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Best/Worst Kickstarter Experiences


piaptk
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People get all sort from Kickstarter for some reason. Though I don't think it should be a launching pad for new labels, it's great for bands who leave major labels or labels to press something they'd otherwise pass up. I pressed one brandtson record out of pocket and it lost money. The fans really wanted another record pressed, but I didn't want to front money again, to lose it. So it was a compromise. The kickstarter was funded, and I only had to put about 40% of the pressing down. Otherwise it wouldn't have happened at all. Some bands/labels charge more than the items cost on their own, but they run the risk of people not supporting it.

 

It really sucks if a kickstarter campaign doesn't deliver and ruins it for someone else.

 

So far I've done one kickstarter campaign that was successful. There were some delays in vinyl manufacturing and the band wanting to have the album remastered (which wasn't the original plan), but I got everything shipped out about a month after the target date and kept everyone up to date.

 

I've participated in three kickstarters that got funded and delivered: Twothirtyeight, The Soft Drugs and Starflyer 59.

 

and I've participated in one that hasn't been delivered on or updated very well, Old Canes. Hopefully it happens eventually, but it's been a real bummer so far.

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Here is what you are missing. Regardless of the interesting possiblity you made up in your head, she stated that the reason for the unpaid "guests" is that she couldn't afford to pay a horn section to tour with her.

 

Despite raising over $1 million on her kickstarter.

 

Despite having a rich husband.

 

 

i was referring to how she is living.

 

not that her rich husband was to pay her horn section.

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The Amanda Palmer thing (I think) was blown way out of proportion. As long as people got what the pledged for (and my understanding is: they did), who cares? If a band I loved came and asked musicians to play with them, I would do it for the once-in-a-lifetime experience, to meet them, and for the merch. It's not like she promised them money and she didn't pay them. I highly doubt the musicians actually complained.

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I pledged Face to Face Laugh Now Laugh Later and it was a bad experience.

 

Did you get more than you bargained for? No

Was there a personal touch that you really liked? No
Did you actually care, or not? I really pledged because it was beginning to sell out and I thought it would be the only way I could get the record

Was it a band/project that you were already a fan of, or did you just stumble across it.  And if you weren't already a fan, are you now?  I was already a fan.  

 

So the kickstarter was 200 red, 200 white 100 clear records. After they got it pressed they did another 500 on blue and sent me a blue copy. I took it up with kickstarter because I could have bought the blue copy afterwards for $20 when I pledged $25 and the other colors were selling for $50 at the time. Kickstarter offered me no protection. I ended up going through Amazon payments who gave me my money back because Trever never responded to them.

 

I would not use Kickstarter again, because they offer no protection if you don't get what you pledge for.

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I only have backed once other than the recent Saves the Day one, which I backed for some handwritten lyrics. ("This is Not an Exit" is one of my favorite songs lyrically, couldn't risk not being able to have that handwritten by Chris). And--so far so good on that, they have already provided more updates in a month or two than Old Canes has during their entire kickstarter...

Speaking of... I can say that the Old Canes Kickstarter experience has been pretty bad. I'm glad CC has finally communicated with us, and I'm really happy that it wasn't just 'dropped'. However, I have almost completed a master's degree in a shorter time than it has taken him to produce three 7"s.....

Not trying to be a complainer, it's just my two cents. Hopefully all will work out! 

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I've never had a bad experience with Kickstarter.

I joined in on Murder By Death's Kickstarter. I pledged for a Whiskey Crew patch, the deluxe LP, zoetrope, lantern, and a signed print. I got everything before the expected date. They sent out updates all the time, and almost a year later, I'm still getting them sometimes, and we're all gonna get the covers they did. Some people got extra stuff, my cousin got a Good Morning Magpie print.

I pledged to Colin of Circa Survive's art Kickstarter. I got a signed and numbered Float print, a print of the art show setup, and a personalized letter sealed with a kiss by his wife. I thought it was very good for $25. I think it might've been a week late, but some of that was shipping time.

I also pledged to the A Lot Like Birds Kickstarter for their van. For $25, I got a signed CD, a signed print of the new album art, a shirt, and a handwritten lyric sheet. I don't remember the expected date, but I'm pretty sure I got it on time, or very close.

There weren't any super personal touches, but I was completely satisfied with delivery times, getting what I paid for, etc

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I'd like to support Rust Belt Light's kickstarter right now but the prices are mental.

 

Yeah their goal is reasonable, but they should lower the cost of rewards.

 

Face To Face ran a pretty good kickstarter. Much more reasonable considering the kickstarters that go up nowadays.

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Anybody know if you can contact Kickstarter about getting a refund or anything? I pledged some money for a band over a year ago, and still have not received any of the benefits. I have tried contacting the band numerous times, but no response :/

you might have some luck with amazon payments but kickstarter takers no responsibility.
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Anybody know if you can contact Kickstarter about getting a refund or anything?  I pledged some money for a band over a year ago, and still have not received any of the benefits.  I have tried contacting the band numerous times, but no response :/

 

Read my note above. They are happy to take your money, keep their cut, take no responsibility yet they will throw a party that must have cost at minimum $50,000 at Sundance. People have every right to call Kickstarter total bullshit in my opinion. You know who loved taking money from consumers, deliver massive losses yet still throw lavish parties? Wall Street Brokers. I see no difference in this behavior and Kickstarter needs to change their policy if they are going to toss money around like this. Is $50k a ton of money? Not really for them. Is $50 a ton of money? Might have been to the college kid who supported an artist who didn't deliver with no obligation. 

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Read my note above. They are happy to take your money, keep their cut, take no responsibility yet they will throw a party that must have cost at minimum $50,000 at Sundance. People have every right to call Kickstarter total bullshit in my opinion. You know who loved taking money from consumers, deliver massive losses yet still throw lavish parties? Wall Street Brokers. I see no difference in this behavior and Kickstarter needs to change their policy if they are going to toss money around like this. Is $50k a ton of money? Not really for them. Is $50 a ton of money? Might have been to the college kid who supported an artist who didn't deliver with no obligation. 

perfectly said

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Best: Nothing. Kickstarter for records sucks.

 

Worst: Every single one of these lazy ass projects. Pay for your own fucking record.

 

I agree with this. The Kickstarter platform is meant to serve tangible consumables - crowdsourcing the funding to make your gadget a reality. By the time you hit Kickstarter you should be done with your concepts and testing phases and you should be ready to place your order with the factory that's making your product.

 

Crowdsourcing the idea of an album that fans have no idea if they'll even like when it's finished is just lazy. Go work some extra hours, play some more shows, refine your craft. Don't expect handouts from people based on the mere idea that you're going to put music to tape.

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Anybody know if you can contact Kickstarter about getting a refund or anything?  I pledged some money for a band over a year ago, and still have not received any of the benefits.  I have tried contacting the band numerous times, but no response :/

yeah they don't give a damn. they'll tell you to contact the person in charge of the campaign.

 

if you paid through paypal or amazon or credit card contact them

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