And if you’re buying by the track from a legal download site, it gives the artists an incentive to create more good music and less shit. 2 downloads out of an entire album cost a lot less than the $15 the CD sells for in stores.
Of course we could all abandon the Top 40 market in favor of lesser known groups, but what good does that do for us types who like to listen to our favorites from yesteryear? The copyrights are already owned by the record labels (which IMO is wrong - they should belong to the bands who originated the music). At this point in time, the most attractive legal option for us (ignoring sound quality) is to tape them off the oldies station.
I have to say I’ve always had a hard time believing this.
I don’t think many people go and spend $15-$20 on the exact same thing they already have. I’m sure there are people that do so, but knowing human nature, they are a minority.
Yes I’m sure the secret to a successful career for your band is to avoid record labels the entire time.
Actually your best bet is to bust your ass to get noticed by a label, (getting signed is pretty much the same as winning the lottery) go in as educated as you can (and surround yourself with good, smart people), when you sign the contract. Take your industry lumps for several years until the contract ends and go on your own. Prince or a Pearl Jam, and Hootie are a few who did this… Say, how are they doing anyway?
That’s right, it’s nice to have an evil label behind you sometimes.
How’s that crack smoking thing working for you?
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No it wouldn’t be feasible to do this at all. How do you propose to pay them?
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Sometimes it costs a lot of money to make these shitty talent less hacks sound good. Stop to think sometime that there is a reason that some of these recording budgets are so high. Most of the other time, it’s the ego of the artist bringing in a 30 piece orchestra or something that bloats it up. Michael Jackson’s latest album cost 30 million to record for example, and it was all his doing, not from the dark bidding of some evil label.
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They already have a choice whether to sign it or not.
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So once my band is established, I can record in a cheap studio and hire non industry people in order to circumvent the grip of the eviiiiiil record labels so I can establish my band.
Doesn’t do much for the garage band. The irony being this tactic rarely works for established bands either.
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Amazing how millions of starving artists out there haven’t stumbled upon this chestnut of knowledge. :rolleyes:
Well, I do it. I’ve listed about 20 CDs in past threads that I’ve bought because of P2P sharing, including Fallen by Evanescence.
And let me tell you, I don’t have an overactive conscience, nor am I an audiophile who can’t stand MP3s. My guess is that most people are more likely than I to buy albums after downloading them (or to buy other albums they wouldn’t have considered otherwise), not less likely.
A: I have. (Excepting the rare one I listen to, think is crap, and accidentally forget to delete. Sometimes really weird stuff pops up on my hard drive sweeps.)
B: Besides moral issues, I think MP3s to CDs sound horrid, and I listen to music mostly in my car.
World Eater, seems incredibly noxious to accuse me of lying about something so benign as this, I already said I downloaded it. Need me to take a pic with the CD and e-mail it to you? I’m calling you out for calling me a liar. I don’t take it lightly.
On the other hand, you’re probably not worth getting my hackles up, since I think I’ve aggreed with you on a couple other posts
Well I wasn’t exactly calling you a liar. I’ve heard this before where people say, “yeah I download, but if I like it, I run right out and buy the album, and then sprint home and delete the mp3s”.
Knowing human nature, I doubt any more then a minority engage in this act. That does not mean you are a liar, just part of the minority.
Got me there, I didn’t delete the files I bought, but the ones I didn’t buy…
I downloaded half of Andrew WK’s songs, didn’t see any reason to buy the CD, therefore they weren’t good enough to waste the HD space. Gone. The “Fallen” CD is still on my HD, as well as the studio version in the CD palyer on the Stereo.
One other thing, How much goes into the production of the liner/artwork that has nothing to do with the music? Let’s just keep that inflation going on every copy, right?
Well if every MP3 sitting on your HD is also on a CD you bought, congrats, you are probably one of 57 people in the world.
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Would you prefer taking the new Britney Spears off a spindle at the checkout counter? Wacky as it may sound, some people like having the art, the liner notes, and the lyrics.
This is why I asked if you were calling me a liar. Fine, I’m one of 57 people in the world. I can’t get a cite proving otherwise, so we’ll take your infinite wisdom on the number.
BTW, as one of 6 billion, anyone want to write my life story? This makes me a little unique.
World Eater - I’d never make the claim that I own the CD to every mp3 I have, but it certainly does a lot to influence my CD buying. If I’m hearing a band on the radio, I already know if I want their CD or not. But if I’m just hearing buzz about a band, I don’t know if they’re any good. How do I know? I download 5-6 songs and give a listen. If it’s great, I will buy the album. If it’s good, I might buy their next album when it comes out or buy a ticket to see them when they come to town.
This is a very good thing for bands that don’t suck.
There are a multitude of other methods to sample a band before purchasing, which don’t involve breaking laws. Try going to www.towerrecords.com. for example. You can enjoy a short snippet from every song on the album.
As for not owning every CD of every mp3 you have, you seem to be “sampling” them a bit longer then you should.
World Eater, obviously it is difficult for artists to get notices initially, especially without a record label.
However, I maintain that established artists can succeed without one. I don’t know how good this comparision is, but I think it is sort of like NBA player Ray Allen working right now without an agent. He still gets endorsments and a great contract. But he has only a few lawyers handled to work the details, and doesn’t fork over 10 Million to an agent every year. Now more of the well-established players are following his lead
I just think there needs to be a band to be the first to try it. No one is willing to take the chance. But any band with a set fan base would still be able to succeed without a record label.
As for your comment about starving artists seeking a record label to get noticed, I am forced to disagree. I know my local music pretty well. Many artists that sign with labels never become popular. However, there are many local bands in my area that have acquired a pretty impressive following. The biggest question is whether this can translate into national success without a label, and that’s a question I can’t answer. No bands have succeeded at it, but I don’t know any who’ve really tried. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
As for a few other snippets…
I talked about paying managers. You said it wouldn’t be feasible to pay them. That example was specifically for established artists, who presumably could afford it.
In talking about bad contracts, you said they have a choice whether to sign. I agree, they do. Problem is, no artists will refuse to sign a contract because lack of other options. You talked about bands basically begging to be noticed by labels. That’s the problem with the industry. Bad contracts, but no way to get in without the contracts. Hence the reason for my whole suggestion (even though I concede my reasoning is circular, because I also said that it would only work for established bands.).
And finally, Jackson’s 30 million to record an album is a VERY extreme example. Recording studios aren’t that expensive to rent. I know, because I know people in bands who have recorded their own CDs. And fairly high quality. For under 5K. I would guess even higher end studios wouldn’t be far more than 30-40K. The technology is getting cheaper and cheaper.
I have plenty of MP3s that I haven’t bought and don’t plan to - mostly singles that I could’ve (legally) recorded off the radio, but downloading them was more convenient. About half the CDs I’ve bought because of P2P contain the actual songs I downloaded; the rest are other albums by the same band.
I’ve never claimed that I, or any significant group of people, buy every song they download - only that downloading causes them to buy more music than they would have otherwise, which is certainly true in my case.
