By picking a topic as current in the Music Industry as 360 degree deals, I have a plethora of articles and blog posts to choose from in my research, but unfortunately very few books or scholarly sources. Indie music blogs such as Pitchfork, give me a lot of very biased (maybe not so credible) mini-posts to choose from that support my "Corporations are evil..." argument, while articles from popular music magazines like Spin, Rolling Stone, and the all-knowing Billboard can give me the perspective of the majors and industry insiders. And Gerd Leonhard's Music 2.0 is so idealistic and different from anything else I have, I am starting to question my faith in the Music Industry!
After reading all of these sources, I kind of get the impression that the industry (mainly the record business and labels), as a whole is very unsure and scared about what may come next, mp3s and other digital downloads are killing their business and they need to come up with a new model soon, before they are completely wiped out. 360 degree deals are sort of a desperate attempt for the industry to make more money from their artists in other ways than just record sales.
What I think needs to happen, in order for the music industry to do well in the future, is for a new business model to come out. Fans won't be fooled by 360 degree deals for long, soon they will hate the overkill of artist branding and merchandising. People will begin to crave music that is quality, and the business needs to remember that. Everybody is all over the place right now, trying to find a way to make a quick buck, but these tactics will hurt them in the end. Seriously, 50 cent, Vitamin Water?? Seriously? There went all of your street cred...
Leonhard's vision of the future of music industry looks more appealing to me each day, as does the Radiohead model (see first post). Everything is becoming "open" as Leonhard says, and music needs to jump on the Web 2.0 bandwagon. Leonhard claims that sharing and networking is what is going on today, and we should not stop that in music (also licensing should be bundled in the network). I personally agree, and believe that in sharing music people will get exposed to more kinds of music that they would never have heard without sharing and the Internet. If not free downloads, than full official streams of songs available for anyone to listen to. Exposure to music in this way, will cause the listener (if they like the artist) to be more likely to go to their concert, buy their merchandise, and maybe even buy a hard copy of their CD/Vinyl if they REALLY like them!
The Music Industry has a history of being scared of technology and the future, this same thing happened with cassette tapes and tape recorders, but on a much smaller scale. I think that if they embrace technology and look at the positive sides of sharing, they can still do well, and find other less tacky ways of making money from their artists. There will be more users, more music, and more happiness!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Final thoughts on 360 degree deals
I promise, this is the last of my multiple rights ramblings...
Let's be real, the 360 degree deal is not going to work in the future, well maybe for superstar artists, but not the rest. It is a system used by corporations and artists to first and foremost make money, not music, at least not quality music. All these companies care about is making a single/album radio friendly, and not meaningful and artistic, which is what they should be focusing on. Thank heavens for the Internet, for blogs, free downloads, myspace music, and even p2p for getting indie artists out there. If these deals were the way of the future, then indie artists would not even have a chance at making it big without the Internet.
Let's be real, the 360 degree deal is not going to work in the future, well maybe for superstar artists, but not the rest. It is a system used by corporations and artists to first and foremost make money, not music, at least not quality music. All these companies care about is making a single/album radio friendly, and not meaningful and artistic, which is what they should be focusing on. Thank heavens for the Internet, for blogs, free downloads, myspace music, and even p2p for getting indie artists out there. If these deals were the way of the future, then indie artists would not even have a chance at making it big without the Internet.
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Lost Art of the Album
For this post, I want to take a little break from the 360 degree deal and talk about something close to my heart, the album.
The very first CD I ever received was the soundtrack to the Disney movie, Pocahontas, which was all fine and good, but the second CD, one that I specifically asked for/desperately wanted, I got for my eighth birthday and it was the Backstreet Boys debut album, Backstreet Boys. I remember listening to it on my parents’ old CD changer connected to the ancient stereo (which was their wedding present from my uncle) in the living room of my house, and thinking that it was the most amazing album ever recorded. Of course, I no longer feel that way about Backstreet Boys, though it will always hold a very special place in my heart (and on my dusty CD tower).
I kind of miss feeling that way about albums in general. With the dawn of computers, mp3’s, p2p, and iTunes, CDs sales have been hurting, I do not lament the record company’s financial loss, but the appreciation of the album as a whole. Even now, I could tell you the track number of all my favorite tracks on Backstreet Boys not having listened to it in years, but I probably couldn’t say the same about Rilo Kiley’s Under the Blacklight, an album I appreciate quite a bit more than Backstreet Boys, but only own a digital copy of. I actually feel guilty about it, if I could, I would buy hard copies, CD or vinyl, of these new albums, but I can’t afford it.
Single sales are far surpassing album sales, young adults and teens will buy new hit songs like “Electric Feel” or “Kids” by MGMT because they’re getting a lot of airplay on the radio, but will not know any of the other songs off of their album Oracular Spectacular because they didn’t buy the album. People no longer look forward to albums in quite the same way anymore, because we all anticipate leaks and downloads months before the physical copy is actually released. This happened to me with the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, It’s Blitz!. When I heard about the album a couple of months ago, I was excited, shortly after, “Zero” was released as a single, and started to get some airplay on the radio. The very next track I got a chance to listen to (via music blogs) was the leaked “Heads Will Roll” [see earlier post], and I loved it! It gave me the same sense of excitement as “Everybody” did on Backstreet Boys! And then, all of a sudden, the next week the entire album was leaked!
Because the leak was so sudden and the release wasn’t scheduled for at least another month, the band decided to push up the digital release to the very next week, and the physical release to the first week in April. Stores are even trying to make it worthwhile for the customer to purchase the physical copy of the album, by creating limited edition box sets, or in It’s Blitz! case, including a free 7in limited edition remix single with the vinyl purchase of the album. Originally, I planned to purchase the album on vinyl, as a way to atone for my sin of downloading a few of the leaked tracks, but there isn’t a lot of money in my bank account at the moment, so I don’t see that happening in the near future. And I still haven’t gotten around to downloading the rest of the tracks of the album (I’m sure I will eventually). It’s sad that I don’t get to appreciate It’s Blitz! in the same way I did Backstreet Boys, because I’m sure it deserves it.
Very few people listen to music in the same way anymore, everything is always on shuffle and they rarely even let a whole song play before the skip to the next one. Even in car stereos, most of the CDs played are mixes (which I think is a sort of art form in and of itself!). No one pays as much attention to the flow of an album the way they used to. I don’t want the album to be a casualty in digital music world, and I hope the industry will find a way to bring it back in all its glory.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Multiple Rights (or 360 Degree Deals)
My thoughts are kind of all over the place in trying to figure out how I feel about these multiple rights deals. They're good for artists like Madonna, who have a lot of clout, even when working with a big company like Live Nation, but I really feel like they will suck the soul out of smaller/newer, more indie artists. Giving a company, whose only aim is to make money (unlike a smaller, indie label, like say Asthmatic Kitty), control over almost every aspect of the band's creative process, becoming more manager that record label, really feels like it will hurt the creative process of making music, keeping artists from making the more edgy and adventurous music you may not always hear on top 40 radio.
Are we to blame for this? Is it because of our incessant illegal downloading, that artists have to resort to becoming a brand? Or are the companies/artists becoming more greedy? Personally, I think it's greed, true artists should care more about the music than making money. I do not feel guilty for downloading music, because I support the artist in other ways through ticket sales or t-shirts, besides, the internet and P2P downloading has made it possible for artists' music to be exposed to way more people.
I don't know...I guess time will tell, but for now, I can say I'm a little leery about these deals and the motives behind them.
Are we to blame for this? Is it because of our incessant illegal downloading, that artists have to resort to becoming a brand? Or are the companies/artists becoming more greedy? Personally, I think it's greed, true artists should care more about the music than making money. I do not feel guilty for downloading music, because I support the artist in other ways through ticket sales or t-shirts, besides, the internet and P2P downloading has made it possible for artists' music to be exposed to way more people.
I don't know...I guess time will tell, but for now, I can say I'm a little leery about these deals and the motives behind them.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Best Song Ever!
Another track off of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, It's Blitz! was leaked (By Kanye I believe!), and it's even better than "Zero" in my opinion. It's called "Heads Will Roll" and it's awesome. Check it out here.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Page Flake Tour (Coming soon to a city near you!)
I recently discovered Pageflakes and, I have to say, it's probably my new favorite web organization tool (I may even like it more than Diigo...). It's great for those who are really visual (like me) and want all of their bookmarks, feeds, and resources right in front of them. In my pageflake, I put in a lot of Blog and Music News RSS feeds, as well as some helpful Diigo tags and search engines. If you'd like to take a look at my Pageflake, click here. For those of you who are still confused (or want to read more!) here's a tour of my Pageflake: Music Industry, The Scene, and Deals.
Left Side (Searches, Tags, and Sources)
Need to write a paper on 360 degree deals or some other music industry topic? Well, the left side of my page is an excellent place to go to find some really great sources and tools to do so! First I have the Music Industry Blog and News Search bars, where you could search for virtually anything you'd want to find out about the music industry and stay updated, or type in your own search term. For example, in the Industry Search section I typed in "Ticketmaster Live Nation" since there are numerous reports of a possible merger between the two companies, that way every time I go to my Pageflake, I will have the most up to date news about both companies and their merger.
Next I set up a Diigo flake with specific tags on my possible topic (360 degree deals). I used my very own personal Diigo tags and cited specific articles and blogs (including my own) discussing the topic. They are all laid out conveniently for you or anyone else to view under the header: Useful Articles.
Underneath Useful Articles, I have an actual annotated bibliography (you may recognize the sources from a few previous posts!) courtesy of Citeline. So if you want legit, semi-academic sources, want to learn more about the source, or just need the bibliography information for your own paper it's all there for you to use at your own disposal. Also, if you want to to send me a thank you gift, I enjoy See's chocolate and clothes from Urban Outfitters...
Last, but not least, the left side ends with some additional Diigo tags, including my own, very general, music tag, in addition to my social bookmarking soul mate, journalista89's music tags, which are great too. Some are helpful, some are just for fun, so enjoy!
Right Side (RSS Feeding Frenzy!)
The rights side of my Pageflake is all RSS feeds, ten to be exact. You may recognize some of them from my blog roll, but a few are new. Here is a rundown of all the blogs on my list, some are big, some are small, but all have something special to offer. First is a local blog, USC's student radio station, KSCR's Bandwidth. This blog is run by the student volunteers at the station and consists of record/concert reviews, industry news, artist info, local Los Angeles events (culture and music), and a few other tidbits. This blog is well written and well cared for by its music-loving/obsessed bloggers.
Next is the Los Angeles Times Music Blog-Pop & Hiss, this blog is very similar to Bandwidth, but it is more official (or less as some would say), since it comes from such an accredited source (The Los Angeles Times). I chose this blog because L.A. has very vibrant and diverse music scene, and a periodical such as the Los Angeles Times has to stay on top of such an ever-changing scene in order to continue to have such a great culture and arts section.
One of my absolute favorite (most referenced) blogs comes next, the controversial Pitchforkmedia! The staff at Pitchfork get a lot of heat for their sometimes snobby/pretentious reviews and occasional errors, but they are a great resource for constantly updated music news and album reviews. They also added a great video channel to their site, pitchfork.tv that includes music videos, documentaries, exclusive performances, and interviews, which can be very helpful. Just beware, your favorite band's new CD maybe next to fall prey to a ruthless Pitchfork reviewer...
Following Pitchfork, I have Buzzbands.la and Soundcheck (the music blog from the OC Register). Both Blogs are very similar, and Soundcheck was actually recommended by Buzzbands.la, which I read often to keep up to date on concert news. But Buzzbands.la focuses more on upcoming concerts and mp3's, while Soundcheck focuses on concert reviews/news. Both are excellent sources of info on L.A. bands and venues.
Next, is Sketchytown, and since I already wrote an entire post on Sketchytown and it's author, I will not bore you with any more descriptions, but if you need a refresher, here's a link to my old post.
Next is L.A. Record, it's not only a super cool publication about what's cool or up and coming in music, but also a blog! That's right you can read it online too via blog! L.A. Record has some really great artist interviews and concert photos too!
The next two RSS feeds are Stereogum and Filter magazine's blog. Filter is one of my favorite magazines and it not only discusses music, but pop culture and food (my other love!) too! Stereogum is very similar to Filter, although it is not a magazine, just a blog. Like Pitchfork, Stereogum has a great video component to the site, as well as mp3's and streams.
Last, but not least, is a blog I put on the list, more for fun, than for its resources, La Blogotheque, a French blog (don't worry you can translate it on google) with music news and AMAZING videos called Takeaway Shows. Takeaway Shows are sort of viral videos of music performances by indie artists in unusual settings. Here is my favorite. It's a fun site you could spend hours on if you have nothing to do, and who knows, maybe you will find some hard-hitting industry news. These viral videos are becoming the new way for artists to see and be seen....
I hope you enjoy Pageflake, and that this "tour" gave you a better idea of what it is and all of the cool things it can do. I put barely any links in this post because I really want you to go to my Pageflake and check out the sources there.
Left Side (Searches, Tags, and Sources)
Need to write a paper on 360 degree deals or some other music industry topic? Well, the left side of my page is an excellent place to go to find some really great sources and tools to do so! First I have the Music Industry Blog and News Search bars, where you could search for virtually anything you'd want to find out about the music industry and stay updated, or type in your own search term. For example, in the Industry Search section I typed in "Ticketmaster Live Nation" since there are numerous reports of a possible merger between the two companies, that way every time I go to my Pageflake, I will have the most up to date news about both companies and their merger.
Next I set up a Diigo flake with specific tags on my possible topic (360 degree deals). I used my very own personal Diigo tags and cited specific articles and blogs (including my own) discussing the topic. They are all laid out conveniently for you or anyone else to view under the header: Useful Articles.
Underneath Useful Articles, I have an actual annotated bibliography (you may recognize the sources from a few previous posts!) courtesy of Citeline. So if you want legit, semi-academic sources, want to learn more about the source, or just need the bibliography information for your own paper it's all there for you to use at your own disposal. Also, if you want to to send me a thank you gift, I enjoy See's chocolate and clothes from Urban Outfitters...
Last, but not least, the left side ends with some additional Diigo tags, including my own, very general, music tag, in addition to my social bookmarking soul mate, journalista89's music tags, which are great too. Some are helpful, some are just for fun, so enjoy!
Right Side (RSS Feeding Frenzy!)
The rights side of my Pageflake is all RSS feeds, ten to be exact. You may recognize some of them from my blog roll, but a few are new. Here is a rundown of all the blogs on my list, some are big, some are small, but all have something special to offer. First is a local blog, USC's student radio station, KSCR's Bandwidth. This blog is run by the student volunteers at the station and consists of record/concert reviews, industry news, artist info, local Los Angeles events (culture and music), and a few other tidbits. This blog is well written and well cared for by its music-loving/obsessed bloggers.
Next is the Los Angeles Times Music Blog-Pop & Hiss, this blog is very similar to Bandwidth, but it is more official (or less as some would say), since it comes from such an accredited source (The Los Angeles Times). I chose this blog because L.A. has very vibrant and diverse music scene, and a periodical such as the Los Angeles Times has to stay on top of such an ever-changing scene in order to continue to have such a great culture and arts section.
One of my absolute favorite (most referenced) blogs comes next, the controversial Pitchforkmedia! The staff at Pitchfork get a lot of heat for their sometimes snobby/pretentious reviews and occasional errors, but they are a great resource for constantly updated music news and album reviews. They also added a great video channel to their site, pitchfork.tv that includes music videos, documentaries, exclusive performances, and interviews, which can be very helpful. Just beware, your favorite band's new CD maybe next to fall prey to a ruthless Pitchfork reviewer...
Following Pitchfork, I have Buzzbands.la and Soundcheck (the music blog from the OC Register). Both Blogs are very similar, and Soundcheck was actually recommended by Buzzbands.la, which I read often to keep up to date on concert news. But Buzzbands.la focuses more on upcoming concerts and mp3's, while Soundcheck focuses on concert reviews/news. Both are excellent sources of info on L.A. bands and venues.
Next, is Sketchytown, and since I already wrote an entire post on Sketchytown and it's author, I will not bore you with any more descriptions, but if you need a refresher, here's a link to my old post.
Next is L.A. Record, it's not only a super cool publication about what's cool or up and coming in music, but also a blog! That's right you can read it online too via blog! L.A. Record has some really great artist interviews and concert photos too!
The next two RSS feeds are Stereogum and Filter magazine's blog. Filter is one of my favorite magazines and it not only discusses music, but pop culture and food (my other love!) too! Stereogum is very similar to Filter, although it is not a magazine, just a blog. Like Pitchfork, Stereogum has a great video component to the site, as well as mp3's and streams.
Last, but not least, is a blog I put on the list, more for fun, than for its resources, La Blogotheque, a French blog (don't worry you can translate it on google) with music news and AMAZING videos called Takeaway Shows. Takeaway Shows are sort of viral videos of music performances by indie artists in unusual settings. Here is my favorite. It's a fun site you could spend hours on if you have nothing to do, and who knows, maybe you will find some hard-hitting industry news. These viral videos are becoming the new way for artists to see and be seen....
I hope you enjoy Pageflake, and that this "tour" gave you a better idea of what it is and all of the cool things it can do. I put barely any links in this post because I really want you to go to my Pageflake and check out the sources there.
More Sources...
- (2007).Reinventing Record Deals.Rolling Stone, 13.Keywords: {Cartels, Contracts, Music, Musical} {performances, and Musicians} & conductors[link]
- (2008).Brands help bands reach musical highs.Financial Times, 16.[link]This article discusses how bands are turning towards alternative means in order to generate an income, by merchandising, and sometimes selling themselves and their persona rather than the music. The article announces that the 360 degree deal has arrived and is the way to go for many big-named artists, but not everyone. However, some artists need to keep a careful watch on exactly how far these companies are going with their multiple rights deals, and make sure not to be swindled out of all of their profit.
- (2008).Live Nation, U2 sign agreement; The 12-year contract covers merchandising, digital and branding rights and touring for the rock band..Los Angeles Times, C.6.Keywords: Corporate {planning, Expansion, Music} {industry, and Musical} recordings[link]This article goes more in depth about 360 degree deals and discusses one of the most active non-record label company going into these deals with artists, Live Nation. Explaining why they are doing this, the different deals big name artists are getting, and why some artists need more than just a recording deal these days.
- (2008).Music 2.0 -essays by Gerd Leonhard.Gerd Leonhard, MediafuturistGerd Leanhard's idealistic book takes on predicting the future of the music industry. Leanhard is extreme, but some of his points are valid. He advocates free music downloading, the eventual disappearance of the record label, and why the 360 degree profit deal, or the Radiohead model may be the future of the music industry.
- (2008).The Indies.Billboard, 120(43), 13.Keywords: Consumer {spending, Lines} of {credit, and Musical} recordings[link]
Monday, March 2, 2009
Some Good Sources
Here are some excellent sources/articles about the Music Industry:
- (2006).All You Need To Know About the Music Business: 6th Edition.Free PressThis book is a fantastic source for what is going on in the music industry today. Each chapter is devoted to a different aspect of the business, such as, management, publishing, contracts, technology, etc. Passman's language makes it really easy to understand even the most complicated concepts (such as royalties and recouops). Great introduction to anyone interested in working in the music industry.
- (2008).Brands help bands reach musical highs.Financial Times, 16.[link]This article discusses how bands are turning towards alternative means in order to generate an income, by merchandising, and sometimes selling themselves and their persona rather than the music. The article announces that the 360 degree deal has arrived and is the way to go for many big-named artists, but not everyone. However, some artists need to keep a careful watch on exactly how far these companies are going with their multiple rights deals, and make sure not to be swindled out of all of their profit.
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