Do you have your holidays planned? No!? Read this post and prepare yourself for a Spanish festival spree with your family and friends. It’s just like Glastonbury and Woodstock, only with less mud!
As a recent review in The Guardian about music in Spain said, “Spanish music isn’t all about clubbing in the islands.” In the past few years, we’ve seen many festivals come and go, but the best ones always stay. The festivals below are the ones for which you don’t even need to know the line-up before buying the whole pass — you already know you are going to love it like a kid loves candy. Maybe it’s because of each festival’s spirit, the environment, the people you go with and/or the ones you meet, the bands, the organization, the place, the weather… all these components make you want to go year in and year out.
Of course, there are plenty of festivals in Spain focusing on different genres of music: Pop, Rock, Dance, Folk, Electronic… and depending on which one you prefer, you may be transported to incredible locations. For example, if you like Worldwide Folk music, head over to Pirineos Sur in a beautiful valley in the Pyrenees. If you prefer Electronic/House, get a ticket to Monegros Desert Festival. Or you can always opt for a sunny beach show on the Valencia coast at Arenal Sound or FIB.
Ticket prices can vary from 50 to 200 Euros max depending on how many days you are going to stay and where, and the quality of the line-up. (That said, most of them consistently have great artists coming to Spain to amaze festival fans.) Enjoy these prices while you can, because next year you’ll be paying 21% more of taxes in culture and show tickets in Spain!
So, are you convinced you should be going to Spain to enjoy our sunny summer, great food and wine, and even better, amazing music? To help you decide when and where to come, I’ve handpicked a selection of our top festivals in this Spanish Festival Guide, with the bands and artists that came by/are coming through this year. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until next year to enjoy the first few, which means you’ll have plenty of time to build up the excitement! Or, you can book your ticket now for our August/September shows…
Lately, some indie labels have been changing their selling strategy. They want fans to have their music, sometimes even for free. But why not drop the price and let them purchase a release for just €2.99? Young labels with young audiences (and not a lot of cash to spend) are now asking that exact question. Is this a low cost strategy with a high level of awareness?
Last week Pegasvs‘ brand new release was available for €2.99, an irresistible price that encouraged listeners to explore new music and promptly buy it. As a result of this move, Pegasvs garnered great feedback and succeeded in placing their self-titled debut at #4 on iTunes Spain’s Top 10 in their first few days on sale. Since, the album has moved within the iTunes Top Chart position and remains there still!
In addition, the band’s decision led to several reviews in the music press making the release even more noticeable. Buyers were commenting that “at that price, even I, who had not heard anything from them before, purchased the album. Great initiative. And I don’t regret it; it looks like a great album!” Other remarks included: “It is great music at an awesome price!” and “What’s €2.99 from your pocket? A coffee? It’s better to buy music at a price that low.”
While the move is a bit controversial, as some artists might claim their music is worth more than such a cheap price, in this case it was a successful creative pricing strategy. More and more, other labels are also dropping down the price of their catalogue, pricing old releases at €4.99 or €5.99. The belief is that applying pricing strategy leads to increased sales as well as income.
This philosophy is certainly relevant to the times in which we are living. Is it better to sell cheaper and sell more?? Why not try it? We are on sale!! Open up your mind to new possibilities for pricing of your music. Thinking out of your comfort zone can be rewarding on the long-term, and it’s win-win for fans and record labels alike.
In a nutshell: Sell cheaper = Sell more = More awareness = Happier fans!
