For years there’s been much talk of DJ’s somehow banding together, unionizing, and leveraging their power of influence in clubs, radio, and other media. Formed July 2008 to serve as an "advocacy group on a range of public policy and rights issues," the The International Disc Jockey Trade Association (IDJTA) boasts a number of notable … Read more
Loyal readers already know by now that I have strong feelings about the future of the recording industry and importance of artists, especially producers, fully realizing their value. You may have caught this weekends thoughts about the role current and future technology will play in the independence of musicians; here’s a concrete example of the type of ingenuity and independence that I was referring to.
There’s a huge difference in being involved in the process of making music and making hits (i.e. navigating the music industry). These are two distinctively different activities, which depending on your goals, should be approached with varying strategies. While one concerns itself primarily with musical aesthetic, the other plays a game in which success is measured by sales figures and other monetary indicators.
On the surface this may sound like the age old argument of "keeping it real" vs. blowing up, but is it really wise to focus on making hits and generating revenue? I’d be willing to argue that this very focus on becoming a star, succumbing to the latest sheep-like trends, and producing marketable, yet disposable music has significantly contributed to the fundamental problem of widespread consumer dissatisfaction and the resulting decline in music sales that currently plague the industry.
Time to take a pause for the cause and address a trend that has been going on in Hip-Hop for way too long. Somehow, the term Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has actually moved from clever, playful lines in rap verses to a way for unknown artists to impress others with the fact that they run a company.
On September 12, 2008 German musician Johannes Kreidler will perform a 33 second long musical composition containing samples of 70,200 other creative works. This is obviously a political rather than artistic statement, but he makes some very good points that require serious consideration. In preparation for the performance, here he attempts to register his song … Read more
Talk about stepping over dollars to pick up pennies… after more than doubling the fees required by Internet radio, many companies such as Pandora may be instantly put out of business. Simply seems like another example of a shortsighted effort to squeeze revenue from the wrong sources. Then again, should we really be surprised that SoundExchange, which distributes statutory royalties to copyright owners and performers and began as a branch of the RIAA, states that "Internet radio stations have done too little to make money from playing their songs."
We’re approaching a pull-the-plug kind of decision," said Tim Westergren, who founded Pandora. "This is like a last stand for webcasting.
West Coast business minded folks will be glad to know that BMI is offering a free one hour introductory workshop for writers and publishers.
"Lasting 1 hour, BMI 101 covers the history of performing rights, the origins of BMI and the current role BMI plays in the complex world of the music industry. It is a great opportunity to not only meet other songwriters, but also educate yourself at the same time!"
This news is of vital importance to anyone concerned with General Public License (GPL), Creative Commons (CC), or other Open Source licensing concepts. If you’re concerned with sampling, remixing, and digital music creation, this should include you! Lawrence Lessig explains the significance of the recent ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals: "In non-technical terms, … Read more
Respect to Audible Hype for dropping the "No Bullshit Guide To Hip Hop Demographics", which discusses the often murky demographic statistics surrounding the economy of Hip-Hop. Some very good points are brought up regarding conflicting information, underackngowledged foreign markets, and marketing propaganda perpetuated by Top 40 radio stations. It also provides some great starting resources … Read more
Not much in terms of technical info, but it looks like JD and Q are accepting track submissions by email. I know many of you are holding heat, so it might not be a bad idea to throw some fire their way. As with all business endeavors, make sure you take appropriate measures to protect … Read more