The Dark Side of the Music Industry

[Eoraptor1]

I found this video on YouTube as a recommendation of creativeguitarstudio (I've been playing for 25+ but am still struggling to become competent on the guitar). I know quite a few members here are also musicians, so I'd like to know what you think of this guy's thesis - and no, this is not me; I am physically much more beautiful than this man.

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JAMES

[stiz]

i only watched a few mins but from what i heard i agree, the music industry is an ever controlling 2 faced monstor, they sue everybody they can for any sort of copyright infringement ... yet have you heard about the lesser know bands+singers who havent recived all the money their owed?

And yes they are takeing over the radios, they play what they want you to listen to, they dont care tupence about any talent, so long as you sound pretty, look sexy and do what your told, your in! .. simon cowl and his "talent" shows are the perfect example of how they dont give a **** and as soon as you dont make the amount of money they want, they'll have no hesitation in kicking you out onto the street :monkies:

[argo147]

I stopped listening to the radio years ago for many of the same reasons that this man is talking about. Modern pop music is crap. period.

[Lawman]

For the most part I disagree with this gentleman. His first statement was that you're not really an artist if you don't write your own stuff. Excuse me? Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Ella Fitzgerald e.g. never wrote their own material, and they're some of the finest performers ever.

Record companies are commercial enterprises. Have been from day one and always will be. And like any commercial enterprise in any market, they're looking for ways to garner the most revenue for the least cost. They invest and want to see a profit in return (damn those capitalist!!). It is also completely logical that they want to protect their investments/way of doing business. Wouldn't you? As long as we keep listening/watching to the stuff they're offering, they're gonna keep offering it. If we don't, they'll stop it. Simple as that.

Artists are no longer helpless victims of "evil" record companies. That may have been true up to the 1970s and seems to be one of those perpetual myths: the poor artist against the big bad record company. Artist like Beyonce, Britney Spears and Shakira dress and act like they do because they know damn well that "sex sells". They sure don't look "helpless and exploited" to me.
That some very good artist don't make it big time says more of us as a society than anything about the record companies. Besides, the Internet has provided artists with the opportunity for low-cost self-promotion outside the major record companies.

[Eoraptor1]

Thanks to everyone who answered. IMO, and in short, the gentleman in the video is expressing his opinion, and supporting it with facts that support his opinion; basic 7th grade composition. No one is under any obligation to agree. I don't listen to a lot of terrestial radio anymore because I don't like most of the music, and there are now other outlets. I've excercised the "consumer's veto" I believe Lawman is advocating. The idea that a "true" artist composes, plays at least one instrument, and is involved in production, is common in post Tin Pan Alley era musicians, especially those who become music writers. Many of them have trouble accepting that others (especially non-musicians) don't necessarily accept their yardstick for quality. Don't believe me? Join an online music forum and say "Justin Bieber isn't so bad". Just be ready for a pointed personal attack involving your intelligence and sexual orinetation. Not kidding here, gentelemen.

My view on money is fairly simple: It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. I do NOT believe Markets are manisfestations of the Holy Spirit and never to be criticised. They are human beings with human failings trying to get their money, and they are responsible for their actions. There's been PLENTY of music business chicanery since the 70s, and it's been well documented. I recommend Frederic Dannen's Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business, for an overview of the largely unpublicised role of the Independent Promoter. Morris Levy (upon whom the character "Hesh" is based in The Sopranos) died in 1990, but the calculus is the same: own the publishing, whether you wrote the music or not; and royalties paid promptly to artists are not earning you interest or dividends. Media is falling into fewer and fewer hands, more and more centralized, and more and more homogenized, and the interests doing this lobby for politicians who will change the laws so they can centralize even more. That is NOT my opinion. If you're a shareholder in a multi-national media conglomarate, that's a good thing. If you aren't, maybe not. Still, the traditional music business is in trouble. Profits are way down. The RIAA would say this is because of the internet, and online file sharing, and they have a point; "free" is an unbeatable price, but I would also argue part of the problem is their product. All and all, though, I'm optimistic. Like Lawman said, the serious music fan has more options now than ever before in history. A guitar player with a PC can do what Les Paul did in the 50s right at his home workstation. There's good music out there, people just have to be willing to find it.

JAMES

[Lawman]

Eoraptor1, I agree with you and the gentleman in the video that music has become more homogenized and in the hands of a few large corporations. But IMHO the question we have to ask ourselves is if this is because of the way record companies operate or the way our society has developed? In our society, music has to compete with an ever increasing number of alternative passtimes. So everything has to be "instantly consumable".

I'm a bit of an audio buff, so I read a number of audio magazines (which like most other publications have become more of a PR-brochure than a truly "independant" mag). They usually have a music section where they also review "audiophile" recordings. I picked up a number of interesting, "non-mainstream", artists that way which I otherwise would probably never heard of. Like you said, there's still a lot of good music out there if you are willing to look/listen for it. Even in today's music. And you can argue about taste ad nauseum.

[Naismith]

He speaks a lot of truthisms. But then this has always been the case, record companies want to sell music and they will zerro in on what they think the public wants. Unfortunately the public in general have been dumbed down in so many ways including music and entertainment appreciation. But they get what they want, "artistes" that are viable for about 5 minutes.

I was at a wedding recently with a mixed age group, the oh so hip and trendy DJ was playing a bunch of that modern crud, result, nobody would dance. He put on some 60's and 70's, result everyone was up on their feet. He thought he was oh so clever and sneaked in some Slim Shady after about 15 mins. Everyone sat back down. He had to admit defeat and resumed the oldies.

[stansdds]

The new stuff does, to me, sound pretty much the same. I'd much rather hear music from the 50's, 60's, 70's and even early 80's than listen to the more recent offerings. And I'm sure the record music industry is all about the money. They produce what they know will sell and keep as much money as possible for themselves.

[Panther_99FS]

There's reason I have VERY LITTLE music made after 1990...
I basically agree, stuff now is crap...

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

A number of valid points have been made. Corporations do have a stranglehold on what is played on radio. As Lawman says it is financially motivated - we buy it - they produce it. Remember in America the market system is absolutely unequivocially always right. Right? That said artists have an incredible opportunity to show what they can do - it's called the internet. Just like the proliferation of ebooks skipping the corporate control of the publishers the direct delivery of music has tremendous potential - it simply takes a listener having the moxie to seek out the good stuff. If the day comes when the internet is censored (either directly or through financial mechanisms) by corporations then we are all in serious trouble.

Ultimately society gets the government, business environment and society it deserves. Case in point - biggest economic fiasco since the great depression and not one politician, government law/regulation maker or CEO is in jail - not one. We deserve it. We look at our grandparents and their parents as the greatest generation - what happened to us? But enough of that.

There is great music out there being made every day - you just have to put out the energy to find it. Here is my contribution. Enjoy a song you'll never hear on mainstream radio.

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-Ed-

[Eoraptor1]

Ultimately society gets the government, business environment and society it deserves. Case in point - biggest economic fiasco since the great depression and not one politician, government law/regulation maker or CEO is in jail - not one. We deserve it. We look at our grandparents and their parents as the greatest generation - what happened to us? But enough of that.

There is great music out there being made every day - you just have to put out the energy to find it. Here is my contribution. Enjoy a song you'll never hear on mainstream radio.

aYGz5AreduU&feature=related

-Ed-

Ed, we park our cars in the same garage here; only I find it more and more difficult to use the word "deserve" in a sentence. There's so much deception in the world it's hard to weed out what is what, which is why I think people seek out simple, easy to follow narratives where it's all somebody else's fault. Better stop there; I promised jmig I'd behave myself. Thanks for your input.

JAMES

[wiltzei]

Slightly OT. I recalled this thread after stumbling upon this intriguing clip:

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[Navy Chief]

I agree with the opinion that music is not nearly as good, overall, as it was in years past.

But internet sites, such as Pandora, have provided a venue for artists that are new...and in some cases...just needing more exposure.

I've added a few cds to my collection, as a direct result of having heard the artist on Pandora for the first time.

Most of the music has been jazz. One of the most recent cds I bought was "GK", by Gregg Karukas.

Navy Chief