Hi, all - You've likely noticed the periodic red banners at the top of most pages at Filmtracks asking readers to consider donating to the site. I detest such outward solicitation, but the second half of 2018 at the site has been financially dismal, and I'm hoping to offset some of the projected annual loss with donation support.

Filmtracks has lost money annually for several years, but it did so largely due to the need to purchase albums not otherwise available for coverage. This year is different because the traditional revenue streams are no longer covering even the fundamental server, bandwidth, and accounting costs. The site has been in the red on its basic operational costs for the last five months, and it appears as though a poor holiday season may ensure another loss for December, the first loss in that month in the site's history. Folks simply aren't using the Amazon and eBay links on the site to the degree they did in prior years, and the various banner and text ads are bidding so low that they are hardly worth their placements.

The site has never been in the red on its fundamental operational costs for more than a month or two at a time. Six months of losses in a row to close out 2018 will force me to strategize a different direction in 2019 that prioritizes my time on revenue generation in lieu of new coverage. With the idea of a "pay wall" off the table, time will be needed to redesign the site to better take advantage of Filmtracks' immense traffic from outside its dedicated reader base.

Ironically, the hardcore film music collectors are not the source of most of Filmtracks' revenue. For many years, there has been an inverse relationship between new coverage and revenue. The more fresh coverage I add to the site, such as the burst of new reviews since October this year, the higher the site's costs in bandwidth. But revenue doesn't increase with these reviews because most of it is generated by the same 50 or so most popular reviews from years ago, forcing the site to rely heavily on one-time visitors for income.

With this reality in mind, I ask that the readership chip in again to help Filmtracks. If the regular readership each donated less than a dollar a month, the site would remain solvent with ease. Any help you can provide is much appreciated, as always. I don't expect the sum of donations to cover the annual loss, but I'm hoping to salvage December's numbers and end the year on a high note.

Learn more about donating to Filmtracks.

Thanks again,

Christian