Pocket Change

New realization today:  When it comes to digital distribution models, monthly download allotment plans are the most helpful to new/unknown bands.

In such a model, the user purchases a pre-determined number of downloads per month, and uses them to freely acquire music available from the site's catalog.  eMusic, for example, has a 45 download per month package which can be used to grab anything from their site, so if you were to download an album with 10 tracks, you would end up with 35 downloads remaining for the month.  The key factor here is that the downloads do not roll over to the next month. So if you have 6 downloads remaining on the last day of the month, it's "use 'em or lose 'em".  Very similar to most cellphone minute plans.

The result of this no-rollover policy is that if it's two days before your downloads are refreshed, and you've still got a dozen or so sitting around, you are likely to just grab something - anything - to avoid feeling as though you wasted money.  In that moment of consumer desperation, you'll be much more willing to grab that new indie album you've heard about.  Or that experimental jazz record you've been meaning to check out but couldn't justify with other more "practical" choices available.  Such a justification is much harder when you've got to break out the credit card for each new acquisition. 

This leftover pocket change is not enough to make every unknown band famous, but it just might give a few of them a chance to reach the next level.