Best Buy exclusive

[D]

What happens, I believe is, Chains all across order X amount of albums.

Whatever don't sell, they basically return for credit.

So GNR could ship 3 million albums, have 1 million sell and then guess what? almost 2 million get sent back.


With an Exclusive, Best Buy agree to X amount of albums. Basically, lets say they agree to buy 3 million albums. The album then becomes theirs to do whatever.

If they want to sell half to other retailers, they can, if they want to put them in the parking lot and start bonfires with them, they can.

It guarantees basically that GNR profit from 3 million copies of the album thus turning a HUGE profit for the label and themselves without any risks of a flop.

Now, how royalties and all that shakes out, I have no idea. I don't know if its a one time flat fee for all the albums and Best Buy keep whatever profit, or if standard Royalties type stuff still applies.

[sofine11]

Sure would be lovely if something official was announced.

[Verse Chorus Verse]

If you buy a CD from Best Buy, you are the new OWNER of such material. And if you want sell it for more or less thats your right and legal.  Otherwise if Best Buy owned all rights to it, you would be basically leasing the cd from them.  They might have the exclusive distribution rights, but once an owner gets it there rights are done as it has been distributed. If best Buy wants to deter people from doing that, they would put a limit up like 5 on the albumn.

There is no way a 2nd degree Law Student could think Best Buy could sue anyone for buying a cd from them and reselling it,

Also you can buy a $20 ticket to an event and sell it for $100, its US State laws that determine that, if you are in Ohio USA and the event is in Michigan USA you can sell the ticket for whatever you want as you are not in michigan. Check Ebay they will tell you all the resale values.

Yeah, if you couldn't resell a CD, you wouldn't be allowed to sell your used CDs on Amazon or to a music store.

[overmatik]

What happens, I believe is, Chains all across order X amount of albums.

Whatever don't sell, they basically return for credit.

So GNR could ship 3 million albums, have 1 million sell and then guess what? almost 2 million get sent back.


With an Exclusive, Best Buy agree to X amount of albums. Basically, lets say they agree to buy 3 million albums. The album then becomes theirs to do whatever.

If they want to sell half to other retailers, they can, if they want to put them in the parking lot and start bonfires with them, they can.

It guarantees basically that GNR profit from 3 million copies of the album thus turning a HUGE profit for the label and themselves without any risks of a flop.

Now, how royalties and all that shakes out, I have no idea. I don't know if its a one time flat fee for all the albums and Best Buy keep whatever profit, or if standard Royalties type stuff still applies.

So if this is the way it works I think that exclusive sales like this only works when the retailer is sure that the album will sell well, or they wouldn't buy a lot of copies.

[jarmo]

D just took a number from some gossip site.

Maybe not the most reputable source of GN'R information...






/jarmo

[King Axl]

Looks like they are gonna release all 3 albums now....

I agree on this.....my local Best Buy told me told me two weeks ago that Chinese Democracy was going to be three discs. I immediately thought, "box set", but Jarmo shot that down. Later a local radio station claimed that was going to be one CD and perhaps two DVD's, but to anyone who's not a hardcore fan like us, that's a tough selling point.

Wouldn't most of us feel a little disappointed if fifteen years of waiting resulted in a single CD?

When the Illusion records were released in '91, Guns N' Roses made history by becoming the first artist EVER to put out two seperate albums on the same day under the band name (Kiss' solo records in 1978 were just that...solo records).

I think we're looking at history again, guys. A simultaneous release of three seperate albums.

Once again, Guns N' Roses make music history.
 

[GunnerOne 84]

There is no way, in today's music environment and economy, that they would try that.

[alejoyp]

Looks like they are gonna release all 3 albums now....

I agree on this.....my local Best Buy told me told me two weeks ago that Chinese Democracy was going to be three discs. I immediately thought, "box set", but Jarmo shot that down. Later a local radio station claimed that was going to be one CD and perhaps two DVD's, but to anyone who's not a hardcore fan like us, that's a tough selling point.

Wouldn't most of us feel a little disappointed if fifteen years of waiting resulted in a single CD?

When the Illusion records were released in '91, Guns N' Roses made history by becoming the first artist EVER to put out two seperate albums on the same day under the band name (Kiss' solo records in 1978 were just that...solo records).

I think we're looking at history again, guys. A simultaneous release of three seperate albums.

Once again, Guns N' Roses make music history.
 

Jarmo said that Chinese Democracy is a single cd... maybe they release CD n' two differents albums... (three "singles" cd's) 

I think Axl plan is release the different cd's separate by years... I can't wait to hear The general n' is supossed to be in the third record!

[King Axl]

There is no way, in today's music environment and economy, that they would try that.

When the Illusion records came out, a Bush was in the White House. The economy sucked.

Today, a Bush is in the White House, and the ecomomy sucks.

What's the difference?

A simultaneous release of three new Guns N' Roses albums is what this music industry and this economy NEED.

Nobody says you'd have to buy them all at the same time.

[acompleteunknown]

When the eagles released their album exclusively to walmart...they had two versions.  a hardcover version with extra songs and a regular version.  and you can now buy both versions on ebay.  you could also buy the songs digitally from the eagles site.

not sure if ac/dc is doing the same thing.  well...obviously no digital sales....but about multiple packagings.

[Shoeboy517]

I don't know that 3 million copies necessarily guarantees a huge profit for the label; it isn't as though Best Buy is paying sticker price.   Three things I wonder about:


How many copies did Best Buy actually agree to buy?

Does the onus of promoting the album now fall on the shoulders of the retailer?

After the Best Buy has sold off its inventory, does it maintain exclusive rights?

Sorry if any of these have been posted.  66 pages, sheesh...

[destry rides again]

Wouldn't most of us feel a little disappointed if fifteen years of waiting resulted in a single CD?

No, not at all. Disappointed is going to be the furthest word from my mind when I'm buying Chinese Democracy, buddy.

[ben9785]

I don't know that 3 million copies necessarily guarantees a huge profit for the label; it isn't as though Best Buy is paying sticker price.   Three things I wonder about:


How many copies did Best Buy actually agree to buy?

Does the onus of promoting the album now fall on the shoulders of the retailer?

After the Best Buy has sold off its inventory, does it maintain exclusive rights?

Sorry if any of these have been posted.  66 pages, sheesh...

Let me try to answer;
1. I don't think we can get a definite answer as to how many copies they buy, unless somebody comes out and talks about the deal or there is an "insider"
2. About promotion of the album, I wouldn't say its the sole responsibility of the retailer. The band can promote their new album, and the retailer can promote their exclusive position in distributing the album
3. The exclusive rights depends on the terms of the contract, I'd say that after a period of time though other retailers or small music stores would source their own copies of the album for resale anyway.

[gcluskey]

Just saw an advert on TV for AC/DC's new album out Friday. I hope GnR do a TV advert for Chinese Democracy...Out Sunday!

[LunsJail]

What happens, I believe is, Chains all across order X amount of albums.

Whatever don't sell, they basically return for credit.

So GNR could ship 3 million albums, have 1 million sell and then guess what? almost 2 million get sent back.


With an Exclusive, Best Buy agree to X amount of albums. Basically, lets say they agree to buy 3 million albums. The album then becomes theirs to do whatever.

If they want to sell half to other retailers, they can, if they want to put them in the parking lot and start bonfires with them, they can.

It guarantees basically that GNR profit from 3 million copies of the album thus turning a HUGE profit for the label and themselves without any risks of a flop.

Now, how royalties and all that shakes out, I have no idea. I don't know if its a one time flat fee for all the albums and Best Buy keep whatever profit, or if standard Royalties type stuff still applies.

So if this is the way it works I think that exclusive sales like this only works when the retailer is sure that the album will sell well, or they wouldn't buy a lot of copies.

Not necessarily.  Something like this gets people talking about the retailer and more importanly, gets people in their stores.  So even if they take a loss on the album, they make up for it with all the people who went in to buy CD and came out with a TV also.  It's called a loss leader and I know has been discussed already in this thread.

[HoldenCaulfield]

I know that at Walmart, they've taken on pretty much all of the promotional aspects of the AC/DC record. They're doing tv/in-store adverts, an in-store "Rock Shop" with Rock Band 2 and AC/DC t-shirts and cd's. I would say promotion is put into the contract. What good would having an ultra exclusive if you weren't gonna advertise it to the world?

[D]

D just took a number from some gossip site.

Maybe not the most reputable source of GN'R information...






/jarmo

Sorry bout that, I just threw that number out off the top of my head as an example. I would say though for an exclusive though, Best Buy would have to agree to a pretty decent amount, cause GNR and the label really wouldn't benefit from only, let's say 1 million. So u can bet that the number will have to start somewhere at 3 million or higher.

If the 13 million dollar rumor is true on the cost of CD, U figure the label is gonna want to recoup that and then some.

You figure wholesale, Best Buy probably get CD for 5-6 dollars a copy.

So, 3 million times 6 would be 18 million and a nice profit for the label considering they then have 2 more albums already profited for and just pure profit once they are released.

The label is going to make the best deal possible and to alienate other retailers, you figure Best Buy would have to agree to a pretty sizable amount.

[Nightrain7]

Wouldnt gn'r have covered the 13million from touring in 60/07... A concert with 20'000 ppl, say $100 a tickets thats 2million dollars...

[GunnerOne 84]

It depends on what the label's cut was of that money. I would imagine between touring and the GH album, the label probably has its cash back at this point.

[divoz]

I found this on the "Countown to Chinese Democracy" Facebook group so take it for what its worth.

"Best Buy has it in their computer as 11/25/08. i saw it today when i went in cause i asked them to look it up when i heard it was in their system. there were 6 chinese democracy's listed by guns n roses, versions 1-3. the first set of version 1-3 was priced at $13.99 the second set was priced at $19.99"