Doing a research on netlabels. Share your thoughts. Discuss.

[Angstrom]

yea, not the netlabels per se but the whole file sharing thing...i dunno, i'm from the tapes era

I wonder about this, it may be a generational thing - although I am too old and bald to be sure. I would hope that a younger generation would embrace netlabels.

vinyl is a sure fire way to fleece bands of their money, netlabels should be more proffitable. There is no reason why a netlabel cant pay an artist 50% of their net sales every month.
A vinyl label will usually pay a lot less than that and a lot less frequently.

[jbible]

i dunno, i'm from the tapes era, you got the tapes and then you went hunting for the tune on vinyl....dunno, digital files are no fun...i'll crawl back in the cave

Yeah same here...but at his point I am not completely concerned about the format/package as long as its lossless (Cd, Vinyl, Flac)...my concern is with the music. I think your limiting yourself if you listen to music with a biased opinion based on the pricetag or format it was packaged in. The pool for track digging is much larger now and if you ignore certain music simply based on the fact that the artist chose to make it freely available then you might be missing out on "that track".


IMO...the one thing I want to see more netlabels embrace is the FLAC (lossless) format. I think thats an important evolutionary step in the world on netlabels.

[jbible]

There is no reason why a netlabel cant pay an artist 50% of their net sales every month.

Just to be clear when the word netlabel is used it is almost always referring to a label that releases music on the internet FREE OF CHARGE.

I think a difference needs to be established between a 'netlabel' and a 'commercial netlabel'.

[martron]

I can't say that I've bought anything from a netlabel, nor do I know all that much about them. Most of my musical involvement is at a very local, independent level so when I buy music, it tends to be CDs straight from the artist.

I really like the option of downloading an artist's music (via CC) and then supporting them monitarily how I see fit (go to their shows, buy their CD...).

For anyone interested, my group has released an album (independently) under CC:
http://flattstreet.ca/flatt/Main.php?page=music&album=1

(it's not really 'electronic' in any way. I guess you could call it jazz... feel free to sample).

[tomperson]

People. If you read carefully, I'm mostly interested in the free netlabel scene, using creative commons or similar end user agreements. As for paid netlabels, they are interesting, but surely the most interesting phenomena now for the scene and for all music industry is that many artist are releasing QUALITY MUSIC for free. And that's a MAJOR shift.

I have to go back to work now, later i'll come back...

[krank]

I can see how free downloads are a convenient way to get exposure for a new artist.

But can someone please explain what other relevance the CC/free concept has to someone with the need to make a living making music?

[Machinate]

yes - it gets people to go to the concerts, which is where the real money is made. And it gets you an audience, who may like your music enough to actually support it (the way it is now with p2p networks anyway)

[krank]

yes - it gets people to go to the concerts, which is where the real money is made. And it gets you an audience, who may like your music enough to actually support it (the way it is now with p2p networks anyway)

That's what I meant by 'exposure for a new artist'.

But I'm wondering how it will reflect on established acts, people who need to pay the bills yet may not be inclined or have the opportunity to do gigs. The 'composer/producer' type of artist.

Sure, they may copyright and distribute their music same as always. But if the potential audience gets increasingly used to downloading for free, selling music (in whatever media) will be (and is) increasingly viewed as square and materialistic. Sales will drop in favour of illegal copying (as they already are), and the old-fashioned artist ends up turning tricks and living in a cardboard box. Or something.

I'm just trying to point out that it's getting increasingly hard to make money selling recorded music. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Oh, and I don't think there's anything to do about it - I'm simply pondering the implications of CC getting ever more popular.

[martron]

It's my personal opinion that performing live and licensing your music to commercial interests are going to be the ways to make solid money with music.

I suppose selling merch (t-shirts etc.) would also be where it's at.

I think CC is gaining in popularity, I also think it reinforces those things.

[wavejumper]

while its an interesting developement, hoping that people will continue to give their music away for free in the hope of gigs or licensing is a bit thin

a lot of the stuff i listen wouldn't get licensed by any but the odd leftfield cd compilation and its mostly studio work... i think unless you can promise the artists some for of income out of the sales of the product, the artist might as well decide why bother?

if I couldn't release my stuff commercially I certainly wouldn't give it away for free to boost some netlabel cred....i'd rather spend my own money, press it on ltd vinyl and give it to a few distributors, or indeed set up my own commercial netlabel and release my own stuff for a price...it's easy enough to press your own ltd vinyl runs, nevermind setting up a webshop...

[cherry-k]

I can't say that I've bought anything from a netlabel, nor do I know all that much about them. Most of my musical involvement is at a very local, independent level so when I buy music, it tends to be CDs straight from the artist.

I really like the option of downloading an artist's music (via CC) and then supporting them monitarily how I see fit (go to their shows, buy their CD...).

For anyone interested, my group has released an album (independently) under CC:
http://flattstreet.ca/flatt/Main.php?page=music&album=1

(it's not really 'electronic' in any way. I guess you could call it jazz... feel free to sample).

...nice stuff, I like it very much, some very good funky-groovy-rocky-jazz with balls and more

greetz

cherry

[jbible]

i think unless you can promise the artists some for of income out of the sales of the product, the artist might as well decide why bother?

If thats the case then maybe they should just dedicate their lives to making generic television commercial music. I personally (and the artists I know) will be doing this till the day we die no matter if we ever make a dime at it or not. The stuff most of us are making anyways isnt going to top the charts anyways. Its music for geeks for the most part. If I want to make money I will try getting some of my unfinished music liscensed for a commercial or something.

if I couldn't release my stuff commercially I certainly wouldn't give it away for free

And thats tottaly fine. Nobody in the netlabel community is condeming artists here for NOT wanting to give their hard work away for free. Its your music and your perogitive. Some artists choose to...some dont. Many artists dont care if they ever make a dime off of their music. They dont even try. Its another misconception that all netlabel music is music that didnt get offered to be pressed by a commercial label. Many of these artists go straight to their favorite netlabel with their music and dont even attempt to send demos to commercial labels simply cause its not in their interest. I myself have a pressed release coming up soon on a commercial and am very happy about it..as well as having some tracks pressed here there in the past...but that doesnt mean I am going to be jaded against netlabel music. I just keep the outlook that artistic music is artistic music wether it be given away for free or wether I have to pay to get it on vinyl or CD. I try to approach music blindly. If I like it I like it and the packaging isnt going to influence that. I personally really like the idea of art without the thought of money. And I mean how much money can you really be making since the release of your first pressed album? I know from experience that releaseing a record on an obscure electronic label isnt going to pay the bills.


The funny thing is...peoples attitude against netlabels is kind of funny. Its the same people that are getting on p2p downloading tons of commercial music who wont even glance at a netlabel and scoff at the idea. Its kind of funny...if you wants these people to download (steal) your music free of charge you have to release it commercially.

So...on one hand you have....

make music, put money into pressing and promoting music, lose your money when everyone just downloads it from p2p.

on the other hand you have....

make music, make it available for free download on the internets, people download music, listen, enjoy...you have extra cash to buy that new plugin, computer, or hardware so you can continue to do what you love. And maybe even burn a few cds and try to submit a few tracks to a licensing library and possibly get more from one deal than you could ever hope to get from releaseing a vinyl record on an obscure electronic music label.


Like I said...I want it to be clear that I dont condemn artists who dont want to give their music away for free. What I dont want to see is people ignoring netlabel music simply because its given away for free.

Of course...since I run a netlabel all my opinions can be looked at as biased. In the end though I am just a guy who loves the music that I love in all its sizes, shapes, forms, and price ranges.

EDIT : On an afterthought I want to mention....
I'm also not saying people should stop buying music and only download free netlabel music. I think people should support the commercial side of the scene monetarily. In the end its all one big scene. Buy some records, some CDs, and download some free releases. Enjoy it all.

[wavejumper]

thats cool man, keep im mind you asked for opinions and I gave you mine...which basically is I have nothing against netlabels or p2p either...i just don't get a kick out digital tracks, certailyly not as much as my KDJ 12"s or what have you...and i agree with your points on the options available to artists at this moment...you're doing something good in that you're offering some form of outlet so more power to ya

[jbible]

thats cool man, keep im mind you asked for opinions and I gave you mine...which basically is I have nothing against netlabels or p2p either...i just don't get a kick out digital tracks, certailyly not as much as my KDJ 12"s or what have you...and i agree with your points on the options available to artists at this moment...you're doing something good in that you're offering some form of outlet so more power to ya

RESPEK!

[krank]

If thats the case then maybe they should just dedicate their lives to making generic television commercial music.

I hope you don't really mean that.