RECORD COMPANIES LOSE, ARTISTS GAIN (sorry if this is a repost)

[harmonicon]

I just thought I'd post this here, since I haven't seen it on DU since coming across it a few days ago. The long and short of it is this; a Norwegian study shows that in the last ten years, musicians are better off than they were before, where as record companies are losing out from digital distribution.

I sort of hate the idea of opening up this can of worms again, because the arguments that ensue make me want to bash my head against a wall. I am a musician, and for the last 10+ years have been making records, as a performer, producer, writer, etc. It just drives me crazy when I see people defending groups like the RIAA with arguments about "artists are losing money!!" with no evidence to back it up. This artist hates the major record labels and would love to see them disappear.

please do read the whole summary, but here is a short excerpt:

"After 10 years of digitalization of music, the average (Norwegian) musician's income has increased by 66%. As a group, the only losers in digital music seems to be the record companies. This is the conclusion of a M.Sc. study done by students Richard Bjerkøe and Anders Sørbo at the Norwegian School of Management BI in Oslo.

The thesis "The Norwegian Music Industry in the Age of Digitalization" shows that the musicians' income increase is due to increased income from concerts, various collection agencies and stipends from the government in the period from 1999 to 2009. During the same period, record sales have decreased by about 50%. The fall in income from record sales is less important for the musicians, however, since, on average, they only receive 15% of record sales, whereas they receive on average 50% from concerts and 80% from collection agencies (who collects provisions from radio play and other uses of the artists' productions.)"

http://www.espen.com/archives/2010/10/record_companies_lose_artists_gain.html

[camio]

1. I hate it when people defend RIAA.

Anybody who actually IS OR KNOWS a recording artist knows of the hate/hate relationship. For what reason do major labels exist? DUH, to make money off the backs of the artists.

Whoever spews that crap about RIAA and their artists losing money over digital releases is just happily being spoonfed the garbage that the labels love to whine about.
Of course THEY will lose money from a torrent, but the artist has a chance of getting a new pair of ears to go to a concert or buy a higher-quality CD, etc.

(In the music industry from age fifteen. Know firsthand the labels' ugly ways.)

[Hissyspit]

8. 1979: "Home Taping Is Killing Music!"

Even at 15, I knew that was bullshit. Home taping helped spread the news about what was happening in music.

And they put that crap right on the record cover that I spent MY money on.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Live shows vs. Co-opted intellectual property.

Those who can't do, steal.

:think:

[Sanity Claws]

3. can someone direct me to a site explaining how the music industry

currently operates?
I want to get a good understanding of the new model to see if it can be applied to the publishing industry. Publishing has to be remade because the print industry is dying.

[Tanuki]

6. You can get a lot of information at www.bmi.com

Be sure to look at their "useful links" section as well, as there are links to upcoming intellectual property legislation.

[Hissyspit]

9. 1.) Hundreds of record labels now three.

2.) Sue little old ladies and 11 year olds for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[harmonicon]

11. I don't think there is a new model

People are crawling in the dark. I don't think it's a bad thing, since the old model (really it only existed since the 70's) was such crap that almost anything else would be better. Not exactly what you were looking for, but this was something that I remembered bookmarking last year because I found it interesting:

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2009/10/future-of-music-summit-115000-albums-and-only-110-hits.html

[Kurovski]

4. K&R. (nt)

[JackRiddler]

5. kickeroo! And watch this:

RiP! A REMIX MANIFESTO

[Demoiselle]

7. Speaking as the mother of a penniless musician...

I am heartened by your post. And yes indeed "Record Companies" seem to be offering us nothing but derivative, mindless garbage.

[harmonicon]

10. Mom!

It used to be the case, back when I was playing in bands, that having a record contract and an album/albums was just a good calling card for promoting concerts and selling merchandise. I think that's far less the case now that digital distribution is the norm, especially for young bands. For the last 5 or 6 years most money I've made (and I'm still absolutely dirt poor) has been from academia. I still record things for record labels, but they're *tiny* labels; i.e. not the kind of things that will likely ever turn up on torrents, run by guys who do it for the love of the music, often as a second job or hobby, and I don't expect to get paid from it (nor do they... hell, 1/2 of these guys probably lose money on the deal).

[Demoiselle]

14. All the best to you, son. Loving what you do is a great blessing.

[lame54]

12. Do I have a song for you...

Dinosaurs Will Die by NOFX
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G3dzddZ6WE

Kick back watch it crumble
See the drowning, watch the fall
I feel just terrible about it
That's sarcasm, let it burn

I'm gonna make a toast when it falls apart
I'm gonna raise my glass above my heart
Then someone shouts "That's what they get!"

For all the years of hit and run
For all the piss broke bands on VH1
Where did all, their money go?
Don't we all know

Parasitic music industry
As it destroys itself
We'll show them how it's supposed to be

Music written from devotion
Not ambition, not for fame
Zero people are exploited
There are no tricks, up our sleeve

Gonna fight against the mass appeal
We're gonna kill the 7 record deal
Make records that have more than one good song
The dinosaurs will slowly die
And I do believe no one will cry
I'm just fucking glad I'm gonna be
There to watch the fall

Prehistoric music industry
Three feet in la brea tar
Extinction never felt so good

If you think anyone would feel badly
You are sadly, mistaken
The time has come for evolution
Fuck collusion, kill the five

Whatever happened to the handshake?
Whatever happened to deals no-one would break?
What happened to integrity?
It's still there it always was
For playing music just because
A million reasons why
All dinosaurs will die
All dinosaurs will die
All dinosaurs will die

[Edweird]

13. Yep. The money is in touring and merchandising, not record sales.

Anybody that's ever been involved in it knows this. Filesharing HELPS not hurts musicians.