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EC Approves Unconditionally Sony-BMG Merger
Paul Slocum writes "Just when you thought the music industry couldn't get any worse, Sony and BMG are merging. Now there will only be 4 major labels, and they estimate that 2000 jobs (25% of combined workforce) will be cut." An anonymous reader points to Reuters' report on the planned merger,
which points out that "Vivendi-owned Universal and Sony BMG, as the new company is to be called, account for about 46 percent of music sold worldwide."
This looks like a good time to support open source music.
So what if they merge? I've noticed a lot of smaller labels starting to come into the market, and one of my favorite bands, Vast, switched to one of them. Let the big guys get bigger. This market is going to be dominated by little guys once again.
Anyone remember their history? As I recall, it was a revolt against ASCAP that lead to the formation of RCA. Or do I have my names wrong?
There is a difference between "insightful" and "inciteful" other than spelling.
If there are any.. this could mean more of BMG's catalog will come out on Sony's SACD format.
With 2000 fewer workers to pay, we consumers can expect to pay, what, $1-2 more per CD to account for all the money they saved?
;-)
Favorite quote: "[Jean-Luka Monte]called the merger "very bad news not only for independents, but also for retailers and artists."
You mean the recording industry isn't trying to protect and help artists?! Say it ain't so!
Live free or die
...but just hearing "music" and "industry" in the same sentence kinda makes me think that I'm fed a mass-produced, scientifically designed, corporate controlled brain anesthetic instead of actual music.
Now that the "industry" is controlled by fewer companies, closer to one conglomeration, the appreciation for what comes out of it is even smaller.
I guess that's why I stopped buying CDs a long time ago and just listen to online radio of "underground" (progressive trance if you must know my tastes) and classical music.
I sure do love how Slashdot always wants it both ways. To all the people that download mp3s this is your fault. Now it will be harder for new artists to get signed and the variety of music will suffer. I hope you all like mainstreet crap that ClearChannel plays. Thanks!
"As of March 2001, there were 10,983 commercial radio stations in the United States"
according to the FCC
Clear Channel currently owns 1,182 radio stations. Not exactly "everything" now is it?
Oh yeah... you might want to consider looking other places for music. Believe it or not there is a HUGE independent music market that caters to just about every taste imaginable.
sad robot making broken music
I'm not affiliated with it, but I've found 3hive to be a great site. Every single day they post download links for a few tracks being offered for free by artists under small labels. The site seems to mainly do emo rock and punk, which frankly is either good or really bad, but it also covers other things ranging from electronica to hip hop to folk. It's just a damn good site and hopefully someone will find this link to it and enjoy it.
If you get nervous, just remember that there are a few billion other people who don't really give a damn.
Look, Cubicledrone, you got fired from a shitty company
Several shitty companies.
The longer you carry around your anger towards all companies (yes, I have read your previous posts), the longer you will be miserable.
I'm not miserable, nor am I angry. I'm simply pointing out that the "job market" (such as it is, which is to say, it ain't) is hopelessly stacked against the (former) employee.
There was a commercial for some technology company on a while ago. I find the little scripted skits in commercials to be a nearly perfect mirror of our fucked-up society, by the way. Anyway, this commercial was imitating Survivor.
Everyone is sitting on a wooden platform in the middle of a lake and someone says "I think we should vote Smith off the team," and Smith replies (to the entire group) "why me?" and a disembodied voice snaps back "why not!?" in an emphatically venomous tone.
At that moment, one of the people announces some major problem at work to which Smith replies "oh, I solved that problem." Everyone nods their heads in agreement and appreciation for Smith's accomplishment.
He is then thrown off the dock into the water.
Now at first this might seem funny, but it is really a rather hostile example of maliciousness among co-workers who we are told to believe should be "team players."
But the most important part of the little skit, which symbolizes everything that is wrong with the professional environment right now is that disembodied voice that snaps "why not!?" when it is suggested that some unfortunate employee be discarded like so much garbage. It's actually a fair question.
In an environment where people are of no value (which is probably the most concise description of the job market possible), there really is no adequate answer to the question "why shouldn't Smith be fired?"
And that is why having a job is largely meaningless. Since there is no adequate answer to the question "why shouldn't Smith be fired?" employees no longer enjoy the benefit of the doubt, and therefore have absolutely no reason to believe their job amounts to anything more than today's wage.
But remember, people do not like arrogance.
Unless it's the arrogance of management as they fire people by the thousands upon thousands upon thousands. Then they love it.
You can swear up and down that you are right and they are wrong, but it doesn't get you anywhere.
Nothing "gets you anywhere" in this job market. There are basically two choices:
1) Sink into the grayness, stagnate and have a joyless, desolate career totally devoid of even the most modest accomplishment.
2) Try to work hard and achieve something, and get fired (repeatedly) for not being a team player.
The reason I continue to point this out is because it would be nice if there were a third choice.
Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.