Read more at Exclaim! about the tour and how it all came about and what I’m rambling on about below.
This is a very poorly put together post but all you need to get out of it is that Owen is awesome.
Someone, against Owen’s will, got something of his from him for nothing [they used his music in an ad].
Instead of fighting it he realized there was clearly nothing stopping companies from using his music regardless. [Injunctions and removing it from market could be done but in today’s web of video sites it will remain].
So he decides he will get something from them in return.
But to do so he never brought in the lawyers. First mistake.
Not only does he not willfully screw over some poor sap that he needed, he actually tries to help others by getting friends some shows. Must be a socialist.
Last year when he won an award with an accompanying cash prize [$20,000], he gave the prize away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why do people even take this guy’s calls?
.
He clearly does not understand how the music business works
[And thank fuck for that].
JupiterResearch is hosting a free Digital Music Trends & Outlook Plug.IN Webinar on Tuesday
March 11th at 1pm ET/10am PT.
“Digital music was a $1.3 billion business in 2007, but it still only comprised 10 percent of consumer music spending. Meanwhile, Apple continues to dominate both devices and downloads and Yahoo! became the third big player to drop out of on-demand subscription services.”
“Will digital music ever save the industry? Are downloaded singles replacing CD sales? Who are today’s customers, and how is that likely to change over time? What is the role of ad-supported services, and of P2P networks? Will there be a showdown between iPods and music phones? iPods and anybody? How do you compete with, or thrive alongside Apple?”
JupiterResearch VPs David Card and Michael Gartenberg are hosting the webinar.
Quoting this post from TorrentFreak as I have just downloaded the report after seeing it there.
The report in question is the 2008 Digital Entertainment Survey [pdf].
They make so many interesting and note worthy points though:
In total, 70% of those who admitted to piracy agreed that “legal sites just don’t have the range of illegal ones” (try looking for Beatles tracks) whilst almost as many said they would pay for downloads, if what they wanted was available. This is probably also one of the main reasons why half of the BitTorrent downloads are TV-shows.
The fact that one third of the UK citizens can be labeled as a pirate is thus a signal that these customers want something that is not available through other channels. It’s more about availability than the fact that it’s free.
On top of the availability issue, 68% of the respondents who have downloaded copyrighted content indicate that the illegal alternatives are more convenient, because they can get what they want much faster.
The following video illustrates rather plainly the fact that file sharing is not stealing.
And it’s true, file sharing is not stealing. It’s infringement, which comes with much higher fines (up to $150K per song) and potentially longer jail times than you’d get for stealing a CD.
My initial reaction is to write: Unbelievable. But it is just par for the course in today’s world. so my secondary reaction = Sad.
Caught this by total coincidence on PBS [it is part of the funding drive this month] thanks to a visit with my sister and channel hoping brother-in-law.
If you are a fan of the Clash you NEED to see this. If you are a casual fan of the band or performance docs, you should still seek this out.
In meetings this weekend with bands it all came down to this:
What are your goals?
Depending on your situation it may refer to simply goals with your music, but odds are if you want a career in music you will also have to consider all aspects of your life - at least in the short term [and by short term there I mean anywhere from the next 2-5 years].
It is hard to know if you are making progress if you don’t know where that progress should be taking you. The idea of releasing one album and selling out the pressing is a great goal and one almost any band that releases an album has. But it is such a small part of your band’s bigger, long term picture that if you don’t know what comes next or how the first release will help you build to the next step it is almost pointless [I am assuming you plan on doing this with some seriousness for as long as possible].
I recall reading a survey that polled a good majority of America’s richest people - the most common shared trait amongst them was that a large majority, I believe it was over 80% had written down their goals and/or plans to achieve them.
(A x B x C) - E = D
A = the total # of people who acquire the work
B = the percent who actually pay for it
C = the average amount each person pays
D = the total revenue received
E = promotional and marketing expenses (not to mention recording, mixing, and mastering costs)
If I gave that equation to a number of bands I would bet my right pinky finger that the majority of them would start with A and likely base that number on the physical copies being pressed, maybe with some downloads added in, and proceed from there.
But where you should really start is with D. That’s your goal. In a four piece where everyone has agreed making $25k a year from music is enough to make them happy? Then your D is at minimum [have to account for expenses as well] $100K.
But in knowing you have a target of $100K you can tweak the other numbers as you go, monitering how close you are coming to your goal.
Quick example using live performances only as your revenue:
If your band reaches the point where you know you can receive a guarantee of $1000/night, you know based on selling no recordings or downloads or merch, you would have to play a 100 shows in a given year.
From there you could breakdown all revenue into a 100 units of a thousand for benchmarking your progress, so every 100 CDs sold for $10 is one less show you need to play.
Summary
Brainstorm with your band on goals/consider personal goals as well
Come to agreement with all band members on goals going forward - then write them down
So I missed getting this up yesterday, so here is their recap from last night and an early reminder for next week!
Music Nova Scotia’s inaugural Open Mic Night at The Seahorse in Halifax opened its welcoming arms last night to a couple hundred musicians, industry folks and fans. Several Music Nova Scotia board members came to enjoy the music and meet the members and Music Nova Scotia staff members were on hand to offer information about the industry association. The night produced a palpable electricity of camaraderie and creativity.
“This makes so much sense…”
Three long pages of musicians signed up to play, starting at 7 p.m. The extensive talent ranged from the sweet sounds of Molly Rankin to the strong vocals of newcomer Emily Steeves. The MacGillivray Brothers offered fine harmonies and The Folklore Centre’s David Bradshaw showed he can do much more than sell stringed instruments.
Old school open mic player Dusty Keeler offered fine folk tunes and special guest Ryan MacGrath blew away the audience with his epic waltzes. Even the boys from Faded Blue and Kev Corbett jumped on stage to add backup percussion.
“Now, this is art.”
In the industry room, photographer and designer Chr!s Sm!th displayed his stylish music photos. Look out for up-and-comer photographer Scott Blackburn next Tuesday, March 11.
The whole event was given the media spotlight by Paul Brothers from MuchMusic’s Going Coastal and the boys from East Coast Countdown, who will feature MNS Open Mic Nights on a continuous basis online.
“…and then Shaun Majumder played bongos with MNS board member Bill Appleby.”
The night started early and was expected to end by midnight, but the audience demanded more, leading to Music Nova Scotia board member Bill Appleby of Cape Breton belting out some gravelly songs with surprise guest Shaun Majumder (22 Minutes, 24, Unhitched) offering backup on vocals and bongos.
Music Nova Scotia’s Open Mic Night will be held every Tuesday night at The Seahorse (1665 Argyle Street, Halifax). It’s an opportunity for members and interested musicians to perform short acoustic sets on a Music Nova Scotia stage. But it’s also an opportunity for industry folks to get together for a casual meet and greet. There are plans to expand the invitation to full bands, including jazz nights.
Music Nova Scotia staff will always be on hand to offer news and information about Music Nova Scotia.
The music begins EARLY at 8 p.m. You never know who will show up as a surprise guest! Admission is FREE!
If you’re interested in playing, show up after 7 p.m. on Tuesdays to sign up with Troy Arsenault. Musicians who didn’t get to play last Tuesday will be put at the top of the list for Tuesday, March 11 – so show up early!
For more information, contact Troy Arsenault or Laura Simpson at openmic@musicnovascotia.ca or call the Music Nova Scotia office at (902) 423-6271.
The life and crimes of the music biz - The record industry is careering towards meltdown. A good thing too, says Simon Napier-Bell, after 40 years of working with its most notorious moguls
From the Guardian
But the worst thing about being signed to a major was that you lost the freedom to run your life. And though top artists could sometimes re-negotiate an unfair contract, it soon became clear that in the music business you didn’t get out of an unfair record contract to get into a fair one; you get out of an unfair contract to get into another unfair one, but with slightly better terms.
Want a snapshot of an industry in crisis? Take a look at the music business right now. If you can see any signs of a coherent strategy, feel free to e-mail me and let me know what it is. If the word “crisis” seems a bit too apocalyptic, maybe it’s better to think of it as an evolutionary process. Even so, the industry’s current turmoil is a sign of just how brutal evolution can be.
