Comments on: First Radiohead...now Nine Inch Nails bids adieu to music label

Trent Reznor announces his band is "free of any recording contract." Can music groups use the Web to replace record execs?

[David Turner]

Trent Rules

With consumers attacking the music labels from one side and
artists from the other maybe the labels will finally get with the
program and work out a new way to conduct business.

All labels have been hanging onto this stupid believe that they
just license their stuff. Have been for year and years but what
they fail to realize is that a purchase has to be agreed by other
parties.

Now that the market has changed consumers don't want to par-
take in their overpriced restricted market. They just don't seem
to be able to accept that things arent going to go back to the
good old days.

Get your head out of the sand record labels.

[Burst Labs]

Bite The Hand That Feeds?

Hmmm... we're fans of NIN, and are curious to see where this
move will take them as artists, but we're sick of hearing that
self-distro is the panacea everyone's been waiting for.

I can't see this working for an upstart band or singer/
songwriter... after you have a following it makes all the sense in
the world.

A viewpoint at our blog is here : http://
blog.burstlabs.com/2007/the-times-they-are-a-changenin/

[ColdMast]

bands are already networked better then the recording industry

If we can get big bands associating themselves with startups that make great music we will see more of this.

The new media that the recording industry has been ignoring, has created a lot of opportunity for bands that would be deemed not radio friendly.

The self-distro would be a better way of making money, artist would still be paying for companies to do the work for them (like artwork, websites) cost would be less bureaucratic, and artist could take in direct profits and consumers would pay a better price.

[MSSlayer]

The quality bands don't need record labels

The bands and singers that make it big that need record labels are mainly the corporate created bands. Junk like boy bands, Pussycat Dolls, etc, etc, etc.

The bands that do it right, do not need record companies. They start out small and grow through word of mouth. Word of mouth spreads even faster on the web.

Given that, it probably won't be long before we see download only indie labels and the big companies won't be far behind to ruin it.

[cooldogjones]

It worked for...

...Celldweller. Google the name and check out his website. He has
music available on iTunes as well. His music is featured in games
and movies as well. He defied the Music labels and labels them as
greedy bastards. He successful in is own right.

Spread the word about groups without labels so their popularity
will outshine those of the Music Labels.

[SeizeCTRL]

Pigs we get what pigs deserve

The record industry is finally getting what it deserves... a smack in the face to wake the hell up.

Two of my all time favorite bands, Radiohead and NIN are challenging the industry and changing the rules at the same time. It's fantastic.

Who needs a label now when you got sites like Last.FM and MySpace where you can self promote for free and build up a fan base without ever leaving your house.

[amadensor]

The business model is broken

The current record company business model is broken. They are charging too much, and producing too much stuff no one wants. The artists are not coming out well either. Although there are large advances, and a company supported lifestyle for some, the good ones often fall through the cracks.

Napster (the original one) and its kin, like Limewire, Kaaza, etc. just prove that the labels are not providing what the customers want at a price they are willing to pay. Their refusal to adapt and their digging in their heels has just made the situation worse.

I knew a change had to come, I just had no idea what it would be. I hope this is the beginning of a complete overhaul. Remember that the MPAA initially fought VCR's, and then when they finally figured it out, they made more from VHS than they did from the theaters. Maybe that will happen here, and they will get a clue and give people what they want, but if not, someone else will.

This will add the challenge of marketing to the individual artists, but overall will be good for everyone, unless you are a record company executive. Do you want fries with that?

[jdcrunchman]

We are working on fixing the broken system

Unfortunately, this old 50's model is so well established, it's impossible to fix it without stepping on well established toes.

I'm involved in a project to develop a portal
of the likes nobody has ever seen before.

I was given permission to throw out some teasers
to see what kind of response to expect for this idea.

It already clear that record companies and music agents are eventually going to die, expecially when some talanted person can produce a song or video in their garage and make BIG TIME with a simple YouTube posting or having a mySpace page.

Now the burden is on the musician to show to the world their talant, and it seems to be working, I'm finding a LOT of great independent songs that are MUCH MUCH nicer to listen to then the over polished BIG TIME recordings.

I'm interested in learning what you guys think of putting up a portal streamlining this process.

Any ideas?

JD

[M.Hat]

The Something for Nothing System

The capitalist model music industry doesn't just consist of record company executives. It contains artists of every kind, producers, and tens of thousands of others, who have created, protected and sold American music all over the world and earned very reasonable profits for their stockholders--stockholders who consist mainly of pension funds supported by working stiffs like you and me. Without judicially enforced copyright protection, the music industry as we know it will all disappear, and another of America's great industries will go down the tubes--like so many others. The "something for nothing system"--of kind hearts and universal selflessness-- does not work. It's been thoroughly tried in several countries--in Russia and North Korea, for example. No, that system produces crap music and it produces poverty all around, except for the those in charge. Our current model is called Capitalism. It has worked very well for the music industry, for music lovers and for America.

Cheers, M.Hat

[MSSlayer]

Are you serious?

The music industry does harm to music in general, artists, and its customers.

It is an artificial middle man that has no function today.

It is not something for nothing, how do you figure?

[dondarko]

what are you smoking?

So you're saying that paying .99 cents per song and, let's say for an album with 15 songs, $15 for full album is fair considering that there are no CD production and distribution costs? Now considering that, artists only get like 10-20% of those sales is fair?

If by capitalism you mean robbery than by all means you're right.

[imacpwr]

Robin (Reznor) Hood and the RIAA..

What Reznor is preaching is exactly why I hate the RIAA and
have stopped buying CDs..!! The RIAA and the Labels they
represent are the true Pirates, I'm sick and tired of being ripped
off by massively overpriced CDs and disgustingly underpaid
Artists..!!! The Labels ONLY pay a maximum of 15 cents per CD
to the Artists and turn around and charge us 100 times more
than what they paid for that music..!! Again, and they call WE the
fans the pirates....?!?
I for one will gladly give the Artists 10 times what the Labels pay
them for a CD if we can cut the Labels out of the picture. F**k
the Pimps of the music industry (RIAA and Labels) and support
your favorite band DIRECTLY...!!!!

[ktmotox]

New Business Models Will Happen

How will new artists get noticed without big record labels? Easy. They put their music out on the internet. Music search sites will arise that find music that matches a user's taste in music. It's called directed-marketing. It's a great way to find new music that you like.

How will artists make money if users can download their music for free? They'll find a way. They can perform live. They can have fan websites with advertising. They can endorse products.

I think the music business will change. There will be more artists, more music, more creativity. There will no longer be just a few super-wealthy so-called artists. Music creation will be a much easier profession to enter, and many high-quality artists will arise. There just won't be any super-millionaire musicians anymore. This is good for society!!! Does the world really need another Brittany Spears, Backstreet Boys, or Millie-Vanillie?

[zeroplane]

Oh mp3.com how we remember you

Remember the site before it was bought by a large media outlet and promptly closed down. To later return as a wallmart clone for sub-par music at a high price.

MP3.com has the right idea, provide a music network for unsigned or independent artists and provide a promotion framework to distribute tracks or whole albums with on e-commerce system for low-cost sales. The service even had streaming on demand and dynamic radio stations based on artist and genre. Add to that, one idea where individual users can commission songs or sign-up to be a patron for an artist. Providing a means for the artist to make money just by being who they are in addition to providing promotions for live events, touring, etc.

The idea really worked well and many unknown or unsigned bands started to make a name for themselves without the major four or smaller studios. After about a year of success the owner of the site sold out for millions to a media conglomerate and the site was promptly shut down.

It showed what a pro-artist business model could be and should be. And such a model didn't include fat cuts of 95% to a 3rd party. That obviously scared someone and the rest is history.

Let's hope such a system or business process can again appear that will get into the hands of the artists who deserve the money not corporate suits.

[cooldogjones]

Celldweller and others FYI...

...are self distributors who are able to sell their stuff on iTunes.
iTunes isn't limited to Music Labels. I'm sure other download
services are similar in nature.

[ferricoxide]

I'd Be More Willing To Buy

Part of why I stopped buying most music several years ago was because I got sick of supporting the traditional "label" music system. There's just something wrong with only 5¢ of every $1 I spend on music actually making it into the artists' hands. Under a system where it's closer to all of that $1, I'd be more willing to spend that $1.

[jdcrunchman]

The whole topography of Digital music is changing

WOW - it looks like our new proposed portal is going to wind up being very useful. We are re-defining the way music is distributed. Our goals are to put the Musician or artist in control of their IP.

I'm being backed by old school Hollywood types that are fed up with the greedy antics of record companies, and are now working on a new portal. Although it isn't up yet, I'm reaching out to Streaming stations, Musicians, and plan to send invitations out to those interested in participating in our new web venue.

For instance, in our model, participating musicians would be able to release their music into a pool accessable only via operating radio stations. When a station picks up the tunage, the musician is notified in real time every time a station downloads their songs, and each time it's played, the musician can then see what station played it, when it was last played, and how many times..

The biggest requests I'm getting is a way for a musician to get a Popularity Report - this way, the major labels agents can receive this report.

Our plans are to put up a web site explaining what we intend to do, and a blog will be available for discussions on more features we plan to have.

I'm the kind of guy that likes to have my music "spoon fed" via radio - Satellite, Internet, but I don't listen to terristrial stations anymore.

What irks me the most, is when I hear a tune I like, I can't get any information on it, so I have no way of buying it unless I spend a lot of times in iTunes to look for it.

Would love to invite RadioHead and NIN to join our portal.

I don't frequent this blog, but you can reach me via this blog...

Send me private message if you're interested in this.

JD

[mpitogo]

oh yea

bring it on