via icanhasinternets. This was in the August issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Do you think they have a valid point? Although file sharing is a great way to expose people to new music, I think the record companies have a good point as well. I mean, they have to combat illegal file sharing, otherwise, they are going to lose their ability to monetize music. Does getting bombarded with free music everyday devalue it? I think so. I get so much free music everyday that I rarely go purchase CDs/MP3s anymore. What do you think?
This is hilariousssssss. Kudos to the Rolling Stone for this shout out to myself and my fellow Music Exec Colleagues… Hilarious.
Buttttttttttttttt……..
The new ways of getting music has totally changed music consumers behavior when it comes to purchasing music. The music biz is one of only a few industries where you can get any and everything you want for FREE…
Think about it…
You can get any song, video, etc for the free 99 via the internet and our great friends… The Bootleggers… 😉
If you wanted to fly to LA… You can’t just go online and get a free flight… You have to buy like 15 flights or reach 25,000 sky miles before you can qualify for a free flight…. Buy 15, Get One Free…
When you go to the grocery store… They’re never giving anything free at the store.. But their are always those BOGO.. Buy one, Get one Free deals… But the key word is BUY ONE… You have to buy something to get something free…
My point is… When it comes to consumers that buy plane tickets or grocery shoppers… The consumers approach buying plane tickets or buying groceries knowing that they are not going to get anything free, and they couldn’t even if they wanted to… They accept the fact that they are going to have to pay for the goods or service that they want. They look for good deals… But don’t expect to get it free…
In the Music Biz… Totally different…
The music consumers or should I call them, the “I LOVE MUSIC” people (I hear so many people say that, but they haven’t bought music since 2003)…
But because for so many years… Music has been easily accesible for free download… The consumers have a mindset of… GAMAF-Get All Music Absolutely Free… And if they have to pay… “Im Straight, I’m Good, I’ll Pass…”
Back in the 90’s when I was growing up… The only way we could get music was either to watch it on MTV or BET or The Box (for my WestCoast people).. Or.. We had to put a tape recorder in front of the TV speaker and record it that way (which is equivalent to digital downloading today).. Or.. Record it directly off the radio onto a tape.. Or.. Simply go buy it… The interesting part about it is… The only reason we recorded it off the TV or radio was because the song/album hadn’t hit the stores yet, I didn’t have enough money to buy it yet or my parents wouldn’t let me… But regardless, at the young age of 10… I was ready to purchase it because I understood that if you liked something… You buy it. I looked at the music as candy in the gas station… If I wanted it… I had to but it… Couldn’t just steal it.
But things are very different nowadays!!
I don’t think just because you have someone’s music… That means you have to purchase it! Some artist music, as far as quality.. Doesn’t deserve to be bought… And with this always in mind… I always try to create music that you can’t deny, is HIGH QUALITY HD!! So artist and record labels have to make sure what they’re putting out is High Quality H20..
I also think because of the lack of high quality music that we’ve allowed into our record labels, it’s making the consumers even more fickle… Because we’re allowing so many artist who might not genuinely have any artistic/musical talent… I think we’re encouraging people all around the world, that it doesn’t take much to get in… People are in their cars listening to the radio saying… “THAT’S IT… That’s all I have to do to get a record deal?!?!?!?…. THAT’S TOO EASY”… A month later… That use-to-be consumer, is now in their homeboy’s studio, recording what they’re thinking is their ticket to Good Life… And the sad thing is… This person who’s only been doing it for a month… Might record a radio hit and get a small record deal… A total slap in the face to the quality artist who’s been grinding for yearsss and the labels keep giving them the run around…. A lot of the consumers nowadays are vey simple… They love music that doesn’t require a lot of thought… As a music exec… I think it’s are job to start making the music biz a hard to get into industry again… Where it deters those who don’t have undeniable, legitimate musical talent away… Back in the day, if you couldn’t play instruments, sing and dance at the same time… You stood NO Chance in getting in the music biz… And people knew that. But nowadays… We have made everyone feel like… I CAN DO THIS… Some people need to stick to being consumers!!
The Evolution of SUPPORT
The music industry is what is all because of SUPPORT!
Think about it….
Since the music business’ beginning… It became popular because of SUPPORT…
Example…
Dizzy Gillespie wouldn’t be the Great Trumpet player if he didn’t have people come SUPPORT him and watch him play… If he was playing to an empty room… We wouldn’t know about the guy who had the Super Sized Cheeks and could play a Trumpet like no other… SUPPORT!
In this 21st Century we’re living in… I think that word SUPPORT is very different now in the music biz… Consumers view support as simply listening to an artists music.. Not actually supporting them by purchasing their music or going to their shows…
They view SUPPORT as… I bump your stuff that I downloaded for the free 99 while Im headed to club, driving to work, getting it on with my girl, etc… This is what support means in the 21st Century.
But I think it’s because we haven’t done a good job of trying to encourage good ethical music consuming…
I think we need to help people understand what SUPPORT is again… When I was growing up My mother and father were proud of their record collection! To this day, my mother and father pulls out records just to show me they have them. I think we have to garner that same kind of excitement to own a CD. Im proud of my CD/Record collection… I look forward to showing my kids my CD Collections with pride… Just like my parents did. Because I truly love music…
I think what has to happen is we have to challenge Music Consumers to SUPPORT music… We have to adapt a GOBO system… Get One, Buy One… We will give away free music… But if you like the free music.. Buy It! I challenge music consumers… If you download someone’s album… And it’s jamming.. Show how much it’s jamming by BUYING it. GOBO.. GET ONE, BUY ONE… Artist have to put out free music nowadays… 90% of what artist record is given away free… If you SUPPORT/Love the artist and their music… Just support that little 10% of music that’s for purchase and purchase it… They make the music for you…
Free music definitely devaluates music… But I think we have to start challenging the consumers more… We can’t do anything about the digital wave that took us all by surprise.. Free downloading will always be around and I don’t see how it can be regulated… But I do think, as always, the fans/consumers have total control of how strong the legs of the music biz will be in the years to come… REMEMBER…. GOBO… Get One, Buy One – Amir Windom, Over and Out… Chhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I agree… self publishing has drastically changed the entertainment industry. Bloggers have changed the traditional concept of magazines. When I look at a magazine in the check-out line these days, I think “that’s old news!” The music bloggers drop anywhere from 10-100 new songs/articles a day… how can anyone keep up?
Also, everyone can get a copy of their favorite sequencer (Logic, Pro Tools, etc), download some VSTs, and now they’re a “producer.” Add in a microphone, record yourself in Pro Tools, and now you’re an “artist.”
Need some distribution? Sure, pay TuneCore, or sign up with CDBaby and you’re ready to go. This is a gift and a curse. On the one hand, it’s great that everyone is able to put out their music without going through a selection process… on the other hand, there IS NO selection process! I think that there needs to be some sort of filter like there used to be (ala the major record labels), or else everyone will they think are an artist. Don’t get me wrong, I think there are some great independent artists… but with all the crap that is put out there everyday, they may just get lost…
Amir and I have spoken about this before… why are all the blogs giving away full songs all the time. Why not give away snippets… wouldn’t that do the trick? Remember the listening stations that were planted in Tower Records, FYE, etc? They served as a means for consumers to sample the new music when it came out. Also, if we’re incentivizing people to buy an album with iTunes only bonus tracks, why are we (as bloggers) giving these tracks out to the consumers?! Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?
Also, with regard to singles… If we just give away everyone’s hot new single… it’s going to be hard to monetize. Why would someone go re-purchase a song they got for free? (unless they really feel connected with the artist)
People need to do what Amir said… SUPPORT THE ARTISTS. GOBO… Get One, Buy One.