A new report from The Verge claims that sellers on Discogs are pushing back against new fees and restrictions on the platform. Discogs is the largest online music database and marketplace and has been operational since 2000. The Verge spoke to a number of sellers and label owners who use the platform regularly. In May, Discogs increased its selling fees from 8% to 9% for the first time in 10 years and also introduced the same fee for shipping costs. This new pricing structure is causing sellers to experience smaller profit margins.
One of the sellers expressed that Discogs has been his main source of income for the last decade. His company receives a monthly income of around €20,000. However, sales have dropped by half within a year due to the new selling fees from Discogs. As a result, the seller is looking to create his own website and move away from using Discogs. Users are also complaining that the Discogs website is outdated and requires improvement.
Discogs suggested that their users should up their prices by a percentage after the fee change was made. Additionally, in an email to their sellers, Discogs suggested offering free shipping to avoid paying fees. One of the sellers from Connecticut claimed that the sudden fee increase was a huge blow to a lot of people and how they communicated the changes was insulting.
Mixmag has reached out to Discogs for a comment on the situation. As of this writing, there has been no response from the platform
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