How many sales do you think an entirely new, heretofore unheard-of song would get if GnR released it on a pay-for-download basis?

[saber_]

How many sales do you think an entirely new, heretofore unheard-of song would get if GnR released it on a pay-for-download basis? Obviously, the song itself would be a major factor determining the outcome. But let's say it's a rockin song with a tasty solo and plenty of rasp. How well would it do on iTunes or Amazon or Google or whatever?

[wasted]

I'm just guessing from what I've picked up.

Hard to say. But I think on average a No. 1 single has to sell 100k, top 10 - 25k. You read stuff like the Spice Girls comeback single failed and only sold 5k in the first week but it charted.

So what does a big band like GNR sell now of a full album, 150-200k in the first week or two. Only big boys like Kanye sell a mil out of the blocks.

So to have a hit it needs to sell 25k of a single. Most likely it will sell 5k?

It's no money spinner at couple of bucks a download?

Lady Gaga was selling her album for 99c just to go No. 1 a few years ago?

A single is a promo tool for the record or even a tour it seems. But in away a single could take away sales from the full album. People cherry pick singles a lot anyway.

Put it this way, if you're a record label, you don't need any help from me to be completely fucked.

[estrangedtwat]

6 billion. Every man woman and child on the planet earth would download that shit in a second and pay like $1000 bucks each cause Guns N Fucking Roses is the greatest band in the history of existence.

[wasted]

Do Sixx Am break the Top 10 of the Hot 100. If so thats 25k.

If not, GNR may not so 5-20k.

[Street Of The Blues]

I think it would sell well and i'd place money on the idea if it came to fruition. Everyone would rather be holding a brand new physical album, but that's a step in the right direction.

[HOOSIER GUNZ]

If it's great art it will reap a great reward.

[Conor]

It won't be long before they start considering Spotify hits and YouTube views on officially released stuff in the charts I'd say, if they don't do that already. I'd imagine a brand new song would cause a bit of a positive stir, probably enough to chart (certainly in the rock charts). No more than any other "big" rock songs of the year though.

[Guest NGOG]

Very few people go out and buy CDs anymore. Axl should abandon traditional ways of releasing music and go the iTunes route. If they put out a digestable single and marketed it right, you're looking at a top 3 place in the rock chart.

[Chewbacca]

If it's a good song, then I think it would sell well, especially if it had that classic guns vibe because that's what most fans want to hear, I would prefer CD stuff, though.

[TeeJay410]

Not even Kanye sells anywhere close to a million. The top 3 artists first week this year were justin timberlake with 900k, eminem with nearly 800k, and drake with nearly 700k. Yeezus did like 200k-300k if I remember.

If GNR hyped the single I believe 100k would be possible and could chart pretty high on a down week. That's a big if though.

[dalsh327]

They have 25 mil likes on Facebook and 1 mil on Twitter, so even if a portion of that buys it, it'll chart and do well.

If they put the song out for sale for a week and a 30 second sample, and Uzi Fugazi LLC does their job as a fan by keeping it off You Tube, should do fine. Prince just puts the songs out there at 88 cents a pop directly from his site, produces, records, and masters it all at the same facility, and he has no major labels to deal with, so it's all profit.

In about a week or two,then the media outlets can put the song out there for people to stream. I think this is the only way people can put out songs and make any money with digital downloads, esp. when they're reluctant to make TV appearances.

[liers]

I think it could be like Alice in chains had with hollow. It did well and still gets played.

[username]

Minimal. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but I do fear there isn't a lot of demand for such a thing outside the hardcore fanbase. To really sell it you'd have to really promote it. Get radio play, make a video etc. If you'd release it without much fuss, it won't do that much I'm afraid.

[Millions]

Around the same as rock bands like Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains or AC/DC managed with recent releases, however much that is. And depending on the style and quality of the song.

[classicguns4life]

Minimal. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but I do fear there isn't a lot of demand for such a thing outside the hardcore fanbase. To really sell it you'd have to really promote it. Get radio play, make a video etc. If you'd release it without much fuss, it won't do that much I'm afraid.

Totally agree. I disagree it would sell similar to bands like Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, or AC/DC. GNR don't nearly have that kind of mainstream fanbase anymore, and thats evident by Chinese Democracy that people nowadays WON'T just buy anything that has the GNR name on it, even though everyone nowadays still knows who GNR is.

For GNR to release a new album and for it to sell well, it would NEED a big single that makes an impact and gets people talking. A video is probably nearly necessary as well, although if they had a big single they could probably get on without the video. Otherwise without those things, I don't think the album would sell well it all. It would be for us hardcores and thats it.

[Roush]

Depends on the song.

Angry, kick ass, "fuck you" rock? 10k. Annoying ballad the forum diehards will give Axl flack for? Maybe 100k.

[classicguns4life]

Depends on the song.

Angry, kick ass, "fuck you" rock? 10k. Annoying ballad the forum diehards will give Axl flack for? Maybe 100k.

If Axl made a seriously kiss ass rock song that was released as a single, it would make an impact in the rock community. Much more than 10k. Again though, it would have to be a really good song though. One of those "GNR is back people!" type songs, which I think Chinese had none of, with the possible exception of the title track.

[Black Sabbath]

I don't pay for digital downloads. I'll never support the format in terms on purchasing content.

If there was a physical single though, I'd probably buy two copies.

[saber_]

I don't pay for digital downloads. I'll never support the format in terms on purchasing content.

If there was a physical single though, I'd probably buy two copies.

Even though I created this thread, I'm not a fan of digital downloads either (on a side note, I hate iTunes because it installs like 5 things on people's computers and puts several things in the startup programs along with having several processes running in the background).

Anyway, I like owning the actual physical media too. I like seeing the artwork.

There is some evidence (comments made by Pittman and Beta) that suggest there's a perception in the GnR camp that there's no money in releasing an album or whatever. To be fair, part of their rationales are accurate. Nonetheless, I think they should test the waters, and a digital download would be an easy, painless way to do it. And to entice people to pay for it, they could offer a discount on concert tickets, or something like that.

[classicguns4life]

There is some evidence (comments made by Pittman and Beta) that suggest there's a perception in the GnR camp that there's no money in releasing an album or whatever. To be fair, part of their rationales are accurate. Nonetheless, I think they should test the waters, and a digital download would be an easy, painless way to do it. And to entice people to pay for it, they could offer a discount on concert tickets, or something like that.

They aren't wrong, but its a dumb point. Musicians should want to make music, and if they are already in a band where they are gonna be making huge money anyway, that should be more of an incentive. The money factor shouldn't really be a factor for musicians, and they are lucky to have skipped that whole process by being in GNR.

If they wanted to make music, they would. The ones in the band that do go off and do it somewhere else because it can never seem to get done in GNR. The others apparently enjoy coasting. But they shouldn't blame it on people and the music business now. People do sell records, but yes they aren't wrong at all that there's not much money in it. Shouldn't effect them though so their argument doesn't help their case. If they had music they wanted to share, they'd never be saying that. Either they'd be more angry or be finding another way to release it.

Also, its kind of sad that from that at least some members of the band really seem to only care about money. Another thing that was never the case with the classic band and makes the new band really seem shitty. This is a fact that real fans have taken into account while the Axl worshippers seem to brush aside and pretend doesn't exist.

Edited December 12, 2013 by classicguns4life

[ARBeast]

How many sales do you think an entirely new, heretofore unheard-of song would get if GnR released it on a pay-for-download basis? Obviously, the song itself would be a major factor determining the outcome. But let's say it's a rockin song with a tasty solo and plenty of rasp. How well would it do on iTunes or Amazon or Google or whatever?

Well, I'd buy it. I bought chinese democracy the day it came out. no regrets there.

Edited December 12, 2013 by ARBeast

[wasted]

Basically a vid costs more than the single would make.

[username]

Basically a vid costs more than the single would make.

Depends. I mean look at a video like PC. It's mostly live images combined with random tour shots. A video like that is relatively cheap to make (most the material is already just there) and a great way of showing a band in full swing.

Edited December 12, 2013 by username

[Crash Diet]

I think it would sell well and i'd place money on the idea if it came to fruition. Everyone would rather be holding a brand new physical album, but that's a step in the right direction.