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OK, this is also true of the old model - how many bands were dropped like hot potatoes as soon as they put out an album that didn't sell as well as the last or the tides of musical taste changed and left them stranded? - but still, it highlights that the pledge model isn't an instant/ guaranteed gravy train for artists.
And as mentioned in your piece, the artists still needs to gain an audience before they have an audience willing to pledge music - Where is the money in this model for early development of artists? They need to slog their way around the country, getting gigs, picking up fans one by one..That's a hard thing to do, we all know how disheartening the originals scene can be..How many good artists will be put off before they have a large enough fanbase to fund their album?
Maybe record labels were a necessary evil after all, in some senses?
A couple of points . First the big money will not give up easilly , and labels may be replaced by different models.
The second point is going beyond your borders to an International level to the big markets like the US.
As an example my daugther has a "production" deal. The producer and the studio have funded the first five tracks and are now in discussion with a music rights managment company to protect her globally including downloading and streaming deals.
They paid for her to work in the studio iin LA and serious money spent already without any financial commitment from her. The deal is complex (our UK based lawyer had never seen a deal like it before), but in essence the studio (not the label) is now getting distribution deals , etc set up. They are now funded showcases in London, ,New York and LA .
In short what I am trying to say is the launch of a new artist is expensive and complex
The problem with the web is how do you get yourself above the millions of other people. This is where the "machine" fits in. Just see what the publicity machine can do for people without talent ! We can all list them.
It would be nice to believe talent alone is all that is needed. If you are going to make a living in music you soon realise this is not the case.
The industry is evolving , but it still takes big money to produce and launch someone.
My daughters contract is a new type which Riihanna was the first to sign. My lawyer was surprised at how much control she has. I am a novice at this and have been reading up, and from what I am begining to see is the serious money is in the writing . The deal she has on her writing seems fair.
Again it would be nice to think the web will make the difference ,buut this is a billion. Dollar industry and can,t see that changing.
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Marketing is a big part of the industry.
The difference is in the deal itself and the fact the masters already exist without the label, so no advance needed.
My daughters friend is already a well known Pop singer, and my daughter has had a couple of big UK companies try to sign her. She did not want to go down the same road as her friend, as she wanted control.
So we signed with US company run by "creatives" rather than "suits". It may come to nothing , but it has not cost us ,and if nothing else she has had a great time working with multi grammy winning people helping her produce her songs. She told me somehow the producer gets the sounds in her head onto each master. If it does take off she owns 70 per cent of the masters , 40 per cent of the writing (she is part of a team of 4) and 95 per cent of the 360. Right now she is a minimum wage waitress !
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
She is actually a very clever girl , with straight "A" 's in her exams , and is very friendly and caring to her friends. A number of them you will see dancing in her video's. Even after hitting well in the industry and making a lot of money from a young age , she still keeps her friendships from a young age.
I can also tell you she has a very good vocal range , and a lot of power in her voice. In school musicals her voice always stood out. She has to play the game and fit to the image given to her.
I wouldn't class her talentless , she has worked hard and is a very good dancer.
In my mind is people like Jordan , and the TOWIE mob. Celebrity for the sake of it makes me sick when there are hard working talented people not making it. Though agree with ICBM , what is talent?
That brings me back to the original point , it is also about marketing. Rory Gallagher was one of my favourite artists , was he just pure talent or was he just marketed as a raw artist.
I suspect a bit of both. I still think if you want to make a living it is tough without the "machine".
Let's say a band of 5 people need to earn a living wage. Say £35k before tax, that is £175k a year after paying all their expenses. From what I recall itunes pays around $1 per 300 downloads. I think Spotify pay more , but you need a huge number of hits to earn anything like a living. So if you rely on this alone you need a audience that only strong marketing can provide.
Earning from Gig's. After expenses again hard to make a living. So yes the professionals take cuts (Managers, performing rights, etc.), but a lesser percentage of a big pot could be better than a big percentage of very little.
In my daughter's case (and from what I heard is usual) I expect she will earn very little for the first two years and on the first Album ( if such a thing still exists)... but thereafter things do improve provided she survives.
Don't deal in absolutes; the web isn't going to destroy anything but it will create opportunities sometimes outstripping those offered by record industry... who're frantically re-inventing their business model to retain the "gate-keeper to the proles" profile - I personally think that'll be their downfall - the difference between a crowd and a mob is resentment and their business model will only engender resentment... roll on crowd sourcing
At the low revenue to the artist from streaming huge volumes are needed to earn a living. Other revenue streams also remain limited .
From a personal viewpoint I really dislike this volume chasing , but I like most still buy from Amazon or Tesco . The current Tesco model to suppliers is awful. Though I suspect they are copying the modell started by Walmart.
It would be great if music could buck the trend , but I suspect this will not be the case. During these difficult times it seems the big just get bigger , and the small disappear.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
She has now gone with people that are aiming at a different market and she has total creative control . She also has made it clear she will not sell herself with short skirts and bra tops.
However, at the end of the day she will have to sell units , and will in some sense still just be a product.
The good news she is being offered work as a writer as well as a performer.
I suppose it is the difference between being a musician and a performance artist. There are a number of great musicians that actually cannot put on a good show.