As artists here, what drives you the craziest about the MUSIC industry in general? Labels, radio, MTV, live gigs...anything basically that you find isn't maybe "fair" or just plain annoys you. hehe Have you met anybody in this business who has turned your grapes sour? Has something made you want to quit before? Feel free to vent here. :+) Take care everybody!

Lemonade has been made my friend. I remain passionate.

marcdeondotcom said:

That's good. It's not only a question of remaining passionate. Nothing just drives you crazy about this wonderful business? Like how some labels just really rip off their artists? Ummm... maybe the prices of CD's and how much of a cut an artist gets? How about how radio station playlists are so controlled? What if you hope to get your song on the radio? I'm just trying to wake up the dead around here. hehe :+) I'm just asking the questions. I already had my mini volcano on another thread. :+)

I've always been more of an underground artist so I haven't experienced much of it first-hand.

accentuate the positive edit...
[This message was edited Wed Dec 10 1:43:54 PST 2003 by marcdeondotcom]

Bootsinox said:

I don't think about that stuff all the time. Yes, it's annoying that radio is controlled by $$$. Yes, it's annoying that record companies only want to sign clones of popular artists. But if I spent my energy being pissed about that, I wouldn't get anything done. Anger blocks creativity.

However... there is one thing that REALLY chaps my hide. It sucks that people like me, who write their music, lyrics and arrangements don't get as much recognition as those who are part of the game. You know, the game that says "hey, you're young and beautiful, you can sing, and even if you can't sing, we'll fix that... We are gonna get 5 producers to work on your album and 5 songwriters to work on a song that is going to be a single, and all you gotta do is make this video wearing hardly any clothes... and make sure you shake your shoulders a lot, so you look like a real pop star... We are gonna put you on the cover of Rolling Stone and Esquire, showing as much skin as possible and viola! You'll win an American Music Award!"


Other than that, I feel fine.

I use to let what's going on in the music industry drive me crazy because of how commerce started to outweight art.
I realized now, that it's always been that way but,the only difference was that there was more genuine talent. Today, I see more "Product". Meaning, most that are making a living in the entertainment industry today have no real passion for making music. Just a real passion for making money (Product,ie; anything that makes money). Anyone can make "Product". If peanut buttter were very popular in the music industry right now, "Skippy" would be number one! Nothings wrong with that of course until you make claims that you are a "Musical Artist". In the end,no matter what,I'm still able to make music and above all, that's what makes me happy!

Muziqmkr said:

And/or a passion for shaking their boobs in your face...



Very true. For me, it's more important to have respect and admiration for composing. I know my production skills need work, but I pretty much write EVERYTHING you hear when you listen to my songs. I put it all together. And as much as people put down Duran Duran as pretty boys, they do write all their music and they inspired me to do the same. I look back at 1984 and think wow, back then, creativity really mattered. They were pop! What is popular now? Caca. Everytime I see a picture of the time they were on the cover of Rolling Stone, I think about how many times Britney has been on it, I just think, "Damn, things have changed."

The music industry only cares about making a fast buck now. They don't allow for an artist to release 3 albums and grow. They want a hit right away and if you can't pull if off again...bye-bye! The funny thing is, pulling it off depends on how much money they spend promoting you. And, they REALLY don't want artists who can produce their own stuff.


A really great band from Sweden, DaSilva, produces high-quality music in their KITCHEN, on the computer and they can't get signed!!! www.dasilvasweden.com (Well, now I think they have some studio space) They have had meetings with record companies and they tell them "We will sign you, but you have to use our producer." You know why? Because they are gonna charge YOU to use THEIR producer so they can deduct that charge off your royalties!!! Ain't that a bitch?

That is why I'm sooo into the New Funk Order. It's a great cause. Join it! www.newfunkorder.com

Personally I feel like the industry is about to change for the better in a big way. It has to just in the interest of good art.

The NFO is just one positive sign of things to come.

I agree with what has been said, including not letting it frustrate you, but rather channel our own energies into making what feels good to each of us. The music industry has been more industry than music, but from the heavy proliferation of diecast-mold shallow music being derived (I won't say created because most all of it has been heard before), I would say the landscape of interest in music has been changing, slowly but most assuredly.

Sales in music could very possibly have slumped from more than the want for people to simply download music. It could (and probably does) stem from the want by the buying masses for deeper content. The music scene is polluted by too much booty music, pop, bling, bubble gum, and other adjectives I can't think of right now. All things are good in moderation, but the public is being force-fed assembly-line garbage thru advertisements, videos, inclusion in motion pictures, etc. by behemoths with deep pockets. All that to confuse the buyer and make them/us believe that because you see and hear so much of it, it must be good.

How many times have you listened to a song you didn't try to listen to, only to have that song stuck in your head. It becomes a catchy tune at that point. This is one of the main points the industry counts on. That is why today's "pop" song doesn't get a long chart life that music in the 80's and before enjoyed. It's played to death so more profits can be reaped from it early on. Meanwhile, musicians (self-professed and true ones), who refuse to sell their souls on the dotted line, struggle with day jobs and their passion for making music in the hopes of getting that one break that will change that course.

WHEW! Okay, I've got it out of me now. Getting back to work for now...{and into the box goes XPsiter}

XPsiter Well said.

Espcially this part:





I said something to that effect over at the NFO board a while back, but you said it sooo much more eloquently.

http://newfunkorder.com/p....php?t=159

Thanks, Vina. Good post and article on the NFO board. True to the last letter.

In my opinion the music industry is now all about making fast money, by signing pop acts with little 2 no talent just 2 make some money by targeting the young audience.
If ur a guy ur gotta look like Justin Timberlake 2 sell records & if ur a girl u gotta look like Britney or Christina.

I think the music industry needs a major re-think and sign real artists. If I was a record company executive I'd only sign talented singers/groups as I wouldn't care about making money. Bad business?..not really, cuz u nurture the talent like in the old days.

The 'mystique' of singers/bands is gone now, what with the Internet and such in your face promotion.

Music should b sold on musical talent alone, yet image is now the deciding factor. I would like 2 see record companies put more faith in their artists rather than dropping them if their next single/album flops. This is due 2 oversaturation. I mean u see the video constantly on rotation on MTV, VH-1 and the other musical channels, see the artists faces all over the newspapers, magazines etc. etc. and people get tired of it.

Record companies must sign REAL talent, rather than some young kid who can't sing but is marketable cuz of his or her image.

Just my

What they ought 2 do is sign an artist that LOOKS like Justin Timberlake but can play and sing his ass off like Prince. But 2 many so-called artists spend more time in the weight room than in the practice room. I definitely agree with what Slave2ThaGroove said earlier when he said that he thought things were gonna change 4 the better. If U look at the scene right now, there really IS no "movement" or group of similar artists that R selling tons of records. It's all up 4 grabs!

guitarslinger44 said:

I agree. There is no real superstars now. Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna were the top stars of the 1980's but now thats all changed.

The corporate system of music has always made me want better for the arts. That's why I thought of The New Funk Order.


Peace,
JD
[This message was edited Wed Dec 17 8:36:22 PST 2003 by Flashpointe]

the most annoying thing for me would be the radio airplay - like i read in another thread, it is truly just paid advertising these days. WHO IS DECIDING WHAT'S PLAYED??? one huge conglomerate, that's who. and if you have money, lots of money, you can get your song on the radio . . . otherwise you might get it on your local college radio station if you send your song with some chocolates

It's nice to see this thread still breathing. :+) I was just hoping to get some of this out in the open. I know we all have our own ideas of how this industry should work. I really enjoy reading the things everybody has submitted so far. Hopefully some century the artist will once again be in control. I'm just very thankful for now on all of the MUSIC business classes I took. It really helps you to watch out for red flags. :+P Anyway, TAKE CARE EVERYBODY!

Lenae said:

Sure, Lenae. BUT, I, myself, would almost prefer a spot on college radio where new music is happening, versus a spot on Clear Music Radio, where your song would be pounded into the ears of the masses to the point of disgust. Two examples come to mind immediately: Nickelback and Maroon5.

Nickelback started out five years ago with a KILLER tune called "Leader of Men". I heard it once around midnight on the popular rock station here in town. 4 months later, the song was played on what seemed like every station, for what seemed like every ten minutes. When I heard it at midnight for the first time, I thought it was the coolest tune since Freebird. When I was hearing it every 5 minutes, I was sick of the song and sick of the band - to the point that I refuse to sit thru a damn nickelback song now, period.

Ditto with Maroon 5. That song "harder to breathe" WAS the BOMB back when I heard it maybe 3 times total. And that was LAST SUMMER. NOW, the song is played constantly. "played out" is the term, actually.

So, I've totally given up on Clear Radio. I refuse. I listen to college radio almost entirely now. Sure, two out of three songs is some guy playing a cow with a saw while defecating into a missile silo, but that one out of three songs is kickass, I've never heard it, and I have to go looking for it to hear it again - like the old days.

All this long-winded rambling is to say, you have a better chance of getting your music on college radio (they have a "local music" show, probably and WILL play anything once.) and, if you plan on playing live, you will find an audience on college radio.

Just my opinion.

The music industry will wither and go away and only publishing houses will remain...






Jshua





http://www.soundclick.com/jshua

I just can't get pissed over something that I don't fucking care.

give me a beer