Quote:
Originally posted by Chewbacca:
Two articles, the first is about the boom of independant music labels whilst the majors fall,
The second is about artists that are critical of the legal tactics used against filesharers and the business model of the major labels in general.
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Chewbacca you are so out of touch. Companies are merging. there is no boom. People are not being signed. It's over. When the music indeustry was thriving, new labels popped up all the time, and were bought and absorbed by the majors. Now, Sony and BMG have merged, or are merging, so there will only be four majors. Obviously the majors are not aquiring independents in the same manner they used to, hence it could appear to a layman that there is a growing number of "independents".
Secondly, these independents are not of the same mould as the real independents like Motown and Island used to be. Real companies with a roster of acts. More and more frequenlty artists - unable to get signed, form their own "independent label" and put out their music. I know a number of "labels" that fit this category. A couple want to release my work for example.
Additionally recording costs are unbelievably cheaper, so an independent doesn't need to pay anywhere near the recording costs they used to.
I've made records by myself with a laptop in a loungeroom that sound better than ones I've made in expensive studios with a session band.
It all makes the ILLUSION of a boom, but in reality there is less money, less industry players, and less ability to release and promote music.
It extends all the way down to the street, where in New York, professional musicians had an abundance of studio and live work, and now they don't. Again, appearances are deceptive, for what happens is the big cats start taking little gigs that newcomers and less talented players got. It's the newer and younger guys that feel the pinch.
It extends to the independent companies in Nashville closing, merging and dieing out. I personally know people from companies that don;t exist anymore because of this. Independent companies too. Two albums I co-produced will never be released because of confusion over who owns the rights now. The whole bottom has fallen out of the industry, and mp3 theft is solely to blame.
I'm living this Chewbacca. THIS IS MY LIFE. Don't attempt to post a few links to sites as some sort of pathetic argument. Come down here to New York City and live my life for six months. I live this. I've had to first hand feel the brunt of mp3 thieves actions.
[ 02-05-2004, 01:17 AM: Message edited by: Yorick ]