SumaDek Portable Listening Station

The SumaDek Portable Listening Display is a major marketing innovation for independent artists everywhere Story and photos by J. Mark Morale

alk into any major retail music chain and sample from hundreds of CDs at push-button listening kiosks. Hear the music. Make the purchase. From George Straight to Dire Straits, the impact is immediate and unparalleled. If you’re an indie artist, how do you get hooked up at one of these listening stations?
I had been thinking for a few months,” says singer/songwriter, Deirdre, “that I needed a listening station to help sell my CDs.” SumaDek Portable Listening Display is that promotional tool for the independent artist. “I figured Tower and Virgin weren’t ready for me yet,” she laughs. Instead of being discouraged by the challenges of independent promotion, Deirdre decided to do something about it. A long-time coffee slinger and “family member” at the almost-legendary Sonoma Blue coffee house (now defunct) in Studio City, she created SumaDek as a way to spotlight her self-titled CD at the venue, and unwittingly developed a major marketing innovation for independent artists everywhere.

Over a cup of coffee, Deirdre toyed with a wire hanger and a wrought iron candleholder as thoughts of listening kiosks rolled around her head. After several hours and the addition of an obscure computer part and some black electrical tape, she had come up with a crude model for a self-contained, portable listening station capable of housing a walkman style CD player, several CD jewel cases and a lightweight headphone set. “Originally, I did this just for me—to help sell my CDs.” But when people saw this clumsy prototype and responded so positively, she quickly realized this was a promotional tool for all artists.
She began to research the independent music market through the Internet. “Independent artists make up the majority of musicians in the world.” She learned about web-based indie distribution, indie CD release projections, demographics surveys and expected equipment spending among independent musicians.

Ready for a close-up
Over the past year, SumaDek has grown in popularity through its online presence, with impressive start-up sales generated from moderate email marketing. It’s also enjoyed limited partner promotions. “CD Baby featured a SumaDek special through their site. They moved 250 units literally overnight!”
This September, SumaDek had it’s first public starring role at the SongsAlive!Expo at UCLA. The response was quite favorable. The featured artist booth set up a dozen SumaDek units for the artists that would play the acoustic stage that day. “We made sales, handed out promotional items, and gave demonstrations.” SumaDek was all the buzz. “We heard great stories from people that had already bought their SumaDek online!”

With new partnerships in the making, including a pending distribution deal with a major musical instrument retailer, Deirdre remains mindful of what this is all about. “Necessity is the mother of all invention”.

Deirdre’s CD, entitled “Deirdre” can be heard on CD Baby. J. Mark Morale is Art Director for SumaDek. He’s also a freelance graphic designer. Visit his Web site to see his work.