Music Today Is About Cost Cutting

[Whitten]

Another plus for streaming services like Tidal is that they often make out-of-print physical media a redundant issue.

Actually, by far the most common phenomenon is that an artist's past release is not available on streaming. There is a lot of music not available on streaming.

 

[vintagedrummersweden]

This summer was the fourth time I promoted a jazz festival with my brother and friend. One of the bands was a trio I never heard before and they were absolutely fabulous!! Even though they were a classic jazz piano trio they had a new approach and a new sound, to me anyway. (Petter Bergander Trio)
Me and my wife bought their cd, and an extra for my brother in law, to support the artist.
And - we've played both the cd and via Spotify. Giving the artist a gig, sold two cd's and got some streaming. One thing doesn't need to take away the other.
The cd sounds better since it plays through my stereo.

That said, Spotify really has to give more back to the artists - they're a tech company, not a music company and they should learn something from the people they make their living from!

I teach cultural history (among other subjects) for 18 years old and we discuss the problems with streaming, illegal streaming and physical products. And they get to interview a working artist, in any creative, artistic field just to get the experience from someone who's trying to earn a living as an artist.
We need to educate the new generation what's happening and the way musicians, film producers and other artists get their livelihood. They don't know about anything else than streaming (excluding those who collect vinyl etc but they are not the majority).

 

[Pibroch]

Actually, by far the most common phenomenon is that an artist's past release is not available on streaming. There is a lot of music not available on streaming.

Your statement doesn't contradict mine, (actually).

 

[dboomer]

That said, Spotify really has to give more back to the artists - they're a tech company, not a music company and they should learn something from the people they make their living from!

We can’t simply hold streaming companies to blame. Back when I first started buying records I used to get 6-10 new albums a month. How much would that be in today’s dollars? Now I pay Spotify $10/month and get way more music. And lots of people don’t pay them anything. So for Spotify to pay more they need an audience that is willing to pay more.

 

[Whitten]

We can’t simply hold streaming companies to blame.

Well why does Spotify allow free streaming?

 

[Jesse Segovia]

Ian Brown needs these guys backing him up!

 

[JimmyM]

Well why does Spotify allow free streaming?

To sell ads.

 

[Tornado]

To sell ads.

And there is something wrong here. Ad supported FM radio made artists rich.

 

[Whitten]

To sell ads.

Daniel Ek is a multi-millionaire, but 12 million streams a year is only making artists below average wage.
Is any part of Netflix free, or Amazon prime?

 

[JimmyM]

And there is something wrong here. Ad supported FM radio made artists rich.

It put them in the position to get rich but there’s a whole lot of payola involved with terrestrial radio, too.

 

[JimmyM]

Daniel Ek is a multi-millionaire, but 12 million streams a year is only making artists below average wage.
Is any part of Netflix free, or Amazon prime?

I’m with you on that.

 

[Whitten]

The three problems here...
1) There are too many free to listen opportunities.
2) Your listen doesn't actually pay the artist you are listening to, it gets thrown in a big pot and given out to the artists that are getting a lot of streams that quarter.
3) Every young artist is competing directly with everything that's ever been released. Which is exactly why Netflix, Amazon etc heavily promote new content and don't host millions of hours of past classics you can watch instead.

 

[Tornado]

It put them in the position to get rich but there’s a whole lot of payola involved with terrestrial radio, too, plus it only allowed them to sell more albums.

They royalties for radio play were quite good, at least for the song writers. That royalty was written into law. That is probably what needs to happen with streaming.

 

[JimmyM]

They royalties for radio play were quite good, at least for the song writers. That royalty was written into law. That is probably what needs to happen with streaming.

Don’t disagree.

 

[Whitten]

It put them in the position to get rich

Most people just want a viable career. Pop artists want to get rich, and by and large streaming is delivering millions to top pop artists. The majority in full time music have had their legs cut off at the knee though. Scrabbling for pennies.

 

[Whitten]

Just going back to my first post....
People are making albums quickly, with templates, loops, sample libraries because they aren't rewarded for doing it the harder way - with real musicians.
Because we actually lost a source of income (record sales), artists are looking to make as much as they can from live. Which means much higher ticket prices and cut down shows (like one or two performers with backing tracks).

 

[JimmyM]

Just going back to my first post....
People are making albums quickly, with templates, loops, sample libraries because they aren't rewarded for doing it the harder way - with real musicians.
Because we actually lost a source of income (record sales), artists are looking to make as much as they can from live. Which means much higher ticket prices and cut down shows (like one or two performers with backing tracks).

I don’t see how this can be argued against even a little.

 

[multijd]

Singer playing a solo gig with guitar or piano - depending on who it is, may very well be worth it. But I can't think of one singer I'd want to see on stage with no other instruments.

Bobby McFerrin did it years ago. I saw him at the Tralf and it was amazing.

 

[multijd]

I’d pay to see Joni Mitchell solo with an acoustic guitar.

Yes, I saw Rachel and Vilray for a reasonable ticket price and it was totally worth it. Not often the case though.

Rachael & Vilray

rachaelandvilray.com

Anything Rachel Price does is worth the price of admission.

 

[multijd]

From a wide angle historical view, we're probably just exiting the peak bubble of an artificial economy that enabled musicians to get paid the most any musicians will ever get paid. We were in it so it seems normal, but I'm pretty sure when viewed through time's lens, it will appear as though it was an extraordinary phase and we're returning to normal.

(The artificial part has to do with what turned out to be only temporary difficulty reproducing recorded material, and record companies being able to get laws on their side.)

I have a musician friend who has been saying this for years. I’m starting to agree…