The Business of Music

[CB_MUSIC2002]

the song is no longer about the song as about the sale. Yet we keep writing, why, because of the song, we love the song, we are the song and the song is our salvation. We will always be in the shadows like rodents in the dark, you may not always see us be we are always heard. For every one songwriter that the industry decides to corinate as a "Mega Songwriter" there are thousands in the wings writing and creating caring nothing about the success, but only the life of the song, no matter what the song lives on........write on!

Well said!

 

[Mikey likes it!]

Does anyone believe that the "music industry", that being the large labels and any other off-spring ( music videos and such ) care at all about the decaying state of the "main stream" markets". I mean, the music that we hear most of the time is very formed and sterile. The bands in thier individual catagories all sound like each other. Where is the cry for individual creativeness, where are the songs that define a generation. Face it, as far as public listening goes, the dollar is the only thing defining about music these days. Don't get me wrong, I have heard a lot of good music, but, you have to go looking for it. I get tired of turning on the radio and hearing either mind numbing teenage girls singing about things they haven't even experienced yet or rock bands playing with the same guitar sound and same drum beats over and over again. The so called classic songs are getting way old and nothing really new has appeared for quite awhile. The industry (music) shoves face-fulls of young girls dressed up like whores in our faces and assults our ears with repetitious crap until we cry for mercy and turn the radio off. Songwriters are out there, but when the industry gets a hold of us they transform and mutilate, they song is no longer about the song as about the sale. Yet we keep writing, why, because of the song, we love the song, we are the song and the song is our salvation. We will always be in the shadows like rodents in the dark, you may not always see us be we are always heard. For every one songwriter that the industry decides to corinate as a "Mega Songwriter" there are thousands in the wings writing and creating caring nothing about the success, but only the life of the song, no matter what the song lives on........write on!

Amen. I like your opinion here, the same as my own.

BTW, why do all the teenage girls have to wear tight "worn out" jeans, and horrible bleached blond hair??
You go to a mall, and you'll see a hundred or more girls that look like the SAME ONE! I mean, it's like there is one big machine somewhere churning out millions of copies of the same girl.

 

[glynb]

You have to separate out 'music' from 'the business of selling music'.

There's creating music for its own sake, something people have always done and not usualy for money, and the modern business of selling units which involves marketing. So Britney, Elvis, Nirvana, Queen, are brand names with international recognition, in the same way that Coca Cola or Ford are recognised. it takes a lot of investment to get the brand name known, but once it is it pays vback in terms of merchandising and shifting units, etc.

None of this says anything about the quality of the product of course, which is the grievance of musicians, who would like the best quality music to receive the marketing promotion that the 'Britney' style acts with their bubble gum pop music receive.

Marketing in society as a whole tends to push 'young and sexy', look at the clothing industry, movies, cars, TV, etc, so it should be no surprise that the music biz also pushes young and sexy. So thats why middle aged fat balding guys with beards who write great songs don't stand a chance of becoming megastars, unless they first made it when they were...young and sexy!

Who cares anyway. make great music , get a day job, and f*&k the bizness.

 

[nomer]

I have got a major problem with POP music and it is really starting to piss me off. Country Music has either gone POP or Rock...Where the hell is traditional country anymore. Can you believe a Country Artist was told that he was "Too Country" by several major labels before he finally got signed? What the hell is all of that about?

Ok, I feel better now. LMAO As far as the hard work debate, its not hard work at all. Why do I say that? Well, I learned a long time ago that if you are doing what you love, it really isn't work to start with. You are just having fun doing what you do.

It is only Artist that stop having fun that start saying it is hard work. Ask any NEW Artist if it is hard work and 90% of the time all you get is, "I am having a blast". Now, ask them the same question a few years down the road and they will give you a real long story of how hard it is. What changed? They stopped having fun and doing what they loved.

Now, before you start slamming me, I know this first hand to be true. I grew up in Oklahoma and my stepdad played lead guitar for Reba McEntire. I use to haul hay during the summer as a kid for Pate McEntire. When I was in my early 20's, I played and sing with Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Mark Collie, Tracy Lawrence and numerous others. I heard first hand what a blast they were having and how all of their hard work paid off. The hard work is getting to where they are, not being where they are. They are having the times of their lives getting to do what they love the most.

So, I would urge some of you guys to rethink the hard work theory. Because that is the last thing they view it as, at least us Country boys don't.

Hard work is digging ditches, haulin hay, feeding cattle, fixing fences, etc. Hell, music is an enjoyment, not hard work. If it is hard, you are doing something terribly wrong.

Mike

 

[pashop]

There is tons of traditional country music...its not on the radio but its out there.
Given the time line when you "worked" with these folks. That has no bering what so ever on the music business today. Im almost 50 so I know what it was like back them and now and trust me you cannot compare the two work loads.
I know a few musicians who instead on travel all day, setting up meetings, radio plays, soundchecks, living with 12 people on a bus, eat bad food, sleep in new hotels every night etc etc would rather dig ditches for 8 hrs a day have nights and weekends off and play in a part time group to have fun.
Cheers

 

[nomer]

There is tons of traditional country music...its not on the radio but its out there.
Given the time line when you "worked" with these folks. That has no bering what so ever on the music business today. Im almost 50 so I know what it was like back them and now and trust me you cannot compare the two work loads.
I know a few musicians who instead on travel all day, setting up meetings, radio plays, soundchecks, living with 12 people on a bus, eat bad food, sleep in new hotels every night etc etc would rather dig ditches for 8 hrs a day have nights and weekends off and play in a part time group to have fun.
Cheers

Oh, I am not disputing that some of those guys would rather be back doing that. The music business isn't for everyone and I think you have mistook my age. I am only 32 years old and still very active in the music scene. I record vocal demo's for a living and live in Nashville more than I live at home. This is my HOME week and I was bored, so I thought I would check out some music sites. I think you live in Nashville don't you, from what I read in some other post? Might have to look you up some time.

But, the life of the musician and the life of the artist (singer) can be somewhat totally different. A solo artist doesn't usually travel with the band all couped up on a bus, well, at least an established artist don't. None of the guys I know does anyway.

I know a few musicians who instead on travel all day, setting up meetings, radio plays, soundchecks, living with 12 people on a bus, eat bad food, sleep in new hotels every night etc etc would rather dig ditches for 8 hrs a day have nights and weekends off and play in a part time group to have fun.

Man, that is the life I grew up with. Nothing but fun there. I don't consider that work at all pashop. I still travel a lot. I love staying in different hotels every night, meeting new people, eating those bad Big Macs, etc. The music business is not for everyone. You have to love to travel, you have to love to meet and greet the press and the fans, etc. As far as setting up meetings, radio appearances, sound checks, etc. That is other peoples jobs, such as Management, Booking Agent and the sound crew.

Maybe the guys you know pashop needs to get management, a booking agent and a sound crew working for them. Because I have been in this business awhile, just like yourself, and I never see an established artist doing all of that himself. Even a nobody like me has a Manager and a Booking Agent. And all the tours I have done, I have always had a sound design group setup the sound. I never did any of that.

We are definately talking about two different worlds here. I think you are talking about the struggling band trying to make it to the top...I can see where they would do everything themselves. But, once you get Management and a Booking Agent, they make you enough money on your tours, gigs, etc. that pays all the staff you need. If they are not, you have got the wrong Manager, etc. and should exercise your "OUT" option of the contract.

Mike

 

[Zed10R]

Wow

There have been some GREAT points brought up in this thread. But they all have to do with major mainstream success.

How much credit can Brittany, Justin, Tim Mcgraw, Garth Brooks, Christina A., or ANY mainstream majorly successful act take for their music? They are not about music. Are they? I have always seen those acts and all acts like them as just that: acts. They perform what is given to them. They do not create. Am I wrong? Do they actually write their own material? Writing down words does not count as writing a song. Coming up with an interesting hook does not count either. I always thought that what we were hearing and seeing was the "music industry" playing puppet master by choosing a performer with the right image and having them perform material formulated by a group of industry insiders with the simple goal of selling. Quite literally glorified "cover" bands/groups. The "talent" in this scenario is buisiness talent and has nothing to do with music or creativity. It is the prediction of trends and manipulation of the market that leads to major commercial success.

I am not bitching or whining. I am simply stating how I always thought the way things work.

If I am wrong, feel free to correct me.

 

[glynb]

No need for any corrections, I think you summed it all up nicely. These people are not 'artists' they are 'artistes', dancers and singers, they don't create, they execute/perform the creations of others. Nothing wrong with that,as long as we're all clear about what's going on.