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Dear Artist III , read this if your an artist
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spinalpuppet
Started Topics :
3
Posts :
87
Posted : Aug 10, 2007 06:03
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http://www.theflashbulb.net/doc/revolution.htm
I found this tonight searching for info on why the best experimental electronic label ever, Sublight is shutting down. Venetian Snares main label. The Flashbulb is sick, he has licensed his music to some of the biggest commercials on american tv and he's a sick breakcore/IDM/genre defying artist. He makes extremely interesting points in this rant of his for any artist involved in this scene. your not even getting raped as bad as the guys who are above you electronic wise. |
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Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
168
Posts :
2984
Posted : Aug 10, 2007 09:52
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Quote:
| While attendance on my tours has been rising, and while I can’t seem to make enough T-shirts to sell on my own site, the music sales have again dropped.
[...]
Since the Sublight days I never really cared about the specifics of sales since it was pocket change compared to what I was making from touring and licensing. |
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It seems he isn't willing to accept that performances and merchandising are the main means to secure an income stream as a musician these days. I cannot admit to feeling very sympathetic while reading the rest--it does not seem as if he is in touch with the realities of the marketplace, whatever the quality of his music may be.
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Colin OOOD
OOOD/Voice of Cod
Started Topics :
95
Posts :
5380
Posted : Aug 10, 2007 13:44
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Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
168
Posts :
2984
Posted : Aug 10, 2007 18:19
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He doesn't have to be ripped off if he wants to sell his music--he just shouldn't be working with Amazon or iTunes if he isn't happy with their mark-up. It is fairly standard for an artist and label to split profits 50/50; likewise, same goes for distributors and point-of-sale retailers. That's not even anything new! Consider for an instant what's up with an artist simultaneously complaining about his album being sold for $34 at a major online retailer... and the fact that people are pirating his work! Now, he's got a good point about how big companies like Apple swooped in to profit from changing listening habits... but he doesn't seem to feel as if musicians should be subject to the same changing business realities for one reason or another. Making music is often an artistic process. Selling music is a business. I gather from this outraged rant that the author is unwilling to accept that the marketplace is not about to bend to his will; that perhaps he's going to have to alter his approach to suit the demands of the marketplace. At least he plans to cut out the middlemen and sell straight to his fans and listeners; more artists should be taking advantage of the potential of the internet to do the same.
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Mike A
Subra
Started Topics :
185
Posts :
3954
Posted : Aug 12, 2007 00:14
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Basilisk - you're forgetting quality control and filtering. If everyone will be selling by their own, how will you know what's good and what's not?
Besides, too many online shops sucks. I mean, when I go to a record store - I go to one and see all. I don't want to go to 50 different record stores for 50 different artists.
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spinalpuppet
Started Topics :
3
Posts :
87
Posted : Aug 12, 2007 01:57
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Basilisk I think you totally missed his point. Its absurd something like itunes is taking that much of a profit. It really sucks for someone like that. He makes his money off soundtracks and license to commercials, it almost sounds like with the distribution setup that the albums are pointless.
The biggest thing I got from that though is its really not that bad of a deal for psytrance artists. Saiko/psyshop side step the need for these exploitive outlets that someone like the flashbulb doesnt have that option.
I remember listening to an interview with the Dresdon Dolls on the radio. They arent huge but opened for nine inch nails. They said after playing 200 gigs last year they both cleared about 15k each. You would make more working at mcdonalds. When they opened for nine inch nails, after everyone was paid they ended up losing 10k for the tour, opening for one of the biggest acts on earth. its so fucked up. |
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Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
168
Posts :
2984
Posted : Aug 13, 2007 08:35
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It just sounds like bad business (that last anecdote). As for whether iTunes has any "right" to be making that much profit... well, I don't know why anyone would be surprised; they're the biggest in the business...
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On 2007-08-12 00:14, Mike A wrote:
Basilisk - you're forgetting quality control and filtering. If everyone will be selling by their own, how will you know what's good and what's not?
Besides, too many online shops sucks. I mean, when I go to a record store - I go to one and see all. I don't want to go to 50 different record stores for 50 different artists. |
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I agree; amalgamation would greatly benefit independent producers... it doesn't mean they need to sign with a label to gain integrity. Filtering has always been an end-user process; look at all the crap coming out now, for example. It is filtered by a combination of downloading, reviewing, recommendations between friends, top ten lists, and other means. It wouldn't be any different for scattered independent productions. Besides which, filtering is always improving online; take a look at the enormous attention Digg has been receiving (and what a simple idea it is). I'm not worried about there being too much information out there (in the form of music, in this case), as I know that new ways of adapting to increasing volumes of information will always be found (and hey, that's just what I'm up to these days). The psytrance world has a great distance to go in this regard, but it's on the way.
I'll mention this one more time: "Making music is often an artistic process. Selling music is a business." I support more music, new means of distribution, innovative uses of technology, and better business practises.
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Dovla
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
43
Posts :
748
Posted : Aug 15, 2007 13:51
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Quote:
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On 2007-08-13 08:35, Basilisk wrote:
I agree; amalgamation would greatly benefit independent producers... it doesn't mean they need to sign with a label to gain integrity. Filtering has always been an end-user process; look at all the crap coming out now, for example. It is filtered by a combination of downloading, reviewing, recommendations between friends, top ten lists, and other means. It wouldn't be any different for scattered independent productions. Besides which, filtering is always improving online; take a look at the enormous attention Digg has been receiving (and what a simple idea it is). I'm not worried about there being too much information out there (in the form of music, in this case), as I know that new ways of adapting to increasing volumes of information will always be found (and hey, that's just what I'm up to these days). The psytrance world has a great distance to go in this regard, but it's on the way.
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you know I never saw it that way but you're completely right...I always figured the whole digital distribution thing wouldn't work without labels as such...but somehow when I open a site like deviant art I still manage to find the good wallpapers...the same could be done for music, if you can sort it you can find what you want...although I still have to argue that there are always things that will suck and be popular...just like there are always thing that will be great and no one will know about them...having labels that you can trust is something I don't want to loose just yet 
 DJ Dovla | Interchill Records, Flow Records
www.dovla.info |
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