The music industry - it isn't as it seems.....

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ohglobbits

31-03-2015

Originally Posted by mrkite77:
“Every one of those labels is far bigger than what most artists can achieve on their own.”

Sure, absolutely. I've always liked your recommendations and these outfits are commendable but having picked Polyvinyl Record Company at random I see it is a small label for unsigned artists using the Crowd funding service Kickstarter. Do these labels have the money the indie labels had before to make expensive albums that will make it to the mainstream?

TheTruth1983

31-03-2015

Originally Posted by ohglobbits:
“Sure, absolutely. I've always liked your recommendations and these outfits are commendable but having picked Polyvinyl Record Company at random I see it is a small label for unsigned artists using the Crowd funding service Kickstarter. Do these labels have the money the indie labels had before to make expensive albums that will make it to the mainstream?”

Why does an album have to be expensively made? Some of the best music have have heard has come from a bunch of guys (and/or girls) jamming in their garage on a small budget.

As for less well known music not getting into the mainstream, I blame radio DJs and broadcasters who play nothing but safe, MOR music for that rather than the indie labels who frankly do a great job.

mgvsmith

31-03-2015

Originally Posted by mrkite77:
“There's plenty of middle ground. Here are a bunch of indie labels' youtube channels.. and this is just what I found looking through one of my personal music playlists.

https://www.youtube.com/user/NewRetroWave
subs: 80k
total views: 21M
most popular song: LazerHawk - King of the Streets 1M views

Every one of those labels is far bigger than what most artists can achieve on their own.”

I discovered Lazerhawk on Spotify. I take the point here but a lot depends on what you mean by success. The idea of being successful via the Internet might work although here is a rough estimate of an artist's changes of getting by rather than global superstardom.

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/w...cord-deal.html

And here's some proof it might work.
http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2009/...jor-label.html

Apart from MackleMore and Alex Day though it's difficult to point to an artist who has been a big success without a record label at some point along the way.

unique

31-03-2015

Originally Posted by ohglobbits:
“Either they're big labels or people making records in their bedrooms. There's no middle ground, labels like Rough Trade, Epitaph or Creation Records ready to sign underground acts who make their own music and give them the budget to make a big release..they're not there anymore”

as others have pointed out there is middle ground. however as people these days can literally record and distribute a complete track on their own from their bedroom to people all around the world, literally going from writing a track to distribution, in a day, there is less need for the type of indie labels of the past. in the 80s with no internet or powerful home computers, artists needed to use indie labels to record something in half decent quality and press it and/or distribute it, unless they wanted to sit copying tape to tape and sell direct at gigs, which wasn't going to get you very far

mialicious

31-03-2015

Kickstarter and things like that are the future..
De la soul are trying something different on their new album.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ouls-new-album

unique

31-03-2015

Originally Posted by TheTruth1983:
“Why does an album have to be expensively made? Some of the best music have have heard has come from a bunch of guys (and/or girls) jamming in their garage on a small budget.

As for less well known music not getting into the mainstream, I blame radio DJs and broadcasters who play nothing but safe, MOR music for that rather than the indie labels who frankly do a great job.”

most radio dj's are little more than presenters, playing music that's been picked for them, or a choice or music that's been pre picked for them. they are chosen for their voice and personality, not musical taste

as for broadcasters, they have a set remit, and for commercial radio it's to make money, so you can't blame them for playing crap if that's what most people want to listen to. blame yourself for listening to the radio if you don't like what you hear. in this day and age there are plenty of alternate ways to listen to music and have been for a long time

callmediva

31-03-2015

Originally Posted by Neil_N:
“The music industry now is dictated by a few individuals who run record labels and tell us what THEY WANT and THEY play. Even the singles chart is an illusion of public choice. It's all to make money, and no-one dares complains as interest is low.

There are tonnes of talented artists out there, that NEVER get that big break, but they still make albums with little to no success and they enjoy making and performing music for the fun of it. There are a few bands and vocalists on the bar/club scene who like performing for fun, whilst maintaing an ordinary job. The bonus of a couple of free drinks and £50.00 is just a mere after-thought. These people are the real talents.

Then you get, the record company pets - these are the ones who start of honestly like above, but prostitute themselves because of the money and fame. If I was a musician or vocalist, I'd keep my career to the UK and possible Europe only where there is big nations like Germany, France and Spain (maybe even the latin world if you know a few words of Spanish). Artists become "fake" now when they try the US. The US isn't all that, it changes people when the vast reality in that country is people there are starving and struggling. It's all a money making scam. I think Beyonce may indeed be a product of a higher power - time will tell, especially next year when Obama has to step down. There are few performers out there with a social consicence, and the music channels and radio are in state because the big labels plug their acts and song. This is why you have a stale playlist, and a stale singles chart.

The music industry might be honest in some other countries like Spain, Germany, Italy but in the Anglophone world big players (UK, US and to a lesser point Australia and NZ) it is not.

I am sorry to say all of this, but the whole thing is a sham.”

wow £50?

are you sure?

In Manchester it'll cost you £50 to play - pay to play is rife round here, if you walk out of a gig with 50 quid in your pocket it's cos you walked in to play with £100 in your pocket.

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