciating the details. Alot of people don't. But for the people who do-the people who know what is good and influence the people who don't-it could make a difference.
Posted at 4:32PM on Feb 1st 2008 by Noella Fay
16. Soundtracks often served as a way to get a 'greatest hits' album with a fresh version of one or two of your favorite songs. Aren't most soundtracks just a nostalgia 'mix'? On that basis, these albums aren't much of an attraction, indeed, not enough to launch (budget for) a 'coded' offer via the ticket stub. If anything, the soundtrack appeals to someone who likes the musical groups on the tracks. So maybe, the best hook-up is buyers of the soundtrack can obtain free/cheap downloads of other music by those same artists, and maybe a coupon for HDNet.
17. Playing devil's advocate:
Because if it's DRM-free, then everyone will get their mitts on it as soon as it hits the web, whether they buy a ticket or not. For this to work, you would have to protect it somehow.
In some ways, this is almost the REVERSE of where things are going: Give it away on the web, then charge to get in the show (or screening in this case).
But you're definitely on to something. Bundle it together some way, leveraging the pre-existing marketing effort to drive people to the theaters.
18. Interesting idea, but it wouldn't get me or most of my friends into any more movies than we currently attend (I believe we represent a pretty decent cross-section of the mainstream movie-goers that this move would attempt to cater to). Being that soundtracks aren't selling well, I see the point that it is a way to leverage a fairly worthless product to get a few more people into theaters. However I don't believe it would have a noticeable affect. If the soundtracks can't sell well on their own merit, I doubt it is going to entice somebody to get off their ass, and spend $15 to see a movie that they probably have little interest in anyway. Just because you like Drowning Pool, doesn't mean you have any interest whatsoever in seeing Rambo.
Posted at 5:08PM on Feb 1st 2008 by Dan
19. Mark,
Love the idea about the soundtrack and other things for the give away. The problem lies with the funding of the things you intend to give away as extras. Movies are not cheap, neither is recording, mixing and getting the music into the hands of the producer of the film. I really like all the people who "claim" that media should be fixed or revamped or free or whatever....obviously these people sit in cubicles and have no idea of the media "business".
Once something has a Zero value to the consumer its a race to the bottom. We're already seeing it and hearing it with the acceptance of MP3 as the industry standard for audible delivery. Whats next....accepting shit home video as the standard for feature film? Ooops...I'm sorry...I did see Cloverfield! Its already begun...the youtube generation has spoken and accepted mediocrity as the standard for the future of media and entertainment.
How Boring!
Posted at 5:10PM on Feb 1st 2008 by david geertz
20. Your idea is good. However the typical film-making decision makers are rarely, if ever, even smart enough to include the soundtrack with the DVD release (even with plenty of room to spare on a second "extra" DVD). Given the avoidance of this effortless distribution, nothing makes me think your idea would ever happen.
1. Stop thinking sensibly Mark, its not healthy. Imagine that acting pro-actively finding solutions instead of reactively suing the people you're trying to profit from! Of course you and I work in Sales, and realize you can sell anything as long as you have a valid product. What the recording and film industry have to realize is that there product architectures arent as valid as they once were.
Anyways, Rajon Rondo took it to you last night. He is the real deal, but wont get the Chris Paul treatment because he does it on the D side. It'll be even more exciting a month from now in Dallas when KG comes back! Any extra tickets?!?
Posted at 12:33PM on Feb 1st 2008 by Carl Spackler