Metal Martyr

An Interesting Article ON The Record Industry

by Scott on March 22nd, 2008

Ultimate-Guitar.com posted an interesting article on The Record Industry. I’ve hit this up numerous times and stated my opinion on a lot of it. Below is a few paragraphs, but if you want to read it all (I highly suggest it) click the link at the bottom.

Over the past few years, the music industry has been under speculation; it has been pegged as a dying industry. “Are Record Labels Dead?” asks CNN in one article. Even Rolling Stone declared “The Record Industry’s Decline.” The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) blame people who “illegally” download music by use of the web and peer-to-peer (or P2P) software for the decrease in music sales. On February 28, 2007 the RIAA sent 400 pre-litigation settlement letters to 13 different universities, “a rate more than three times higher than the previous academic year” according to their press release.

While the RIAA goes after avid music listeners, record companies have introduced the “360 deal” as a way to increase profits, and essentially take advantage of their bands. According to Fink, in a “360 deal,” “you have a deal with the artist themselves, and you’re going to put out their music. We (the label) are going to supplement you (the artist) on your tours, but we want a piece of that, and a little piece of your merchandise, a little piece of your DVD releases. Any type of business that an artist goes into, the record label is their partner.” Unfortunately for the labels, the “360 deal” will not suffice as, thanks to technology, it becomes easier daily for artists to produce, promote, and distribute music themselves, just as a label would. Moreover, few established artists have agreed to sign “360 deals” — thus proof of the failure of that idea. In fact, many established artists such as Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead have already found alternative options to record labels in order to get their music to fans.

In this second paragraph it sound to me like the record industry is not trying to find a way to adapt to the changes of low record sales but to find a enw way to control and screw the artist. Anyway, here is the link:

To Set The Record (Industry) Straight…

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