Everything wrong with the record industry in one scene
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:26 am
I was eating lunch today, turned the TV on (my bad), and that godawful show The Hills was on - you know the painfully badly reenacted one about spoiled retards in LA. And in one scene I saw that one of the annoying chicks on the show works at Epic records.
Not that I needed any more convincing, but I thought this just epitomized the state of affairs. Fans are supposed to pay their hard-earned money to a label, which pockets 90+% of it before giving any to the artist, in order that she can have a job.
The bad news is that, as completely obsolete as major labels are, they aren't going anywhere, because probably 75% of music consumers are not even seriously into music. Labels create for that common denominator. To create the type of schlock the drones will buy requires (i) label money in the studio to touch up lousy performances and radioize (i.e., squash the life out of) the end product, and (ii) a label to unlock its promotion machine (radio play, movie soundtracks, tv placements, access to the concert venue they have exclusive booking rights at, etc.). A label will only provide those two things if one first signs an unconscionable record contract.
The good news is that host recording and the interwebnet allow bands to go another route. While it will not lead to major-label type exposure, it also avoids the major label's control over the product, which makes for way more interesting, less homogenous music. It may be hard to have a career via this grass roots platform, but it can't be any worse than playing the lottery for the chance to whore out to a major.
Sorry for the rant. It's Sunday.
Not that I needed any more convincing, but I thought this just epitomized the state of affairs. Fans are supposed to pay their hard-earned money to a label, which pockets 90+% of it before giving any to the artist, in order that she can have a job.
The bad news is that, as completely obsolete as major labels are, they aren't going anywhere, because probably 75% of music consumers are not even seriously into music. Labels create for that common denominator. To create the type of schlock the drones will buy requires (i) label money in the studio to touch up lousy performances and radioize (i.e., squash the life out of) the end product, and (ii) a label to unlock its promotion machine (radio play, movie soundtracks, tv placements, access to the concert venue they have exclusive booking rights at, etc.). A label will only provide those two things if one first signs an unconscionable record contract.
The good news is that host recording and the interwebnet allow bands to go another route. While it will not lead to major-label type exposure, it also avoids the major label's control over the product, which makes for way more interesting, less homogenous music. It may be hard to have a career via this grass roots platform, but it can't be any worse than playing the lottery for the chance to whore out to a major.
Sorry for the rant. It's Sunday.