CD Shipping costs.

[Julio Di Benedetto]

It seems to me shipping cds from the usa across the pond have become quite high, almost the cost of the actual cd being shipped. My own experience is about $10 +- to ship my cds to most of Europe which I actually charge $7 and absorb the loss in the hope to encourage cd sales.

I notice Databloem charges a flat rate of 5 Euros.

So what is the solution......? 

If artists and Labels go to the trouble and expense of producing physical media I would think we would want to do whatever to promote and not deter people by high shipping costs.....Is get a European distributer the answer? 

If you feel to please share your experiences.

Thanks.

[drone on]

I sent one CD to UK airmail and it was almost $14.  This is absolutely CRIMINAL!!  but then again the US government is criminal including our president so it doesn't surprise me.  They spend trillions on military and trillions disappear unaccounted for and they've more than DOUBLED the international rate from a couple years ago.  It used to be about $6.  Now when I sell music on Discogs, I hardly get international buyers.  If I do get an order outside the US, I feel bad and almost guilty, and wonder if they think I'm just ripping them off.  If they want it registered it's an extra $12!!!  So that's $26.  Oh and don't forget the bubble mailer $1.50.   I only pay around $10-$12 for registered when I order outside US.  Regular airmail is about $7 to US on average.  I wonder what the government explanation is for these outrageous charges.  I asked USPS staff and they don't know why. 

[Julio Di Benedetto]

I had not thought it through as much as you drone on.....the government aspect.  I know for a long while the post office has hurt due to emails, people rarely send written letters anymore but parcel post seems healthy and I believe its still cheaper than any other international options, DHL, UPS & Fedex, though I must say I have not check, need to do that.

Its a truly magical moment when I get a sale of my music, digital or physical and Im always touched when a purchase comes from Europe because I know the extra money involved in acquiring this music in physical format.

Cd's are far from dead but the current international shipping cost from the US are very detrimental to the compact discs already dwindling popularity.

[Scott M2]

I read some years back that the US postal rates (particularly international) went crazy to support 75-years-in-advance pension plans for employees enforced by congress. Apparently it's a back-door approach to destroying the union (and perhaps the post office itself) making large private companies like fedex more competitive, since the post office was supposed to be non-profit. I did a quick search and found one article about it.

http://www.truth-out.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=3190:postal-workers-the-last-union

[drone on]

That's what I figured.  It's called the corporate takeover of America.  After Obama has let all the terrorists in, the physical takeover by terrorists via the NWO isn't far behind.  So mailing CDs won't be a concern.  Don't know why I never thought of this.

[thirdsystem]

Yep it's expensive and becoming an issue. Will probably be the same the other direction also, especially with the exchange rate.

Tidal Pool order shortly though Julio 

[jdh]

Yes,shipping costs are all over.I actually find from the UK to USA or Canada is not too bad.Europe is quite expensive.USA to Canada is very high.I have shipped within the USA ( as I am there often) and it is very competitive.You can mail a giant box full of heavy items for $15.That same box to Canada is $70.What is odd is that same box can go to .5 KM of the border for $15,go .7 KM across the border,$70.

One more reason I only do downloads (if I can) is to save on shipping.Then you have currency exchange which no one seems to talk about.So while an artist in the UK charges in pounds or an artist in the USA charges in USD ( which makes sense since they live there) with exchange it becomes way more money depending on where you live.

[SunDummy]

Don't get me started on ePackets, the subsidized shipping from China and Hong Kong to the US.  If you're a big company like eBay, you get to negotiate super-cheap shipping rates, which the rest of us subsidize. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/09/12/the-postal-service-is-losing-millions-a-year-to-help-you-buy-cheap-stuff-from-china/

http://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abn/y11/m08/i31/s02

http://shippingsidekick.com/index.php/news/view/450

[Julio Di Benedetto]

I shipped out 2 cd's yesterday from Florida.....one to Oregon, usa for $2.50 and one to the uk for $13.50. Over the pond is airmail, jet fuel and all thet....does mail to the west coast of the usa go by road?

A week or so ago when I shipped out cd's to europe it was $10.20 and now it s $13.50.  What the......!  This is ridiculous. Now shipping is more than the actual general cost of a retail cd.

Hopefully I can find a europe distro so no one has to pay these insane shipping costs.

[ffcal]

Julio,

How about CD Baby?  Their rates for International Regular Air Mail don't look too bad:

http://www.cdbaby.com/shipping

Forrest

[Julio Di Benedetto]

Hi Forrest,

I do have a cdbay account but the only music available there is my first electronica cd back from 2009.  Never put more up there as Im not fond of the 30 second music clips and consequently I hardly ever buy music from cdbay myself....thank you for the thought!

Im talking to Dennis at Databloem and when things with him are in place I will announce the link it.  This should help keep shipping cost down for anyone in Europe.

[APK]

Julio.

Dennis at Databloem is a good and trustworthy guy.

You know, he and I started Databloem together many years ago.
I sold the releases in North America and he sold them in Europe.
He eventually wanted to open a general web store for selling other label's releases as well,
and so we went our own ways, he with Databloem as a more general store, and me with the
DataObscura CDr sub-label we had created. But we have always been in contact, and he stocks
all the new DataObscura albums I release.

[Julio Di Benedetto]

I do recall back in the old Hypnos forum days that that the two of you work together and then went on to operate separate labels.

Ive heard many speak well of Dennis.

Thanks.

[drkappa]

I used to import quite a lot of CDs from the US (e.g. Hypnos, Timeroom, Spotted
Peccary) to the UK,  but I've been back in the UK almost a year and I don't think
I've made any purchase from the US for CDs.

It goes the other way too.  Sending greetings cards recently I was stunned by the
cost: GBP 2.25.

[Julio Di Benedetto]

This came in my email from 12k yesterday......

New International Shipping Rates

Some of you may have noticed that in January prices on international shipping for CDs and vinyl from our shops jumped dramatically. Frustratingly, on January 17th the US Postal Service (USPS) flat-out doubled the rates for international shipping. Overnight. Just like that.

A single CD went from $6.55 shipping to almost $13.00. Sadly, we had no option but to follow along and watch as the USPS continued to make running small businesses more and more difficult. However, the very thin silver lining of these new prices is that due to the rate scaling it costs as much to ship one CD as it does 4 CDs.

As a result, we have implemented a flat-rate of $12.50 on all CD orders, no matter how many you order. 1 CD still costs $12.50 to ship, but so does 5, or 10, or 45... all a flat rate of $12.50 from us.

While single-CD shipping is still somewhat pricey, we hope that with the ordering of multiple items the pain of postage is somewhat lessened.

In a climate where labels struggle to to pursue the importance of physical product, artwork and music ownership it is difficult to be forced these new rates and rules that make this pursuit all the more difficult.

12k thanks you for your tireless support over the years that has allowed us to keep exploring, discovering and releasing beautiful and innovate music


Not so sure about this silver lining as I shipped 10 cd's to Europe a few weeks back that cost me $20.....might have had something to do with the packaging I shipped them in or the post office pulled one on me