The statement that the RIAA is responsible for the quality of music today really shows how ignorant many people are of how the music industry actually works. Know your enemy, kids.
The RIAA itself does not sign the artists. The RIAA does not develop or market these artists. The RIAA as an organization merely represents the major labels and would have the same position regardless of diversity in music or lack thereof.
Your problem, in reality, lies with the A&R (artist and reportoire) departments of these artists' respective labels. They are the ones responsible, who actually sign and 'develop' the artists. The people in the A&R departments at major labels are concerned primarily with keeping their job. How do they do this? By signing artists that make money for the label. What's the most surefire, knee jerk way to do this? By signing an artist thats already part of a sucessful style (i.e. teen pop, boy bands).
how do we protest against this? How do we get quality and diversity back into popular music?
i'll tell you, not buying CDs definitley won't help.
You see, every now and then, just like at any company, there is an idealist who manages to infiltrate the A&R system. Against all logic he manages to convince his company to sign an artist that is different and good and will possibly take a long term commitment to develop (i.e. Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Beatles, you know, all the GOOD ones).
Those artists are out there, right now, you just have to find them. On majors and indies. Artists you will enjoy for a lifetime. I won't go into the subjective matter of tastes or which ones I like because that's not the point. They need you to BUY their discs. The artist and the people who represent them need to be REWARDED for taking risks and trying to bring good music to popular culture, despite the current situation.
As it stands right now, Joe Sixpack's daugter is spending cash at the Wal Mart buying the new teen pop of the moment, reinforcing the current situation, while many new artists get their "one good song" (god i hate that fucking phrase!!! when did A.D.D. become cool?) downloaded and the album isn't bought, also, REINFORCING THE CURRENT SITUATION.
The paradox is- A lot of good music doesn't sell when it is downloaded, so why should labels sign or keep artists that don't sell?
You just have to take the time to look elsewhere and find these artists and QUIT GOING THROUGH THE NORMAL CHANNELS, because if you feel overwhelmed and annoyed by Brittany Spears that is obviously what you are doing.
Hard to be annoyed at her when you don't listen to top 40 and watch MTV. You want the music industry to change? Sure, we all do, but so should you, buddy.
As an artist on one of the big media congloms' major labels (who also happens to offer all of his songs as free downloads on his site) I'm still not sure what effect piracy has on my career....the jury will probably be out indefinitley.
What has suprised me is a lot of/.ers' misconceptions about being a musician and the music industry in general.
The RIAA's actions shouldn't suprise any of you nor anger any of you (which, by the way i find insanely funny) they are, at heart, a bureaucracy and, like all bureacracies their medium of choice is the obvious- things like piracy.
Secondly, not buying RIAA sponsored material won't 'stick it to the man' like you think. You are effectivley cutting yourself off from the majority of the artists that you will in turn 'pirate' anyway. The congloms will still make their cash on the britneys of the world (after they lay off hundreds of employess and artists as a result of this 'correction'), and the only person hurt in the end is the artist you enjoy enough to listen to.
The suggestion that artists should forgo the major label route altogether and 'sell cds out of the trunks of their cars' is completley ridiculous. Mostly major labels give an artist a chance to actually make rent and worry about making the best music he or she can make. It's like telling software engineers to quit corporate jobs at Symantec or Electronic Arts and start making utilities and games out of their garages. Give up your healthcare!!! Worry about coding, and marketing and packaging and positioning your product!!! Sure there ALWAYS successful indies in any field, those people are truly dedicated. But most people, including those who post on this board, will opt to stay at their nice job, wouldn't you?
The one point that keeps coming up that is absolutley hilarious is that 'music sucks nowadays.' This claim is made for many reasons, the obvious being that the person is comparing all the CDs that have come out in the past year to their entire collections, which usually span 30+ years. Of course 2001 sucks compared to 1964-2000!!! Are you people listnening?? Most years only have 5-15 important albums anyway. Are you in denial that modern bands like Tool, Radiohead, Air, PJ Harvey, Nine Inch Nails, et al, are making some of the most important music of the 21st century?? Should they get paid for it??
Next time you think that the RIAA is trying to shove shit down your throat and you shouldn't support legitimate artists because of it, have some respect and remember your history- for every Beatles there was a Hermans Hermits, for every Led Zepplin there was a Bay City Rollers, for every U2 there was Mr. Mister, so on and so forth.
Same as it ever was. If music sucks for you now then it is obvious you are continuing to listen to the radio and watch MTV like you always have, because that's where all the bad music is, plain and simple You're not looking hard enough in new areas.
I honestly believe that most intelligent people do use swapping as a way to 'preview' an album. My only fear is that the Joe Sixpacks of the world who love 'free shit' are getting their hands on this technology.
Being a musician is really not that different from being a software engineer, we keep insane ours (mountain dew = cocaine, we just go straight to the source), we usually slave for years for free or on minimal pay to acheive any kind of success, projects (albums) can often take 2+ years and cost enourmous amounts of money, and we pull multi-layered, intricate creations out of thin air to enhance people's lives with nothing more than inspiration. How come you guys don't bitch when the IDSA goes after pirates?
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The statement that the RIAA is responsible for the quality of music today really shows how ignorant many people are of how the music industry actually works. Know your enemy, kids.
The RIAA itself does not sign the artists. The RIAA does not develop or market these artists. The RIAA as an organization merely represents the major labels and would have the same position regardless of diversity in music or lack thereof.
Your problem, in reality, lies with the A&R (artist and reportoire) departments of these artists' respective labels. They are the ones responsible, who actually sign and 'develop' the artists. The people in the A&R departments at major labels are concerned primarily with keeping their job. How do they do this? By signing artists that make money for the label. What's the most surefire, knee jerk way to do this? By signing an artist thats already part of a sucessful style (i.e. teen pop, boy bands).
how do we protest against this? How do we get quality and diversity back into popular music?
i'll tell you, not buying CDs definitley won't help.
You see, every now and then, just like at any company, there is an idealist who manages to infiltrate the A&R system. Against all logic he manages to convince his company to sign an artist that is different and good and will possibly take a long term commitment to develop (i.e. Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Beatles, you know, all the GOOD ones).
Those artists are out there, right now, you just have to find them. On majors and indies. Artists you will enjoy for a lifetime. I won't go into the subjective matter of tastes or which ones I like because that's not the point. They need you to BUY their discs. The artist and the people who represent them need to be REWARDED for taking risks and trying to bring good music to popular culture, despite the current situation.
As it stands right now, Joe Sixpack's daugter is spending cash at the Wal Mart buying the new teen pop of the moment, reinforcing the current situation, while many new artists get their "one good song" (god i hate that fucking phrase!!! when did A.D.D. become cool?) downloaded and the album isn't bought, also, REINFORCING THE CURRENT SITUATION.
The paradox is- A lot of good music doesn't sell when it is downloaded, so why should labels sign or keep artists that don't sell?
You just have to take the time to look elsewhere and find these artists and QUIT GOING THROUGH THE NORMAL CHANNELS, because if you feel overwhelmed and annoyed by Brittany Spears that is obviously what you are doing.Hard to be annoyed at her when you don't listen to top 40 and watch MTV. You want the music industry to change? Sure, we all do, but so should you, buddy.
As an artist on one of the big media congloms' major labels (who also happens to offer all of his songs as free downloads on his site) I'm still not sure what effect piracy has on my career....the jury will probably be out indefinitley.
What has suprised me is a lot of /.ers' misconceptions about being a musician and the music industry in general.
The RIAA's actions shouldn't suprise any of you nor anger any of you (which, by the way i find insanely funny) they are, at heart, a bureaucracy and, like all bureacracies their medium of choice is the obvious- things like piracy.
Secondly, not buying RIAA sponsored material won't 'stick it to the man' like you think. You are effectivley cutting yourself off from the majority of the artists that you will in turn 'pirate' anyway. The congloms will still make their cash on the britneys of the world (after they lay off hundreds of employess and artists as a result of this 'correction'), and the only person hurt in the end is the artist you enjoy enough to listen to.
The suggestion that artists should forgo the major label route altogether and 'sell cds out of the trunks of their cars' is completley ridiculous. Mostly major labels give an artist a chance to actually make rent and worry about making the best music he or she can make. It's like telling software engineers to quit corporate jobs at Symantec or Electronic Arts and start making utilities and games out of their garages. Give up your healthcare!!! Worry about coding, and marketing and packaging and positioning your product!!! Sure there ALWAYS successful indies in any field, those people are truly dedicated. But most people, including those who post on this board, will opt to stay at their nice job, wouldn't you?
The one point that keeps coming up that is absolutley hilarious is that 'music sucks nowadays.' This claim is made for many reasons, the obvious being that the person is comparing all the CDs that have come out in the past year to their entire collections, which usually span 30+ years. Of course 2001 sucks compared to 1964-2000!!! Are you people listnening?? Most years only have 5-15 important albums anyway. Are you in denial that modern bands like Tool, Radiohead, Air, PJ Harvey, Nine Inch Nails, et al, are making some of the most important music of the 21st century?? Should they get paid for it??
Next time you think that the RIAA is trying to shove shit down your throat and you shouldn't support legitimate artists because of it, have some respect and remember your history- for every Beatles there was a Hermans Hermits, for every Led Zepplin there was a Bay City Rollers, for every U2 there was Mr. Mister, so on and so forth. Same as it ever was. If music sucks for you now then it is obvious you are continuing to listen to the radio and watch MTV like you always have, because that's where all the bad music is, plain and simple You're not looking hard enough in new areas.
I honestly believe that most intelligent people do use swapping as a way to 'preview' an album. My only fear is that the Joe Sixpacks of the world who love 'free shit' are getting their hands on this technology.
Being a musician is really not that different from being a software engineer, we keep insane ours (mountain dew = cocaine, we just go straight to the source), we usually slave for years for free or on minimal pay to acheive any kind of success, projects (albums) can often take 2+ years and cost enourmous amounts of money, and we pull multi-layered, intricate creations out of thin air to enhance people's lives with nothing more than inspiration. How come you guys don't bitch when the IDSA goes after pirates?