Your best stuff

Just got my monthly issue of Relix magazine. It comes with a free CD, about a dozen songs from bands ranging from Frank Zappa to Keller Williams.

Each band gets exactly one song as a showcase.

So, the question: should you put your best song on the free CD?

If it's your best song, and it's free, then no one will pay to get it from iTunes. And if it's the best song on the album, maybe no one will buy the album since they already have the song.

It's easy to argue that you should hold back the best song, make people pay for that.

Until you realize that the >>> button on my CD player works great.

So, eight beats into your "not really my best song because, hey, it's free", I skip you and you are gone forever.

hint: this riff applies to a lot more than just the music business.