Is It Working?
Nashville-based Christian rocker Derek Webb has a simple explanation for why he decided to give away his third studio album, Mockingbird, for free download over the Internet for the next three months.
“Survival,” said Webb, 32, who spent a decade with the group Caedmon’s Call before heading out on his own with Brentwood-based Ino Records, home to acts such as MercyMe and CeCe Winans.
“I’m looking at my career and trying to figure out ways to make it work. I’m trying to embrace the technological tools that are available to me and broaden my mind to every possibility….”
…And Webb reports that merchandise and CD sales doubled on the road following his announcement to give away the album for free download.
John Styll, president of the Nashville-based Gospel Music Association, who has been involved in battling music piracy alongside his peers in the industry over the past few years, said if Webb finds a way to make the model work, he expects other artists and labels to follow suit.
