blog Great Article on the Demise of the Music Industry
Great Article on the Demise of the Music Industry
posted on Feb 13 at 12:05 pm | 3 comments
fuzzygroove gave me the heads up on this article by Simon Napier-Bell which chronicles some pretty crazy stories about his life in the music industry - the good, the bad, and the ugly. He describes the medieval character of the music business and quotes an article in the WSJ that calls it the "last form of indentured servitude." I think most of us agree with these sentiments.

Nonetheless, before I'm tempted to embark on a diatribe about our industry, I highly suggest that you check it out - http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/story/0,,2241769,00.html. It's a bit long, but well worth the read. While he is certainly frustrated by the way he and his artists have been treated over the years, he also offers hope that it is time that artists take control of their own careers given that the industry is rapidly changing. I agree and believe that NOW is a great time to be in music, provided that you are willing to do business ENTIRELY differently.
Comments
bossbass said:
posted on Feb 13 at 6:37 pm
Thanks Jeff and fuzzygroove. Good article.
And sadly, it still only scratches the surface of the ills of dealing
with a major label. The horror stories go on and on.
Which is why after years of dealing with bands who were signed to label
deals of one sort or another, I'm glad to have complete control of my
own music. It's worth it to be at the helm and call my own shots. And if
I end up not making a dime, I'm still free to go any direction I choose
and not be tied up for years with an unfair deal.

I'm sure many artists will echo my sentiment.

BB
jeff said:
posted on Feb 13 at 9:13 pm
Yup - it's amazing to think that most artists have NEVER MADE MONEY SELLING MUSIC. We are out talking to artists constantly and there are many in-house. Most artists make their bread touring and selling merch. Good for you for taking control of your own career with not only the business, but creative freedom to pursue your goals. I'd love to hear some of your live stuff from your own shows by the way...
2Serenity said:
posted on Mar 30 at 10:02 pm
Eye opener and powerful. I know absolutely nothing in terms of the contract terms but from what I have read in news paper articles and get a sense from the news that many of these terms are unconscionable which inevitably hurts the artist in the end. My prime example growing up was always hearing of penniless artists dying with nothing. I never understood how a record label could do this to a person. But, then the artist wanted to get exposure so they took the risk of going to the major labels. Copyright law is definitely going through some changes now because of the internet. I am very intrigued to witness what happens. Thank you for the informative article. I am still processing it.

One thing I learned on my own in the early 1990s was that artists never made money from selling music. Prime example was Michael Jackson's world tours. I remember a news magazine show sharing how he made so much money from the sell out concerts and merchandising. I was intrigued since then to understand the true way how a music artist can make money in the industry. What I have always seen is to diversify your talent and sell it in outlets.

Enough of my rambles. Thanks for allowing me to explore my thoughts as I have been trying to parse this puzzle of the music business.
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