4 ms·

Yes, perhaps thinking the labels changing their ways (or hoping they do) over time is naive. I'll admit that (but I'd like to say optimistic instead). What the

by physcab 16y ago

Yes, perhaps thinking the labels changing their ways (or hoping they do) over time is naive. I'll admit that (but I'd like to say optimistic instead). What the music industry needs is a platform where unsigned artists can go to promote their music without the help of the labels. This platform could probably act like a label, but better serve the artists and users. It would have to garner a lot of eyeballs so it could effectively break artists into the mainstream. It would have to be smart at targeting a specific demographic of listeners so artists could know where to travel and know they can fill auditoriums. Lastly it would have to be a tech company, so the Platform would be in the hands of every listener. MySpace might be able to do this if they gave up on the social network thing. There certainly is room though for a new company to have this role, but it is going to be a long and painful process. And you certainly shouldn't do it for short term gain.

jbrennan 16y ago
What I've been wondering is why Apple doesn't pony up and do just that. They could say "Hey artists not [yet] on a label, join the iTunes Label. We're a great distribution channel, and we'll give you a 70/30 split." OK so it's a bit far-fetched, and it really depends on what iTunes-as-a-label would provide (but with GarageBand/Logic/CuBase who needs tons of financing?). Really the only thing iTunes doesn't have a great story for would be touring (but even then, what better way to sell concert tickets than through iTunes/Ping?).
- yuvi 16y ago
  CDBaby and tunecore are pretty close I guess, they'll get you on iTunes and more (physical copies too in CDBaby's case)
- blhack 16y ago
  Because record labels are more about promotion than distribution (anymore). Amazon, cdbaby, etc. can all already do this. Honestly, the artists don't even need those people anymore. I've seen artists who sell their music directly on their own site, and I don't see why more can't.
- steveklabnik 16y ago
  IIRC, Apple is not allowed to start a record label due to one of the settlements they made with Apple Records.
  - pg 16y ago
    Who would have ever guessed at the time that would matter?
tjmc 16y ago
The idea of simply creating a different distribution mechanism (eg CDBaby) for unsigned artists so that they don't have to sign with a major label is popular with the tech crowd, but fundamentally flawed. It assumes that unsigned artists can all produce well recorded, popular music on their own. Most can't. A good producer can pick a rough artist or band and get something popular out of them, but it often involves both mentoring and investment in recording and promotion upfront before any opportunity of return. Note I deliberately use the word "popular" rather than "good" (which is subjective anyway) because clearly as a business "popular" is where the money is. The "long tail" theory is fiction. Music is a hits business where most of the money is made by a relatively short fat body of popular music. Many of the most popular "artists" are created from scratch by producers. Where do you think Britney and the Spice Girls came from? Like them or not, the revenue from hit music funds the production of new acts who haven't become profitable yet. Another flawed assumption is that everyone wants to listen to new music. A lot don't. So you have a large body of recorded music that the record labels will never give up or let you sample or remix without a hefty toll. And as soon as any new act gets popular, you can bet they'll be offered a seat at the "big 4" music table. It's the DeBeers business model applied to music. Personally, I think what the radio station JJJ in Australia does with their unearthed site (http://triplejunearthed.com/ http://triplejunearthed.com/) is an excellent model for identifying quality artists. The next step IMHO is a ycombinator style production startup company that invests in developing the most promising acts to become popular and then offers all the recording, promotion, management and touring services that the labels do but on just terms. Distribution is just the last piece of the puzzle.
- physcab 16y ago
  Your analysis is flawed in that you're only assuming the popular ones are successful. Do you also think successful companies are only those that are used by millions of users? Its true that the endorsement approach only works for popular artists, but everyone else can take the Youtube approach and let their content speak for themselves. Plus, not every artist wants to be mainstream popular. A lot of artists just want to get their music heard and know more about the people who listen to them. They make their money by touring and merch just like the popular ones do. And artists don't need a lot of capital anymore. Yes, labels sink enormous sums into the production and marketing of a track in the hope they have a Lady Gaga hit, but I think you'd be surprised by how many successful artists there are that have chosen to go their own way and do just fine. Hell, I'm looking at the data right now its its quite convincing.
JonnieCache 16y ago
http://soundcloud.com http://soundcloud.com definitely forms part of this. Especially when you link it up to Facebook via the http://rootmusic.com http://rootmusic.com service. These three are basically the holy trinity when it comes to unsigned bands promoting themselves these days.
pgebhard 16y ago
http://thesixtyone.com http://thesixtyone.com seems to be doing just that.

by physcab 16y ago

jbrennan 16y ago

What I've been wondering is why Apple doesn't pony up and do just that. They could say "Hey artists not [yet] on a label, join the iTunes Label. We're a great distribution channel, and we'll give you a 70/30 split." OK so it's a bit far-fetched, and it really depends on what iTunes-as-a-label would provide (but with GarageBand/Logic/CuBase who needs tons of financing?). Really the only thing iTunes doesn't have a great story for would be touring (but even then, what better way to sell concert tickets than through iTunes/Ping?).

yuvi 16y ago
CDBaby and tunecore are pretty close I guess, they'll get you on iTunes and more (physical copies too in CDBaby's case)
blhack 16y ago
Because record labels are more about promotion than distribution (anymore). Amazon, cdbaby, etc. can all already do this. Honestly, the artists don't even need those people anymore. I've seen artists who sell their music directly on their own site, and I don't see why more can't.
steveklabnik 16y ago
IIRC, Apple is not allowed to start a record label due to one of the settlements they made with Apple Records.
- pg 16y ago
  Who would have ever guessed at the time that would matter?

tjmc 16y ago

The idea of simply creating a different distribution mechanism (eg CDBaby) for unsigned artists so that they don't have to sign with a major label is popular with the tech crowd, but fundamentally flawed. It assumes that unsigned artists can all produce well recorded, popular music on their own. Most can't. A good producer can pick a rough artist or band and get something popular out of them, but it often involves both mentoring and investment in recording and promotion upfront before any opportunity of return. Note I deliberately use the word "popular" rather than "good" (which is subjective anyway) because clearly as a business "popular" is where the money is. The "long tail" theory is fiction. Music is a hits business where most of the money is made by a relatively short fat body of popular music. Many of the most popular "artists" are created from scratch by producers. Where do you think Britney and the Spice Girls came from? Like them or not, the revenue from hit music funds the production of new acts who haven't become profitable yet. Another flawed assumption is that everyone wants to listen to new music. A lot don't. So you have a large body of recorded music that the record labels will never give up or let you sample or remix without a hefty toll. And as soon as any new act gets popular, you can bet they'll be offered a seat at the "big 4" music table. It's the DeBeers business model applied to music. Personally, I think what the radio station JJJ in Australia does with their unearthed site (http://triplejunearthed.com/ http://triplejunearthed.com/) is an excellent model for identifying quality artists. The next step IMHO is a ycombinator style production startup company that invests in developing the most promising acts to become popular and then offers all the recording, promotion, management and touring services that the labels do but on just terms. Distribution is just the last piece of the puzzle.

physcab 16y ago
Your analysis is flawed in that you're only assuming the popular ones are successful. Do you also think successful companies are only those that are used by millions of users? Its true that the endorsement approach only works for popular artists, but everyone else can take the Youtube approach and let their content speak for themselves. Plus, not every artist wants to be mainstream popular. A lot of artists just want to get their music heard and know more about the people who listen to them. They make their money by touring and merch just like the popular ones do. And artists don't need a lot of capital anymore. Yes, labels sink enormous sums into the production and marketing of a track in the hope they have a Lady Gaga hit, but I think you'd be surprised by how many successful artists there are that have chosen to go their own way and do just fine. Hell, I'm looking at the data right now its its quite convincing.

JonnieCache 16y ago

http://soundcloud.com http://soundcloud.com definitely forms part of this. Especially when you link it up to Facebook via the http://rootmusic.com http://rootmusic.com service. These three are basically the holy trinity when it comes to unsigned bands promoting themselves these days.

pgebhard 16y ago

http://thesixtyone.com http://thesixtyone.com seems to be doing just that.