More music business info for those who are interested (if your plan is to make a living from producing/writing/mixing, you SHOULD care): Content should have been pulled, long ago, from YouTube and everywhere else.We could never use that tactic with radio or MTV because both truly drove sales, as radio continues to.Its nothing but a myth that YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, etc. drive sales. They dont and never have. What people fail to understand is all of the new media bullshit began in the indie community due to not having the funds to actually play like a major. It was born out of no option, opposed to being optimal.Little by little the majors adopted it, be it because they started to believe their own bullshit, or it was cost effective to load up the staff with interns and entry level paychecks.It has never been a driver. If Irving, and everyone else, removed content, it would not diminish sales at all.I believe Taylor Swift may have just shown that.Somewhere along the line the labels got deeply into bed with these so called partners, once they saw advertising revenue, and how much advertising revenue.Then they got into the equity participation game, because you need to remember that most labels are run by banker types now, not music men and women.They understand the game of finance and they are certain, and right, that you dont. Finance has never been the artists strong suit and that has been epidemic since the advent of music.Knowing the vulnerability, the entry for manipulation becomes both obvious and easy.I see it in all of the defense and responses to Spotify and their press machine.I feel like grabbing each person and smacking them, then giving them a tutorial on finance and that world. Everyone bought into the ultimate lie: We are here to help you, and we also want to hurt the big, bad, record company, just like you do.It preyed on an already exposed nerve. Dinosaur that you call me, Ive been deep inside the machine, and that machine went from one of actual marketing designed by professionals, to a machine no different than what a kid could do at home with a two thousand loan from Aunt Gladys.Its embarrassing, pathetic, and pointless. Doug Morris opened the first trap door, when he embraced Apple.What he didnt comprehend was Jobs just wanted to sell hardware and had Doug demanded equity on that first go round, things would be very different.So now we have the stampede of everyone demanding and getting equity.Everyone except the artists and creators. If Spotify took a reserve of equity and allowed that to be shared among the artists and creators, I would hail it as the greatest thing since sliced bread, I would invite Daniel Ek to my home for dinner, I would even shave his head for him.But that is not to be. Two things hurt all of you: Your rally cry of we hate the majors and your lack of any understanding of true business. Not merch table bro business, but real business.Thats hurt you everywhere from syncs to streams and back again. Irving Azoff became who, and what, he is based on one thing: His absolute protection of his artists.He learned that at the feet of Geffen, and went on to become, dare I say, an even bigger legend than his early mentor.Azoff, Geffen, Grant, Anthony, these men cared for and protected the artist, first and foremost. Irving is not controlled by anyone, there are no puppet strings, he has hundreds of millions of dollars, no one can buy him, and he has real balls. If Irving comes along and happens to correct the obvious wrongs, fight for the artist, and win, then I think all of the millennials, Indie Nation, and everyone else, not only owes him a debt of gratitude, but an apology to him and all the dinosaurs, who you thought were your enemies, but were really your only friends. (Jack Ponti)
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:53:38 +0000
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