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David Byrne's article is well thought out, but quite unimaginative. There are many other ways to produce music and make a living with it.

For instance, since 2001, Einstuerzende Neubauten has been exploring new ways to produce records and interact with their public while producing the album. Their last 3 albums were produced by a subscription (like Mozart used to do in the 19th century!). As supporters, we could attend the recording sessions via webcam, chat online with the band members, or use the forums to discuss about the directions taken by the band ; we obtained early versions of the songs, and attended private concerts. Unanimously agreed as a great experience!

They've been fairly successful so far, though they still want to polish their formula. There is a nice interview about their latest album and the issues they face in going "label-free".

> Another straw in the wind: Nine Inch Nails has now followed Radiohead in ridding themselves of the labels
> and going independent.

Since 2001, Einstürzende Neubauten has been exploring new ways to produce records and interact with their public while producing the album. Their last 3 albums were produced by a subscription. As supporters, we could attend the recording sessions via webcam, chat online with the band members, or use the forums to discuss about the directions taken by the band ; we obtained early versions of the songs, and attended private concerts. Unanimously agreed as a great experience!

They've been fairly successful so far, though they still want to polish their formula. There is
a nice interview about their latest album and the issues they face in going "label-free".

> Another straw in the wind: Nine Inch Nails has now followed Radiohead in ridding themselves of the labels
> and going independent.

Since 2001, Einstürzende Neubauten has been exploring new ways to produce records and interact with their public while producing the album. Their last 3 albums were produced by a subscription. As supporters, we could attend the recording sessions via webcam, chat online with the band members, or use the forums to discuss about the directions taken by the band ; we obtained early versions of the songs, and attended private concerts. Unanimously agreed as a great experience!

They've been fairly successful so far, though they still want to polish their formula. There is
a nice interview about their latest album and the issues they face in going "label-free".

I think Einstürzende Neubauten are the way to go. For anyone not familiar, EN run a website whereby you sign up as a supporter, and then they make the supporters an album (DVDs too). You get live webcasts of the album being hatched, and maturing etc. along with a myriad other features that plain old CD distrbution doesn't grant you. This time around they also released 'jewels', a short track each month that form another album to satiate us while we wait. They occasionally release a stripped-down version of the supporter CD commercially, last time it was via Mute although this time I think they're trying to do it entirely themselves. I think if they can utilise the internet so effectively and thereby avoid the shackles of the label system, there's no reason why others such as Reznor shouldn't also be able to.

And just to plug:-

http://neubauten.org/ (their domain)
http://alles-wieder-offen.com/ (non-supporter page for the forthcoming album)

Einstuerzende Neubauten has been using its supporters base to help them produce 2 albums already, and they are in their third round now.

Basically, by prepaying for the album, you get access to webcasts of the band rehearsing, live chat during the rehearsals, a monthly download, an exclusive live concert and access to the band's opinion.

The model is apparently viable with 2000 or more supporters, hence it doesn't need a big marketing hype to produce high quality music.

LA Weekly had a couple articles about this a few months ago-- Myths Debunked and New Small Future
that pointed out that overall CD sales were going up, but the sales of the biggest sellers (i.e. the stuff produced by RIAA members) were going down drastically.

There is a lot more depth to list of CDs that people buy than the major labels would like (the majors want to stamp out enormous numbers of a few titles and not have to deal with the breadth of catalog that listeners seem to want), and a lot of it is due to the increased access to samples of alternatives that people get through filesharing. Filesharing has probably replaced radion for many people as their source of introductions to music, and it allows them to find things that they otherwise would never be exposed to via the conventional RIAA/Clear Channel sources. Niche labels are doing well as a result, because they get the free marketing and people go on to buy the CD, either to support the band or for the higher quality, or maybe for some other reason.

There are even bands that have given up with labels and are dealing the CDs themselves-- They Might Be Giants is one, and Einstürzende Neubauten is another. They seem to prefer both the greater control over their work and not having to get paid through a label.

Einstürzende Neubauten.

German industrial pioneers Einstürzende Neubauten already do this. After the show, you can pick up a freshly-printed CD thas has been recorded straight from the mixing board.

ASDLJGFLKJ#$()!*U@#$!)ADFKOH#@$I!HJ@#KJRQWEKJFAKDS FHAKEJHROQWEOURQWLKJEF:LKJ#!LKJ#@$!

Try listening to Einstuerzende Neubauten. I'm sure that they've used something that sounds like that in at least one of their songs.

And that way you can save yourself another keyboard.

I bet someone started playing an Einstuerzende Neubauten album.

I'd like to direct your attention to a little website by a band some of you may have heard of.


E.N., while arguably having the massive train of name recognition and drooling fanboys behind them, is producing their latest album entirely sans the "music industry". They're recording independently, producing independently, and picking their own distributor. To my knowledge, the RIAA hasn't been NEAR them, not least because they're, well, German.


Costs money to do this? Sure. But send them 35 bucks (Well, Euros...) and you get cool stuff. Stuff well worth the 35 bucks. Stuff you can't get anywhere else, period. They're selling downloadable tracks, exclusive music, and email addresses from the site. (No, not THAT way.) Hell, check it out yourselves, I'm enough of a drooling fanboy as it is. And a LOT of people have been sending 35 bucks...


My point is, though, that they're getting something done without "The Recording Industry", and doing quite well by it.





I'd almost think that saying one can't produce music without "The Industry" is like saying one can't produce software without "The Industry".





And uh, dude, this IS /. here. Them's fightin' words...








(Author's note: No, I'm not affiliated. I just adore the music and think it's the greatest thing since buttered toast. I share.)

Fan sponsored music does work.

One of my all time favourite bands Einstuerzende Neubauten recently (well in the last year) launched a project asking for funding for a new album (its production costs and so forth.).

The project Neubauten offered fans the option of sponsoring them. In turn you got access to video feeds of production and other performances. An exclusive CD, sponsor discounts in upcoming tours (yay!) and access to old and rare material as well as a double CD live album free to download.

They got over twice as much sponsorship as they expected. And as a result are doing phase two (another album and a DVD upon sponsorship).

It can work. New means of artistic creation does work. One doesnt need to be tied to the old systems.

Well, I personally don't care for Pearl Jam, but I do appreciate what they've done (and for the ticketmaster thing a ways back also).

It's important to know that as a musician you have alternatives to the majors-- here's another one.

i'm not a musician, by the way. just a...

Sorry, but I tried some variants:
Nick Cave -- where is Einstürzende Neubauten?
Sisters of Mercy -- where is The Mission?
Ebba Grön -- where are all the other projects of Joakim Thåström??

Naa... nice try, but....

This artist did, except with a different pricing scheme (25 cents/minute). And they know about OGG :-)

Einstuerzende Neubauten provide true value to the customer above and beyond what P2P can give, and all prices are reasonable.

to our changing reality is not what Bon Jovi is doing. If you would like a good example of what is possible, you should rely on creative individuals like Einstürzende Neubauten. They are really thinking about ways to connect their music and creative processes with the people that are most interested. Their site has an excellent audio message by Blixa Bargeld about their plans.

Go away and let us ask someone who really matters, like Blixa Bargeld or Robert Fripp.