music activism
- Thread starter Strangelight
- Start date
Don Corleone
Emre
Morpheus
Member
Morpheus said:
Song number 1
Suggestion
Waiting Room
Bad Mouth
Sieve Fisted Find
Reclamation
Great Cop
Smallpox Champion
Render it
Do You Like Me
Birthday Pony
Back To Base
Caustic Acrostic
Forensic Scene
No Surprise
Guilford Fall
Closed Captioned
Epic Problem
Strangelight
Full Disclosure
Furniture
cant think of any more at the moment
Alwin said:
nice one. its a pity the majority of people here arent arsed, even though they complain the their favourite bands dont get enough media coverage. it says a lot eh?
Morpheus
Member
cheers mate! I will check those songs out!Strangelight said:
i found this on their HP: "The band is self managed and release all their material through Dischord Records, an independent label founded by Ian MacKaye and partner Jeff Nelson in 1980. The band maintains a policy of affordable access to their work through low record and ticket prices and all concerts are all-ages."
Sounds pretty familar to me.
Allan
New Metal Member
Strangelight said:
. I checked it out. Just didn't feel I had any ground breaking thoughts to add to the matter.
Music diversity will grow.
The major labels' business model requires them to have a steady stream of consistent products. The very nature of their operation produces homogenized music designed for specific radio formats and scientifically honed to hit-making models. Artists are signed and promoted based on the opinions of individual A&R executives, not the popularity of the music.
When the major labels crumble, the diversity of mainstream music will blossom. It will be a revolution in pop culture. People will decide what's popular, not marketing.
Pay-for-play radio will end.
For decades, the major labels have controlled what's on the radio by paying radio stations to play their songs. Pay-for-play radio (aka "payola") means that independent labels can't get their music on mainstream radio and mediocre major label music gets on the radio just because somebody's paying.
Legislative efforts to end the practice have failed consistently. Payola is illegal, but labels simply skirt the law by paying third-party "independent promoters" to pay radio stations. As long as the major labels continue to have huge amounts of money to throw into radio promotion, we'll always have pay-for-play. But we can take the money out of the system. If we stop paying for major label music, we can stop payola.
Independent music won't be marginalized.
The major labels use their monopoly of distribution and their control of radio to prevent independent music from competing in the mainstream. Pay-for-play happens in print media too: if a record label places ads, they'll get reviews. Many in indie music circles have grown so used to being marginalized by the majors that they just accept it. Some even become proud of their own obscurity--after all, in this system obscurity is where you get when you stay true to principles. But it doesn't need to be that way. With the record industry in disarray, the media and the public are trying to understand what's happening. If independent labels and musicians speak out against the majors' unfair business practices, they can shift the debate and change the system.
The lawsuits will stop.
The major labels hit a new low when they started suing fans this fall. But the million-dollar filesharing lawsuits are hurting hundreds of families, many of whom have young children. We've spoken with dozens of the people who've been targeted, and these lawsuits are literally driving families into bankruptcy. The risk and expense of fighting the suits rather than settling means that of the over 400 people targetted by the RIAA, there may not be a single case that gets decided in court. The only way to stop these suits is to stop buying the CDs that fund the lawsuits.
Artistic freedom will expand.
For artists on major labels, label bureaucrats hijack the sound and control the final product. The label picks the producer of the album and they can always refuse to release it; sometimes labels even trash entire albums. And at the end of the day the label--not the musician--owns the copyright to each song.
The major labels have also made it illegal or prohibitively expensive to make sample-based music. They own all the copyrights and, unless musicians pay to 'clear' each sample, the musical equivalent of a collage becomes illegal art. Hip-hop and electronic music suffer the most from this restrictive, legalistic atmosphere. But if we take down the copyright cartel, the problem is solved.
Musicians will make a better living.
The major label system is the biggest barrier to musicians making money off CDs. Major label artists only start getting their tiny share of royalties (5-10%) once they've sold over 500,000 units. Independent musicians can get a bigger cut, but thanks to major label payola they can't get on the radio and won't reach a large audience.
All the things the majors do to manipulate the music business cost money. Millions of dollars in payola, 8 figure executive salaries, poor choices of new artists, overpriced studios--this money comes from musicians and fans, but benefits neither. If we cut out the waste, fans will be able to support more musicians while spending less.
The major labels' business model requires them to have a steady stream of consistent products. The very nature of their operation produces homogenized music designed for specific radio formats and scientifically honed to hit-making models. Artists are signed and promoted based on the opinions of individual A&R executives, not the popularity of the music.
When the major labels crumble, the diversity of mainstream music will blossom. It will be a revolution in pop culture. People will decide what's popular, not marketing.
Pay-for-play radio will end.
For decades, the major labels have controlled what's on the radio by paying radio stations to play their songs. Pay-for-play radio (aka "payola") means that independent labels can't get their music on mainstream radio and mediocre major label music gets on the radio just because somebody's paying.
Legislative efforts to end the practice have failed consistently. Payola is illegal, but labels simply skirt the law by paying third-party "independent promoters" to pay radio stations. As long as the major labels continue to have huge amounts of money to throw into radio promotion, we'll always have pay-for-play. But we can take the money out of the system. If we stop paying for major label music, we can stop payola.
Independent music won't be marginalized.
The major labels use their monopoly of distribution and their control of radio to prevent independent music from competing in the mainstream. Pay-for-play happens in print media too: if a record label places ads, they'll get reviews. Many in indie music circles have grown so used to being marginalized by the majors that they just accept it. Some even become proud of their own obscurity--after all, in this system obscurity is where you get when you stay true to principles. But it doesn't need to be that way. With the record industry in disarray, the media and the public are trying to understand what's happening. If independent labels and musicians speak out against the majors' unfair business practices, they can shift the debate and change the system.
The lawsuits will stop.
The major labels hit a new low when they started suing fans this fall. But the million-dollar filesharing lawsuits are hurting hundreds of families, many of whom have young children. We've spoken with dozens of the people who've been targeted, and these lawsuits are literally driving families into bankruptcy. The risk and expense of fighting the suits rather than settling means that of the over 400 people targetted by the RIAA, there may not be a single case that gets decided in court. The only way to stop these suits is to stop buying the CDs that fund the lawsuits.
Artistic freedom will expand.
For artists on major labels, label bureaucrats hijack the sound and control the final product. The label picks the producer of the album and they can always refuse to release it; sometimes labels even trash entire albums. And at the end of the day the label--not the musician--owns the copyright to each song.
The major labels have also made it illegal or prohibitively expensive to make sample-based music. They own all the copyrights and, unless musicians pay to 'clear' each sample, the musical equivalent of a collage becomes illegal art. Hip-hop and electronic music suffer the most from this restrictive, legalistic atmosphere. But if we take down the copyright cartel, the problem is solved.
Musicians will make a better living.
The major label system is the biggest barrier to musicians making money off CDs. Major label artists only start getting their tiny share of royalties (5-10%) once they've sold over 500,000 units. Independent musicians can get a bigger cut, but thanks to major label payola they can't get on the radio and won't reach a large audience.
All the things the majors do to manipulate the music business cost money. Millions of dollars in payola, 8 figure executive salaries, poor choices of new artists, overpriced studios--this money comes from musicians and fans, but benefits neither. If we cut out the waste, fans will be able to support more musicians while spending less.
MoonsOfJupiter
freckled warrior maiden
Great website, I saved it to my favorites. It piqued my interest because I'm a musician and a DJ.
best
Themanwithnoname
its a very good site i believe, it brings a different perspective on the issue. I dont know it but do any of the guys know the price of albums back in 60s and 70s, i really want to learn it. I think record labels do incredible shit specialy when they release box sets or rare tracks compilations. like there are all these miles davis box sets which id love to buy but they are priced over 100 dollars. All they do is to search their archives find the outtakes, polish them and bind them with the songs on the normal albums. They paid miles 40 years ago, they sold the albums in that time and made profit and now they are resellin the same stuff for 100 dollars. I dont think much of that money goes to miles' family. how can they not to face a decline when they are being this greedy.
best said:
A lot of that is the band/artists fault for giving them permission when they sign the contracts. Its not just the majors though, the whole music business is like that really. Independents, distributors, agents the lot. Every band I know moans about their label, but they do nothing about it, which is a damn shame.
best
Themanwithnoname
Strangelight said:
isnt there a way to own your songs' copyright while workin with major labels?
like you let them use the songs on the album but when they resell it like the box sets i mentioned they need to get your permission
What is independence?
Independence means running a record label or publisher without the backing of the majors or big indies, but if you can run an independent with access to major label distribution its obviously going to be easier.
The term independent is often used fairly loosely to mean:
* sub-labels of the major record companies (not really independent at all);
* sub-labels of the majors that are specific to a big artist deal (not independent);
* non-major labels that are would-be-majors and behave just like them (you decide);
* labels for so-called Indie music (whatever that is) maybe independent or not;
* labels that are independent and different to major labels;
* the indie genre, the indie philosophy or anything predominantly independent.
The major record labels
Majors have the largest rosters of artists and largest catalogues of recording rights. They are old-fashioned and their costs are high. Some large independents are similar to majors so there isnt always a difference. The majors make less than 20% of all controlled releases; earn over half of the mainstream revenue and need artists to sell more than a million to break even. The label will be in profit before the artist and will make between 5 and 15 times more than the artist on each record.
Major label sales have fallen since 2000. Independent sales are up as a whole.
Independent record labels
There are thousands of independentsthey are simply record labels that arent majors, but the best of them work in a different way, sometimes:
* allowing artists to retain their recording rights;
* profit sharing on projects rather than fixing a royalty;
* making contracts based on projects rather than a period of years;
* limiting the exclusive scope of contracts.
Their costs tend to be lower and many can make a good living for the label and artist without mainstream exposure. Independents make more than 80% of all controlled releases; earn less than half of the mainstream revenue and sell anywhere from thousands to millions of each release. A higher proportion of their releases make money (only one in ten major signings are ever released and even less make money).
Independence means running a record label or publisher without the backing of the majors or big indies, but if you can run an independent with access to major label distribution its obviously going to be easier.
The term independent is often used fairly loosely to mean:
* sub-labels of the major record companies (not really independent at all);
* sub-labels of the majors that are specific to a big artist deal (not independent);
* non-major labels that are would-be-majors and behave just like them (you decide);
* labels for so-called Indie music (whatever that is) maybe independent or not;
* labels that are independent and different to major labels;
* the indie genre, the indie philosophy or anything predominantly independent.
The major record labels
Majors have the largest rosters of artists and largest catalogues of recording rights. They are old-fashioned and their costs are high. Some large independents are similar to majors so there isnt always a difference. The majors make less than 20% of all controlled releases; earn over half of the mainstream revenue and need artists to sell more than a million to break even. The label will be in profit before the artist and will make between 5 and 15 times more than the artist on each record.
Major label sales have fallen since 2000. Independent sales are up as a whole.
Independent record labels
There are thousands of independentsthey are simply record labels that arent majors, but the best of them work in a different way, sometimes:
* allowing artists to retain their recording rights;
* profit sharing on projects rather than fixing a royalty;
* making contracts based on projects rather than a period of years;
* limiting the exclusive scope of contracts.
Their costs tend to be lower and many can make a good living for the label and artist without mainstream exposure. Independents make more than 80% of all controlled releases; earn less than half of the mainstream revenue and sell anywhere from thousands to millions of each release. A higher proportion of their releases make money (only one in ten major signings are ever released and even less make money).
pistol_pete
Member
" CD burners didn't just make it easy to copy CDs, they made people realize that CDs cost almost nothing to make. On the same record store shelf, stacks of 30 cent blank CDs sit next to the record companies' $16 jewel cases. And if it costs a regular person 30 cents to make a perfect copy on their home computer, imagine how little it costs when you own a factory. Even if you've never burned a CD in your life, you feel like an idiot paying $16 for CDs when you know you don't have to anymore. "
thats the way i feel. fuckin 22euros around here for a CD. or you can have everything in the world for 20 euros a month internet connection.
thats the way i feel. fuckin 22euros around here for a CD. or you can have everything in the world for 20 euros a month internet connection.
pistol_pete said:
CDs are only really dirt cheap to press if you're doing thousands at once. Some bands/labels can only afford to do short runs of 500 or 1000 at a time, which costs a lot per CD more than say 5000. I suppose its whether you want to support a band, or if youre even bothered/aware
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