Download free with the vinyl release...?

I can't remember which release it was now, but one of the Type LPs had a voucher with a code for a website where you could download the mp3 format of the album.

I've seen this a few times since on other labels and with other artists, but i was just wondering what do folks feel about it?

would you buy more vinyl if you knew you got the mp3 as well, so you could listen to the album on your PC, mp3 player etc without having to convert it from vinyl yourself (which i have to tediously do sometimes)?

if the labels can't afford to offer a free mp3 of the album (or even a free no frills cd-r), would you pay an extra £1 or £2 for the vinyl if you got an mp3 or cd as well?

i'm possibly in a minority of people that like to have an LP, for collectible\sentimental\aesthetic reasons, and a CD\mp3 for the iPod that is welded to my hand when i'm not at home :0), but i'd be interested to gauge the feelings

cheers, Jason

I agree, this would be great if all labels could do this, but the logistical issues (and costs) to get this set up might be hard for smaller labels to handle. You have to think about serving costs, bandwidth, printing unique id keys for each LP sold, inserting those keys into each album, etc. Hopefully though, this process will become easier as it becomes more common.

That said, I no longer buy CDs. To me, they feel sadly disposable and take up a lot space that I would rather have for records. At this point, I buy vinyl and if the release is not available on vinyl, then I buy the release in a digital format.

i totally appreciate the logistics and costs, which was why i pitched the question more towards the punters and specifically suggested the higher retail price to absorb those costs. if the buyer is willing to pay an extra couple of quid (ie fund the overhead of producing a no-frills CDR or mp3 code, which i know has been done on at least one Type LP) would they buy more vinyl?

am i wrong, for example, in saying that i think smaller indie labels could make more profit by selling vinyl copies of albums (with digital or no-frills CD copy of the album), than by selling JUST a CD or JUST an mp3 of the same album. £8.99 for a Type LP is superb value, but so would £10.99 be - still £2 to £10 cheaper than most other LPs i buy.

those indie labels also then retain the cachet/spirit/kudos of selling vinyl releases.

for me at least, if i knew that every vinyl release came with an mp3 of that release i would have no second thoughts about purchasing it. making mp3 files from vinyl is very time consuming and so the allure of using illegal filesharing methods to cut corners is very tempting. unfortunately that method then makes those stolen files temporarily available to the freeloading music-file thieves.

Personally I am all for vinyl+mp3 solution. Regardless of the physical format purchased be it vinyl or cd I am still in "need" of the mp3.

I realize there are logistical issues involved as well as possible financial issues(but do labels realistically think consumers in this day and age will buy the same thing twice?)

Now on the subject of purchasing mp3s I really don't like it. Unless there's a real money saving opportunity or if the release isn't available in cd or vinyl form only then will I resort to purchasing the mp3.
This doesn't apply to smaller eps and the likes ( electronic music for example ) but I still believe the album is/has to be connected with something that one can hold in hand.

Despite being one of the early mp3 adopters I still need this "connection" to the music. We all feed this ambivalence towards music but few of us bother to realize the when why or how?