Is selling CDs out the trunk dead?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Da Youngsta
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Da Youngsta

Da Youngsta

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Alot of my favorite artists came up and became successful selling CDs out the trunk. Most of them were doing this in the 90's but its 2009 and I really dont hear about new rappers selling out the trunk and it being a success story and being in the south I always saw it as the blueprint.


Three 6 Mafia
Yo Gotti
D Cinn
Master P
MC Hammer
Messy Marv
E-40
50 Cent
Eminem
Ludacris
damn near every rapper in TX...and plenty more niggas sold out the trunk.

Do you think selling out the trunk is dead and do you think that it will continue to work now??
 
I actually think selling music out of your trunk is alive and well, especially, after performing at a club or venue.
 
yes it is... face to face is always a good thing... meeting your fans will always help with exposure, even if you catch'em pump'n gas...lol
 
It depends. Are they buying the cd for your music or because of your hustle? I know of many kats you sold a sht load of blank cds.

funny.. but what I found funny is that I would rather have a blank cd over some hobbyist's mediocre atempt to make an album!


mediocrity.jpg
 
CwF + RtB= $$$

If used properly, it's great.
 
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what if you sold mp3s out of your trunk?
could transfer that ish via bluetooth or wifi, or something similar...
 
sellin cds out the trunk is still relevant but everyones settling for the internet...that just means less competetion on the street...

my last mixtape, i made a nice lil comeup...it would have been harder to do it over the internet...
 
nattwalls said:
what if you sold mp3s out of your trunk?
could transfer that ish via bluetooth or wifi, or something similar...
Click to expand...

That's a crazy idea.
Set up a lil computer or laptop so people can purchase mp3s from your trunk.
 
although to sell via wifi or bluetooth, they would have to have that, and that would limit it a smaller crowd,cause even tho alot of people have, probly more people got cd players or something to play cds...but good idea tho
 
What do you mean by selling out of the trunk?

Do you mean selling directly to fans or dropping stuff off at stores yourself rather than going through a distributor?

I personally think its impossible unless you have another source of income and aren't dependent on getting sales to pay your bills or press up more.

In TX, the only time we sold directly to the consumer was at shows or events like The Kappa Beach party.

If you take the Houston artists out right now, swishahouse, slim, chamillionaire, Paul Wall, who supposedly made alot of money selling out of the trunk. All of them have fallen out of the public eye, but none of them have tried to go back to getting on the road independently except for chamillionaire

At the beginning of 09 he tried to hit the road again and start dropping mixtapes like in 98-99, but after trying it and not making any money he completely called it quits from the mixtape game. Its just too costly when you go on the road to sell cd's.

A big part of people not doing this is the internet. Back in the 90's there was no mp3 and not even cd burners so fans could only get the music at certain places. Another aspect to the problem is the price of gas. Gas was 90 cent in tx in the late 90's.

And remember back then it was like a drought as far as how many rappers there were so when its a drought you can take "work" to other cities make money. Now the market is so saturated that there is pretty no city with a void to fill. Every city has their own rappers trying to push their own movement.
 
I think the "out the trunk" approach is alive and well, honestly, but it also depends on what you mean by "work"...


I think it will "work" in the sense that it'll allow you to build that personal relationship with each individual customer, as well as do some "market research"...see what they want, don't want, etc.


But as far as making it "big" like those other acts? I don't think that'll happen off selling cd's "out the trunk". Because as soon as your music becomes in demand, it'll hit the internet, and your sales will drop.
 
j.troup said:
I think the "out the trunk" approach is alive and well, honestly, but it also depends on what you mean by "work"...


I think it will "work" in the sense that it'll allow you to build that personal relationship with each individual customer, as well as do some "market research"...see what they want, don't want, etc.


But as far as making it "big" like those other acts? I don't think that'll happen off selling cd's "out the trunk". Because as soon as your music becomes in demand, it'll hit the internet, and your sales will drop.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%
 
im in odessa texas and i see it quite a bit, theres even a group of guys that call themeselves o.d.t. for "out da trunk" theres another group that used to drive around in a van with one of those full body stickers that said their name and what not, also you can go to the mall and theres usually someone wondering around outside sellin cds. when and if i ever get a full band going i plan on renting a trailer put our gear on it maybe some banners and just have someone drive us around town playin on it. kinda like a publicity stunt and advertising.
 
I think it would be more effective to sell CD's at a show because a crowd will already be there and the people will be more likely to have money on them for other ish afterwards so they probably could splurge on a CD.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to hit up VistaPrint and make up some business cards with your website where you can download your songs or CD for people that don't want to buy on the spot or want to listen before they buy...

Maybe have the CD bumpin' while you're trying to sell it would be beneficial and help people decide.... don't have a bucket with house speakers in the trunk playing your ish though. Look the part, look successful.

Hell, go to other rappers shows and sell 'em to their crowds... it'll be a Hip Hop crowd and you'll know that beforehand. It'll be better than approaching people at a gas station and having them not be Hip Hop fans...

I wonder if people really listen to the music in those ads on Hip Hop Game, I know I don't but people keep putting them up there... so buy some ad space too I guess.
 
a little something i do on the way to work or class is bluetooth my songs anybody on the train and have my myspace info on the mp3 tag as well as a vocal tag on the songs i send out. lol i made a few freinds on myspace that way, the messaged me sayin oh i got you song on the subway i'm like yea i sent it to you, lol it takes a while but i gained some cool fans that way...just an idea on using technology to get your stuff out
 
nattwalls said:
what if you sold mp3s out of your trunk?
could transfer that ish via bluetooth or wifi, or something similar...
Click to expand...


thats some Star Trek **** for real! Would be some ill **** if you could make it work. Thats thinkin out side of the box.
 
im out the trunk right now as of 3 weeks ago


getting some recognition but few sales


although i'm really just promoting right now im not too worried about sales. mainly just going around with posters and flyers.


just want people to keep seeing my **** and hearing my name

seems to be working because a lot of people are like "oh that! yeah i saw that somewhere before"
 
agivens said:
What do you mean by selling out of the trunk?

Do you mean selling directly to fans or dropping stuff off at stores yourself rather than going through a distributor?

I personally think its impossible unless you have another source of income and aren't dependent on getting sales to pay your bills or press up more.

In TX, the only time we sold directly to the consumer was at shows or events like The Kappa Beach party.

If you take the Houston artists out right now, swishahouse, slim, chamillionaire, Paul Wall, who supposedly made alot of money selling out of the trunk. All of them have fallen out of the public eye, but none of them have tried to go back to getting on the road independently except for chamillionaire

At the beginning of 09 he tried to hit the road again and start dropping mixtapes like in 98-99, but after trying it and not making any money he completely called it quits from the mixtape game. Its just too costly when you go on the road to sell cd's.

A big part of people not doing this is the internet. Back in the 90's there was no mp3 and not even cd burners so fans could only get the music at certain places. Another aspect to the problem is the price of gas. Gas was 90 cent in tx in the late 90's.

And remember back then it was like a drought as far as how many rappers there were so when its a drought you can take "work" to other cities make money. Now the market is so saturated that there is pretty no city with a void to fill. Every city has their own rappers trying to push their own movement.
Click to expand...

you must not be on da south-side, cuz people keep running up to me at the walmart parking lot, and just about every other gas station trying to sell their cd's for five dollars, plus i know cats like z-ro and k-reno that stay hustlin da streets. fondren, hillcroft, south gessner, westpark, scott, cullen, mlk, west airport, bissonett, beechnut, ost, richmond, westheimer, south main are all hot spots on da south-side!
 
I sell out of the trunk. It was super easy cuz where I am no one does that at all.
 
i think yeah.....reason....exposure build a lil buzz in your city...you know hold it down but,,,,yeah there is one.........it all depends on the local music scene of that city.....for peeps to check you....especially if you have collabs on there that they already purchased....theyll be like ok dudes is making moves....its especially good if they like them and then start like ya music.....its all on how things are recieved i think
 
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