Where is the industry going with regards to music being essentially free?

On Jun 19, 7:54 pm, "MSchmidt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> There's a lot of talk right now about the concept of selling music being
> dead. That the overall tendency, long term, is to make music free, and
> charge more for the live shows.
>
> What does this mean for artists that don't do shows, though? Is there a
> market for those who are strictly composers / studio artists? Or do they
> need to adapt to the change in landscape and become solely producers for
> other artists, who will in turn see their music downloaded but make their
> money back via the live show?

They'll have to get day jobs and save music for their own personal
entertainment at home. There will be no more live shows and those who
can't entertain themselves with their own music will just have to
watch reality TV.

"Mike Rivers" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:0e7a189e-c200-4b3a-a46d-29917121069c@z66g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> On Jun 19, 7:54 pm, "MSchmidt" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> There's a lot of talk right now about the concept of selling music being
>> dead. That the overall tendency, long term, is to make music free, and
>> charge more for the live shows.
>>
>> What does this mean for artists that don't do shows, though? Is there a
>> market for those who are strictly composers / studio artists? Or do they
>> need to adapt to the change in landscape and become solely producers for
>> other artists, who will in turn see their music downloaded but make their
>> money back via the live show?
>
> They'll have to get day jobs and save music for their own personal
> entertainment at home. There will be no more live shows and those who
> can't entertain themselves with their own music will just have to
> watch reality TV.

...ask a stupid question...

;-)

On Jun 19, 7:54 pm, "MSchmidt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> There's a lot of talk right now about the concept of selling music being
> dead. That the overall tendency, long term, is to make music free, and
> charge more for the live shows.
>
> What does this mean for artists that don't do shows, though? Is there a
> market for those who are strictly composers / studio artists? Or do they
> need to adapt to the change in landscape and become solely producers for
> other artists, who will in turn see their music downloaded but make their
> money back via the live show?

As long as BMI, ASCAP (etc.), producers, record labels, publishers,
songwriters and distributors like CD mfgrs, iTunes and other online
outlets
exist they will fight tooth and nail to keep some profitable business
model
alive. Maybe not _AS_ profitable, but ...

rd

On Jun 19, 7:54 pm, "MSchmidt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> There's a lot of talk right now about the concept of selling music being
> dead. That the overall tendency, long term, is to make music free, and
> charge more for the live shows.
>
> What does this mean for artists that don't do shows, though? Is there a
> market for those who are strictly composers / studio artists? Or do they
> need to adapt to the change in landscape and become solely producers for
> other artists, who will in turn see their music downloaded but make their
> money back via the live show?

I was asking a Studio Owner friend of about such things the other
day, and he felt right now nobody's really figured it out yet. Large
Studios continue to close, "Record Labels" try to come up with new
ways to exploit talent (anyone here signing a 360 deal gets a broken
leg), but really everyone's wondering the same thing.

A Producer I know is of the opinion you have to attach your
product to something in order to make money with it, and it really
can't as a stand alone. There are still licensing fees and playback
royalties though, if you can get airplay somehow. Of course
merchandising has been half the money bands make touring for some
time, so "Branding", image control and a business sense is more
important than ever. And you can always do studio work for people who
want to make a record, there has always been a certain amount of
"Vanity Press" work (maybe it's just serving the "Artistic Community",
I dunno.)

On the flip side, I hear Vinyl Record Pressings are making a pretty
impressive comeback. That, and that sales of RAP are down over 25%
might be a sign of life in the music industry. Hey, remember "Disco
Sucks"? Now what shall our new motto be?

Will Miho
NY TV/Audio Post/Music/Live Sound Guy
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits

WillStG <[email protected]> wrote:
> On the flip side, I hear Vinyl Record Pressings are making a pretty
>impressive comeback. That, and that sales of RAP are down over 25%
>might be a sign of life in the music industry. Hey, remember "Disco
>Sucks"? Now what shall our new motto be?

Overall vinyl sales are down a bit. Not as far down as CDs, but down
a little. What's rising are sales of audiophile vinyl pressings and
that's good news.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."