An update to a Lampoon classic for Universal Music Group Distribution President Jim Urie, who lamented in his latest pity-the-fat-leeches letter:
"The online theft of music is killing artists, singers, songwriters, musicians, retailers, production engineers and others. It is destroying jobs, dreams and careers. The music community is at risk, as is the unique culture of American music itself."
Funny... because according to all the graphs, reports, calculations and financial sheets, music and musicians are making more money now than before the net became popular. Who is not making money is, of course, the middlemen; those guys who produce nothing and suck everything... like drama queen Jimbo.
Boohoo :)
5 comments:
Tickets for live shows have become more expensive and I believe artists tour longer and more often. Also, I think most people rather buy a single song as an mp3 download rather than going to shop to buy a CD single.
Ka-ching.
When I worked in retail, our store was one of the Billboard reporting ones. When the "majors" floated their plan to kill the single, every single one of the Billboard top 100 reporting outlets told them, "This is suicide." They didn't listen, having greedy visions. Now, 31 years later, I have no "sympathy for the devils" as a consumer OR as a musician.
I am glad the middlemen/bagmen/suits are dying. The only problem is the lies, propaganda and corruption of people like Urie, unable to understand the most basic consumer feedback and throwing tantrums like bloated, inbred and insane monarchs, using the strawman of "piracy" to twist and destroy copyright law, patent law and the Constitution.
diediedie is a proper tag :)
Bowie's Law, I've heard it called: the easier it would be to get music, the less people would pay for it.
I think Bowie (that avatar of all things divine) predicted as well in the late 80s that musicians would have to begin making money by touring and selling merchandise, or go out of business.
@Leanna, the "return to the single" is fine unless you are a fossil like me who actually wants to listen to all of "Diamond Dogs" as a work of art in several movements, and not just hear "Rebel Rebel" 100 times. I'll keep buying CDs and (whoo hooo) vinyl! Thank go the revival is going on in that niche.
i worked for years in the rock and roll biz (managed a touring band for 3 1/2 years) and i can confirm that the only way they can really make money is by touring and playing live. they create a demand for that by releasing recordings. the more ears that hear those recordings, the more notable the band becomes, and the more people who will want to see them perform live. therefore, nowadays recordings are considered to be a promotional expense and not a revenue-generating product.
@Iggy- Bowie was also sued by his own recording company for posting a song on his own site that was rejected by the company...
I've mentioned before about working in a big retail store when the prospectus for killing the single format came round; every single retailer told them they were insane. Their own fault really; they killed the single and the radio, so I see the mp3 scene as "new raido" and the mediamoguls should think about the consequences of their own greed.
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