So...who actually has it? And how did you get it? (Im aware the only way now is to get it off of eBay, but I'm confused on how promo CD's work) :confused:

Got mine off Discog's, but there are a few up on eBay right now.

Not sure what you mean by asking how promos work, you mean how much you should pay, conditions, etc?

So...who actually has it? And how did you get it? (Im aware the only way now is to get it off of eBay, but I'm confused on how promo CD's work) :confused:

 

 

This is how they work:

Record companies in the UK (and some other countries) would issue promotional copies of forthcoming singles as a marketing tool to media outlets like the press, tv and radio. This gave them the opportunity to announce or play the next artists single in advance in the press and papers or on the radio.

For record companies it meant keeping their artists in the spotlight and getting valuable air time to keep sales up of the artists latest single and album. As most fans already had the latest album, the record companies will sell singles with alternative b sides or tracks depending which format you purchase.

 

In the US, sales of singles is less relevant hence why you can only find certain b sides / tracks in the UK (and some other countries) but companies will send promo copies to media outlets to gain radio airplay and hope to sell the album instead.

 

In the heyday of the single, where singles would sell 50,000+ copies in the shops. The number of promo copies is tiny in comparism which made the promo version quite rare. Nowadays, less companies are selling hard copies of singles. Nevertheless, a promo copy is still valuable because it's not available to the public and the only place to get a hard copy (Not digital). So the public has to find it's own promo copy elsewhere.

 

Since the birth of the internet, the lucky people who don't want their promo copy can sell them on sites like e-bay etc. Surplus stock can also make their way onto the net for sale.

Ah ok, thanks guys :nice:

 

I just see all these guys with promo CD's and I can never find them here in the US but i want to get them :P

You gotta use markets like eBay, GEMM, musicstack, eil, and other online shops. When independent music shops were more prevelant, pro's were easy to find locally (or through mail order), but shopping for them online is virtually a 'must' now.

Are there specific ones you're looking for? I can send some links your way if I come across them in my searches. :-)

Aww thanks :nice: I found the Fix You and Talk Vinyl Singles for a reasonable price, but I dont have any money and there's only 3 listings on eBay currently and they're above $20 :wreck: