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Pie In The Sky for Independent Artists


MikeRivers

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Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) this week introduced legislation designed to make it easier for U.S. independent music labels to access the global marketplace. The legislation, known as the "Making United States Independents Competitive (MUSIC) Act," supposedly will help small labels by connecting them to new audiences and distributors. Specifically, the bill would authorize the U.S. Department of Commerce to help independent labels send their recording artists to international music trade shows. That assistance would include admission costs, support for travel, booth construction, and "touring expenses" related to the foreign shows.

Who's gonna be first one here to fill out an application?

The full story here.

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If they really wanted to give true independent music a chance -- they'd make the FCC start enforcing the anti-payola laws and regulations that are already on the books... the same laws designed to prevent the current situation, where commercial and even public license broadcasters accept various "inducements," "enhancements," "promotions," and "incentives" in order to put chosen songs into higher rotation. Maybe you can't buy a hit -- but you can buy your way onto the charts -- it's how it's done and it's an enormous barrier to true independent musicians.

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Quote Originally Posted by blue2blue

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If they really wanted to give true independent music a chance -- they'd make the FCC start enforcing the anti-payola laws and regulations that are already on the books... the same laws designed to prevent the current situation, where commercial and even public license broadcasters accept various "inducements," "enhancements," "promotions," and "incentives" in order to put chosen songs into higher rotation. Maybe you can't buy a hit -- but you can buy your way onto the charts -- it's how it's done and it's an enormous barrier to true independent musicians.

 

Radio is monopolized by Clear Channel so nothing new. I know a lot of people hate this term but again, the only way I see things changing is with more "regulation". I`m not holding my breath.
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As a recording engineer and studio owner I have a good number of indie artists, interns, job shadows, etc coming through constantly. I feel like my biggest community service is trying to talk every single one of them out of working in the music business. I have a standard pitch that I rely on all the time about it's better odds playing the lottery, paraphrasing the famous Albini essay, keeping doors open rather than closing them all, etc. etc. etc. The music business is a terrible thing. The few lunatics who may actually make it- well, I trust them to ignore me, like I ignored everyone who tried to talk sense to me in the 90's. My ace up my sleeve is using myself as a cautionary tale.

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Quote Originally Posted by MikeRivers View Post
Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) this week introduced legislation designed to make it easier for U.S. independent music labels to access the global marketplace.
How about legislation to make it easier for U.S. independent labels to access the "THE U.S. MARKETPLACE."

And then there were three:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2...l-will-buy-emi

Less record companies means less competition. Less competition means less variety and less quality.
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Quote Originally Posted by blue2blue View Post
If they really wanted to give true independent music a chance -- they'd make the FCC start enforcing the anti-payola laws and regulations that are already on the books... the same laws designed to prevent the current situation, where commercial and even public license broadcasters accept various "inducements," "enhancements," "promotions," and "incentives" in order to put chosen songs into higher rotation. Maybe you can't buy a hit -- but you can buy your way onto the charts -- it's how it's done and it's an enormous barrier to true independent musicians.
Payola has always existed. That's how it works. But forty years ago there were dozens of record companies competing to get their records played and those record companies were staffed by people who cared about their artists and the music they were promoting.

A lot of great music got played on the radio because of payola. Songs that are considered classics today were first played on the radio because of payola.

Today the airwaves are closed to the independents. Unless you are affiliated with one of the big three and their massive resources you're not going to get played on the radio. And the big three are now putting most of their resources into shrinking rosters of artists.
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Quote Originally Posted by philbo View Post
The best thing to do for commercial radio is to let it die, and ignore it till it does.

OTOH, I'm an avid listener to public radio. We're fortunate to have a few very good ones in the area.
Unfortunately we will be both dead and buried when that happens philbo, the old and new farts that run that show are still living in the land of good times and rock and roll, like the having a toke but never inhaling kind of bull{censored} people.
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I've run three independent record labels. One of them was picked up by Universal. I have a "bit" of experience to say the least. There was a time when independent record labels thrived. Then internet piracy happened and they collapsed almost overnight. These guys were all my friends and colleagues who barely made enough to keep the lights on and maybe staff one or two employees. All they need to do is rework SOPA/PIPA to get the piracy down closer to the level it was in the early 2000s and independent labels will coming storming back better than before.

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You guys are reading this all wrong. It's not about independent labels, it's about independent artists (who, by necessity, are on independent labels). Who here wouldn't take money from the Government to play at a music festival somewhere else in the world? I sure would if I had any musical talent.

In 1970, I was part of a trio that played for six months in Japan at the World Exposition, on salary from the US State Department. And we didn't even have a record. Still don't. It had its ups and downs, but all in all kind of fun and something that I'd never do on my own nickel.

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Quote Originally Posted by MikeRivers View Post
You guys are reading this all wrong. It's not about independent labels, it's about independent artists (who, by necessity, are on independent labels). Who here wouldn't take money from the Government to play at a music festival somewhere else in the world? I sure would if I had any musical talent.

In 1970, I was part of a trio that played for six months in Japan at the World Exposition, on salary from the US State Department. And we didn't even have a record. Still don't. It had its ups and downs, but all in all kind of fun and something that I'd never do on my own nickel.
From the article, the bill gives money to the labels, which then (supposedly) gives money to the artists, who then (supposedly) use it to play trade shows overseas... for no real benefit to anyone, that I can see, even if (some) of the money goes where it should.

Suddenly Indonesians or whoever, super-impressed by the live stage talents of American indie artists, are going to be plunking down cold, hard cash for small label CDs, when (relatively) wealthy Americans just steal the music? Please.

Facing a fiscal cliff situation and trillions in national debt, I really don't think the USA needs to be passing this kind of legislation.

From a personal perspective, F the government bureaucracy and whatever stupid forms I'd need to fill out and asshole politicians I'd need to charm. If I have enough talent, I'll find my own way to pay for an overseas tour. Otherwise, I'll keep working on my music right here where I am, thanks.
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Quote Originally Posted by chris carter View Post
I've run three independent record labels. One of them was picked up by Universal. I have a "bit" of experience to say the least. There was a time when independent record labels thrived. Then internet piracy happened and they collapsed almost overnight. These guys were all my friends and colleagues who barely made enough to keep the lights on and maybe staff one or two employees. All they need to do is rework SOPA/PIPA to get the piracy down closer to the level it was in the early 2000s and independent labels will coming storming back better than before.
Did any of your artists have any significant radio play and if so how did you get it?

It's been more than twenty years since I've been associated with anybody in the record business but I used to have really good relationship with one of the record promoter guys.

Man, the stories he could tell. He told us a lot about the "promotional strategies" that were being employed in the late eighties and the relationships the promoters had to cultivate with the program directors. Some of them were pretty wild to say the least.

At that time I think there were still eight major labels and it was before the 1996 telecommunications act before Cumulus and Clear Channel and Cox and the like gobbled up most of the big stations. From what I understand the record promoting business is nothing like it was in those days and it's virtually impossible to get any airplay unless you are affiliated with one of the big three.
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Quote Originally Posted by Ernest Buckley View Post
Radio is monopolized by Clear Channel so nothing new. I know a lot of people hate this term but again, the only way I see things changing is with more "regulation". I`m not holding my breath.
I'm a free market oriented guy.

But free, healthy markets cannot exist when corruption is allowed to distort and subvert them. There is a big difference between a free market and a black market.
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Quote Originally Posted by Ernest Buckley View Post
Radio is monopolized by Clear Channel so nothing new. I know a lot of people hate this term but again, the only way I see things changing is with more "regulation". I`m not holding my breath.
Technically I think you could say that radio is now controlled by an oligarchy.
But I get your point. The big media corporations are pretty much in control of the airways today and if you aren't in with them you are effectively shut out. Especially in the bigger radio markets.
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Quote Originally Posted by rangefinder

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From the article, the bill gives money to the labels, which then (supposedly) gives money to the artists, who then (supposedly) use it to play trade shows overseas... for no real benefit to anyone, that I can see, even if (some) of the money goes where it should.

 

Maybe I don't fully understand the article (and you do???) but I see it as an opportunity to do gigs where you wouldn't have otherwise done them, and maybe sell some records that you wouldn't have sold because nobody in that country would have heard of you. You can't depend on the Internet for everything. Of course if your label gets a grand and doesn't pay you for the tour and isn't paying you for records of yours that they've sold, that's between you and the label, not between you and the Gov't.
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