Yet another reason the recording industry can go to hell....

[anti_shrub]

One of the gaping holes in RIAA's argument against filesharing is that lost CD sales takes money away from the artist. In actuality, artists make relatively little money from record sales and most of their cash comes from touring, which is why bands like the Rolling Stones still are the richest people in England despite not having a hit song in like 10 years or so.

So now what do I read?

The greedy ass record labels want to stick their fingers in the touring pie as well. New artists can look forward to contracts that give the labels a percentage of touring money as well as almost the entire cut of sales.

[DagmarK]

1. I wonder when the artists will start their own CO-OP?

That's all they would have to do......

Let their contracts with the evil recording industry lapse......

And then start a-new with a non-profit co-op that does everything from recording, producing, marketing, etc. Start their own recording industry themselves.

Of course, everything produced under an existing label will belong to the evil producers.....who will BURY some pretty great music out of spite. (and that is another problem with them -- if someone tries to buck the system, the label just makes sure their music never sees the light of day).

But the artists will have to band together to make this effective.

[Syrinx]

4. I saw a story about the Dead on ABC (I think) last night

The (formerly Grateful) Dead are putting out their own cd's. Instead of the $1 per cd that artists typically make, they are making about $8 per cd, and still selling them considerably cheaper than the labels. It said the Dead cleared about a quarter-million dollars in the last two weeks doing this.

[Old and In the Way]

10. They've always let their fans record at concerts.

I doubt that hurt their overall sales one bit...in fact, it probably gave them new avenues to get their music out. They only had one Top 40 hit before "Touch of Gray" and that was "Trucking", so this was an interesting approach.

They've also recording (from their soundboards) just about every concert they ever did. They have an incredible volume of music that they can publish without getting the labels involved.

A hundred years from now, it will be interesting to see what bands will still be remembered. I suspect the breadth and depth of their available music will carry them well.

[bluestateguy]

2. riaa

I recently fulfilled my obligation with the CD club I belong to. I am now boycotting all CD's until the RIAA changes their tune. I have a friend whose brother is an aspiring musician and buys into all the riaa propaganda that if the recording industry somehow does not make enormus profits they won't sign artists like him to contracts. Pure crapola.

[chenGOD]

3. Don't boycott all CDs...

there are lots of good musicians out there who aren't affiliated with the RIAA.

[MoonGod]

5. Yup...

http://brainscream.com/

All independent, all good.

My fave 3 there are Alien Vinyl 01001, Vanishing Voices - Silent Voices, and Seth - Unfortunate Brain Chemstry... all very different albums, too. Every American should hear Alien Vinyl's National Anthem at least once.. :)

[thermodynamic]

6. And yet the blind like Metallica still support the RIAA

sigh.

The RIAA will ultimately hang itself, even if the sheeple don't care - and they don't.

Like most people, the RIAA is using a certain group of people as a scapegoat for all its problems ("it's the economy, stupid" sums up the RIAA's problem. Not internet downloads.)

Artists with brains see the internet as a means to get away from the greedy record labels. The RIAA sees that as well and wants it stopped because that will SIGNIFICANTLY ruin their profits. That's the part of all this you'll never hear them say in public.

[ForrestGump]

8. That's sedition, boy

[thermodynamic]

12. Well golly gee gooseberries!

:D

I don't mean piracy (which I thought was merely selling the work that the record labels legitimately sell) but the artists themselves charging reasonable rates directly to the consumer. They would get the profits they deserve and the RIAA - useless as they are - can go bankrupt, as they well deserve to.

[HEyHEY]

7. I don't know how many artists would be able too

I mean, they sign a deal at the begining of their careers, from there, it's like they're hooked.

Maybe if a big rich group got together and started something for the new ones, it would work.

[BlueJazz]

9. As a musician and once member of a

band that had a hit in the 60's (no, don't ask...rather remain hidden) I can truthfully say there are a few wonderful people in the music industry.
Having said that, I can also state that I've never seen an organization that is filled with so many greedy, inconsiderate, sleazy walking pieces of human garbage !

You know the expression: "He'd sell his mother for a dollar?"
Shit, I've seen Mother F*ckers that would sell their whole family including the dog for 50 cents.

[DagmarK]

11. Ugh.....they'd throw in the DOG!!!!!!

Now that's sleazy!!!!! harumph!

Oh.....PM me and tell me who you are!!! Now I will perish from utter curiosity. And I love the music from the 60's!!! I bet I got my 1st radio just so I could hear your song. pretty puhleeze........ LOL

Just kidding.....you don't have to tell me.....but I wish you would. I keep SECRETS well!

[RememberJohn]

13. Swinging Medallions! "Double Shot Of My Baby's Love!"

I saw you in Perry, Georgia!

[Ellen Forradalom]

14. "File sharing is killing music..."

and not a moment too soon!

I'm not surprised. The same companies that exert monopoly power over radio exert it over concern promotion and venues, and they all have an interest in squeezing more out of the sharecropper, er, artist.

Did you read the article in last week's New Yorker about the music industry? Malcolm McLaren commented that the music industry is dying and no one gives a damn. I certainly don't. People will not stop making music and listening to music, but the current record business can just fade away, for all I care.

[Norbert]

15. The only CDs I buy anymore are used CDs

as a protest to the recording industry.

The last four songs I've downloaded are unreleased rare versions of songs. I've downloaded songs the recoed industry refuses to release in America. It's either download them, pay $30 for a import or do without. I choose to download. To hell with the RIAA.

[electricmonk]

16. Excellent RIAA resource

http://www.boycott-riaa.com

Labels like Matador, Epitaph, HellCat, Dischord and others prove that an artist can sell hundreds of thousands of records without the use of major labels so that throws the whole RIAA argument out the window.