The record companies are bleating about how music swapping and trading is ruining their business. While some, like Universal, are releasing protection free downloads but others are running scared.
They say they can't sell enough music to make a decent return on their investment (ie: Britney Spear's wages) in such a climate.
So are we really seeing the death of music publishing?
An interesting thought occoured to me. Think about the television. Most TV channels get their revenue from advertising. You watch a show, the advertisers bombard you with messages and pay the TV channel for the servicee. The TV channel uses this revenue to make and show more stuff.
So why can't this model work for music?
Discuss...
The future of music - MP3s are killing music?
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leggo rocker
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MightyZ
- Posts: 415
- Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:22 am
Re: The future of music - MP3s are killing music?
The death of the Music Industry could actually be seen as a rebirth for real music!
They are not needed anymore in the way that they were when we didn't have things like the internet to promote our own music! Sure it isn't easy to make sales directly and to make a lot of money - but that is because people like to 'play it safe' and stick to names they know. If these overblown industry publicised figures like Britney and co. were not there, then people might have to seek out the unknown a bit more - and may even find the 'real music' that is out there and not just the factory produced stuff!
The music industry will of course survive, unfortunately! The Fat Cats will protect their own interests, the people who will suffer will be the lower level employees (the only people in the industry who do it for love of music not money) and the artists will be ripped off more than ever!
You can tell I have no love for the big labels - the snippets I have had about how they operate have turned me against them. They are people mangling machines that screw artists for what they can get out of them, often with very little going to the artist! A handful of artists then get paid silly money, so it encourages gullible youths to dream of stardom and happily sign whatever paper they put in front of them.
Here are two quick examples:
1. A friend of mine from a few years ago was in a band called The Cranes - they were not really a chart band but did get a single to number 29 in the charts! They toured the world as support band for The Cure, sometimes playing in stadiums to 70000 people. My friend did not write the material for the band so was just paid as a musician - £100 per week plus travel expenses (for these he would be expected to be wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted). The two in the band who had the publishing deal did better, but as they are broke now - not that much better!
2.I worked with a girl singer in a previous band briefly, she had the most amazing voice - so powerful that you could hear her over the pa when the guy forgot to switch her mic on, but also perfectly in tune. She was good looking, but not a stunner. Sony music rejected her with the phrase 'I'm afraid we don't see you as a saleable product'. She could sing at least as well as Whitney Houston who was selling tons at the time - so what was the problem - presumably if she had the correct look for that year they would have taken her on!
MightyZ
They are not needed anymore in the way that they were when we didn't have things like the internet to promote our own music! Sure it isn't easy to make sales directly and to make a lot of money - but that is because people like to 'play it safe' and stick to names they know. If these overblown industry publicised figures like Britney and co. were not there, then people might have to seek out the unknown a bit more - and may even find the 'real music' that is out there and not just the factory produced stuff!
The music industry will of course survive, unfortunately! The Fat Cats will protect their own interests, the people who will suffer will be the lower level employees (the only people in the industry who do it for love of music not money) and the artists will be ripped off more than ever!
You can tell I have no love for the big labels - the snippets I have had about how they operate have turned me against them. They are people mangling machines that screw artists for what they can get out of them, often with very little going to the artist! A handful of artists then get paid silly money, so it encourages gullible youths to dream of stardom and happily sign whatever paper they put in front of them.
Here are two quick examples:
1. A friend of mine from a few years ago was in a band called The Cranes - they were not really a chart band but did get a single to number 29 in the charts! They toured the world as support band for The Cure, sometimes playing in stadiums to 70000 people. My friend did not write the material for the band so was just paid as a musician - £100 per week plus travel expenses (for these he would be expected to be wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted). The two in the band who had the publishing deal did better, but as they are broke now - not that much better!
2.I worked with a girl singer in a previous band briefly, she had the most amazing voice - so powerful that you could hear her over the pa when the guy forgot to switch her mic on, but also perfectly in tune. She was good looking, but not a stunner. Sony music rejected her with the phrase 'I'm afraid we don't see you as a saleable product'. She could sing at least as well as Whitney Houston who was selling tons at the time - so what was the problem - presumably if she had the correct look for that year they would have taken her on!
MightyZ
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=741265 to listen free to Mighty Dub www.myspace.com/mightyzallstars for my dub trax and some live stuff
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seb
- Site Admin
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Re: The future of music - MP3s are killing music?
I love this band ! have been listening to it for hours back in the early-mid 90s. I have lost their albums long ago and have almost nothing else left thoughMightyZ wrote:A friend of mine from a few years ago was in a band called The Cranes
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MightyZ
- Posts: 415
- Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:22 am
Re: The future of music - MP3s are killing music?
Seb - I will chat to our sound man - he used to do the sound for The Cranes (they were from Pompey my home town) - I'll see if I can sort some of their sounds from him?seb wrote:MightyZ wrote :A friend of mine from a few years ago was in a band called The Cranes
I love this band ! have been listening to it for hours back in the early-mid 90s. I have lost their albums long ago and have almost nothing else left though
MightyZ
www.myspace.com/mightyallstars
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=741265 to listen free to Mighty Dub www.myspace.com/mightyzallstars for my dub trax and some live stuff
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Lion
- Posts: 1160
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:06 am
Re: The future of music - MP3s are killing music?
Is not killing the music.
The sound is trim/trip in lesser Quality
But it make the music cheaper to buy.
Young people or people in general don't no better.
Quality is not de standard of living any more.
Every thing goes YUNK = food/clothes/etc
It must be cheaper and more.
Natural living is the best
Than lesser but Quality
I know i'm privelege.
Lion
The sound is trim/trip in lesser Quality
But it make the music cheaper to buy.
Young people or people in general don't no better.
Quality is not de standard of living any more.
Every thing goes YUNK = food/clothes/etc
It must be cheaper and more.
Natural living is the best
Than lesser but Quality
I know i'm privelege.
Lion
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omar
Re: The future of music - MP3s are killing music?
Actually, music died a while back - so no worries.
Agree with MightyZ though: only when the "music business" collapses can the new music from the grass roots (for what it's worth) come to the fore.
Agree with MightyZ though: only when the "music business" collapses can the new music from the grass roots (for what it's worth) come to the fore.
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leggo rocker
- Posts: 4071
- Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2005 4:40 pm
Re: The future of music - MP3s are killing music?
I have to agree with Lion
Everything is turning to Junk.
Even the people, no manners, no self respect, no work ethic, no morals, no proper values - everything is 'designer' label.
Worse still - NO LOVE!!!
Everything is turning to Junk.
Even the people, no manners, no self respect, no work ethic, no morals, no proper values - everything is 'designer' label.
Worse still - NO LOVE!!!
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MightyZ
- Posts: 415
- Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:22 am
Re: The future of music - MP3s are killing music?
Have to agree too - people have no respect for each other and no love. Often they don't even have any respect for themselves. I don't know if it is the same in all countries - but I think we are seeing the results of the Thatcher era and it's 'every one for themselves' attitude. The youth we see now are the children of that era.
Thankfully, because of my job, I realise there are many youths out there with a good attitude and plenty of love for the rest of the world. I imagine if all the youths you see are the one's who hang around the local shops, often causing a nuisance, it must paint a very bleak picture indeed!
What does this have to do with mp3's? Well, I guess they are more interested in showing off the phone/mp3 player they are playing the tracks on than thinking about if the musicians are getting paid? I can't say I am innocent as far as downloading is concerned, but I have spent thousands in my life on the music business and, if at all possible I prefer to own a proper copy of something than just an mp3 - I appreciate the whole package of an album - including artwork and sleeve notes. That is why I love vinyl more than CD's, you get something that looks and feels more precious to own!
MightyZ
www.myspace.com/mightyzallstars
Thankfully, because of my job, I realise there are many youths out there with a good attitude and plenty of love for the rest of the world. I imagine if all the youths you see are the one's who hang around the local shops, often causing a nuisance, it must paint a very bleak picture indeed!
What does this have to do with mp3's? Well, I guess they are more interested in showing off the phone/mp3 player they are playing the tracks on than thinking about if the musicians are getting paid? I can't say I am innocent as far as downloading is concerned, but I have spent thousands in my life on the music business and, if at all possible I prefer to own a proper copy of something than just an mp3 - I appreciate the whole package of an album - including artwork and sleeve notes. That is why I love vinyl more than CD's, you get something that looks and feels more precious to own!
MightyZ
www.myspace.com/mightyzallstars
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=741265 to listen free to Mighty Dub www.myspace.com/mightyzallstars for my dub trax and some live stuff
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picaraza
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:14 pm
Re: The future of music - MP3s are killing music?
I am hopeful that mp3s will have a positive long term affect on music.
A few thoughts.
+ Here in the US, the buying and selling of used CDs are a huge business. Buying a used CD is comparable to downloading an illegal mp3 as far as the artist is concerned-- they don't get money from either "sale".
+ The music industry is getting stuck right now, the way they stuck the public back with the transition from vinyl to the compact disc in the mid-late 80s. The cost of an LP was $8-9. The cost of a CD was $14. The price of the compact disc-- new discs-- never dropped down to the price of the LPs, despite assurances that it would. The artists didn't profit from this price hike.
+ When records were first issued-- 78s back in the 20s, then 45s and even LPs, the record was released to promote the tour. Live music was the thing-- that's were musicians made their livelihood. The record was merely a means of promotion. Somewhere in there, this relationship got flipped around and bands started touring to promote record sales. The single and then the album became the "thing"-- the end product.
+ I could care less about packaging. CD packaging is advertising-- the music is the thing. (Sure, the Blood and Fire packaging for "Heart of the Congos" is fantastic. But it is packaging-- nothing more.) With the MP3, promotional elements are stripped away completely-- the song is the thing.
+ With the MP3 we've got the return of the single and the ascension of compilation/mix tape. Which is pretty much where Jamaica has been all along. Anyway, the album died with the LP. Once you start putting 14 songs on a single disc you're talking about something completely. John Fogerty has said that an LP side should have at most five or six songs. I have come to think he is right.
+ What all this means for reggae and for reggae artists that were not properly paid for their talents in the first place I don't know. Obviously, the LP never really displaced the single in Jamaica. And Jamaican "bands" never released records to promote tours.
A few thoughts.
+ Here in the US, the buying and selling of used CDs are a huge business. Buying a used CD is comparable to downloading an illegal mp3 as far as the artist is concerned-- they don't get money from either "sale".
+ The music industry is getting stuck right now, the way they stuck the public back with the transition from vinyl to the compact disc in the mid-late 80s. The cost of an LP was $8-9. The cost of a CD was $14. The price of the compact disc-- new discs-- never dropped down to the price of the LPs, despite assurances that it would. The artists didn't profit from this price hike.
+ When records were first issued-- 78s back in the 20s, then 45s and even LPs, the record was released to promote the tour. Live music was the thing-- that's were musicians made their livelihood. The record was merely a means of promotion. Somewhere in there, this relationship got flipped around and bands started touring to promote record sales. The single and then the album became the "thing"-- the end product.
+ I could care less about packaging. CD packaging is advertising-- the music is the thing. (Sure, the Blood and Fire packaging for "Heart of the Congos" is fantastic. But it is packaging-- nothing more.) With the MP3, promotional elements are stripped away completely-- the song is the thing.
+ With the MP3 we've got the return of the single and the ascension of compilation/mix tape. Which is pretty much where Jamaica has been all along. Anyway, the album died with the LP. Once you start putting 14 songs on a single disc you're talking about something completely. John Fogerty has said that an LP side should have at most five or six songs. I have come to think he is right.
+ What all this means for reggae and for reggae artists that were not properly paid for their talents in the first place I don't know. Obviously, the LP never really displaced the single in Jamaica. And Jamaican "bands" never released records to promote tours.
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RootsDem
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:17 pm
Re: The future of music - MP3s are killing music?
If the music has a message then let it be free, wax, mp3 or CD.
Music industry and big labels are still the daddy's, reaping in money.
Madonna does an advert with missy, MTV corp gets paid from AOL/... studios, nike gets paid for the garms they are wearing, they sell the garm in Footlocker and JD sports, yout rock the garm and the river flows.
EF the music industry and the labels...never did **** for reggea anyway.
Music industry and big labels are still the daddy's, reaping in money.
Madonna does an advert with missy, MTV corp gets paid from AOL/... studios, nike gets paid for the garms they are wearing, they sell the garm in Footlocker and JD sports, yout rock the garm and the river flows.
EF the music industry and the labels...never did **** for reggea anyway.