For the longest time, I have always heard that the Entertainment industry was really rough but the worst within the Entertainment world was the music business. It seems that TV, movies, publishing, etc. have as bad as a reputation as the music industy. Anybody know why it's like this?

I posted an article about the music industry here a while back. Its a good read and pretty spot on:

7 Things a Record Deal Teaches You About the Music Industry

There's a lot of money out there and everyone's after their piece of it. A big piece for me means a smaller piece for you, which is OK with me.

This is the default position of everyone involved in making a deal. There is not a lot of consideration for the other side - how big does their piece need to be, to make this sustainable? The only thought is, I need my piece to be as big as possible.

Same as the other entertainment industries but the power imbalance between artist and company may be more severe in some areas than others. I'm not sure how to compare music to publishing or TV.

Because everyone is trying to eat off the same project,
and once the contract is signed,
it determines future earnings and recognition for decades.

[Edited 8/5/14 15:12pm]

Cinny said:

Because everyone is trying to eat off the same project,
and once the contract is signed,
it determines future earnings and recognition for decades.

[Edited 8/5/14 15:12pm]

For decades? Seriously? Do tell !

Greed, ego and hunger to make a name - from the Artists and the executives.

One of the big examples given is TLC. They had huge sales, made the industry millions of dollars richer while they went personally bankrupt.

The back-of-a-napkin analysis is this: they signed for a royalty % so small, they could never be profitable. They were having to pay the bills for video shoots, promotion and marketing costs, probably payola to some radio stations, all out of their tiny royalty percent. The more successful they were, the more money was spent to send them on the road and do more promo. From what I have read, their deal was always structured this way and anyone who knew the biz could have looked at it and said, don't do it. But they had a manager who was pressuring them to take it, knowing that she would end up doing very well if the group had hits. Classic case of the manager placing their own interests above the artists'.

And that was that, that was their career. There's nothing to renegotiate now.

bobzilla77 said:

One of the big examples given is TLC. They had huge sales, made the industry millions of dollars richer while they went personally bankrupt.

The back-of-a-napkin analysis is this: they signed for a royalty % so small, they could never be profitable. They were having to pay the bills for video shoots, promotion and marketing costs, probably payola to some radio stations, all out of their tiny royalty percent. The more successful they were, the more money was spent to send them on the road and do more promo. From what I have read, their deal was always structured this way and anyone who knew the biz could have looked at it and said, don't do it. But they had a manager who was pressuring them to take it, knowing that she would end up doing very well if the group had hits. Classic case of the manager placing their own interests above the artists'.

And that was that, that was their career. There's nothing to renegotiate now.

Wow, I didn't know it was like THAT with them. Geez. They didn't make much money from touring then, I presume because they had to pay for their own promo? That's insane.

I watched the movie Phantom Of The Paradise recently, about a musician who sells his soul to the devil, via a shady showbiz manager. Right as they are reviewing the contract he starts asking Satan's rep what things mean, and is told cheerfully "Oh that's just a transportation clause" and "Well that clause is there to protect YOU, Winslow".

And then the rep says "It doesn't really matter, you might as well sign it... what choice do you have?" And he pricks his finger and signs it in blood and of course, he ends up having signed a bad contract.

I often think of that moment when I hear about people who got really bad deals. I'm sure they all thought, what choice do I have?

Google the name "Lou Pearlman" if you want to read some real bad ones.

What makes the industry cut throat is its principle. It is built on the "building you up and tearing you down" principle. The industry wants to market and cash out on popular artists for money as much as they can while they are current and popular. Once they lose popularity, they are eagered to find the new trend or new product that will be as marketable. So in essence, it really doesnt give a damn about the actual artists but more so about the money the artists will give them. The current mainstream industry is not about music anymore and more so about image and marketing. That is more cut throat because if certain singers don't fit into a certain criteria that the industry wants to market, then they don't have a chance or will be forced to conform if they choose to be a mainstream artist.

mjscarousal said:

What makes the industry cut throat is its principle. It is built on the "building you up and tearing you down" principle. The industry wants to market and cash out on popular artists for money as much as they can while they are current and popular. Once they lose popularity, they are eagered to find the new trend or new product that will be as marketable. So in essence, it really doesnt give a damn about the actual artists but more so about the money the artists will give them. The current mainstream industry is not about music anymore and more so about image and marketing. That is more cut throat because if certain singers don't fit into a certain criteria that the industry wants to market, then they don't have a chance or will be forced to conform if they choose to be a mainstream artist.

Those are some good points, especially now because of social media, etc. "music" is so visual now. Half those folk singers in the late 60s would have never made it in today's music world

To me, the music industry is no different than working for corporate america. You basically need to know how to play the game, talk to folks who have been there and playing it for a while to get wisdom. Always watch your back and have a back up plan at all times.

funkdoctorrock said:

It's cutthroat..cause it's all based off sales..not content..We all listened to artists and wonder why weren't they big or the album didn't sell well..It's based off sales..It's more difficult than bein a actor.. Actors can be in a string of movieflops and still get jobs.. It's hard to keep getting record labels to sign u..It's also cutthroat cause u may have to sacrifice your artistic integrity..cause record labels wants u to follow a trend. It's hard to keep writing hits too once u do make it big.. .You are competing against your contemporaries in the music business..but also against your past album sales.. Musicians don't make alot of money.. tours and endorsements are really how they can get paid..and paid more. .If u don't have the record label behind u all the way..promoting it..on the radio..then u are kinda set up to fail as well [Edited 8/11/14 10:15am] [Edited 8/11/14 10:15am]

Your comments are interesting because it makes us kind of re-think how music is different now that there are so many more outlets for artists to be "marketed". There are some singers that are so oversaturated in the market that you can't really tell if they are really worthy of the hype or if they are actually talented. I think there are some artists who will be regarded as "legends" later but all they are doing is just oversaturing the market with mediocrity that's well packaged.

SeventeenDayze said:

Cinny said:

Because everyone is trying to eat off the same project,
and once the contract is signed,
it determines future earnings and recognition for decades.

[Edited 8/5/14 15:12pm]

For decades? Seriously? Do tell !

Google: George Clinton lawsuit

MotownSubdivision said:

Interesting article. Shows how really, it's the music industry's fault that it's in the mess it currently is and why there are no truly big name stars anymore. What gets me the most from what was explained is how labels sign people for their unique style and individuality only to strip them of the very things that made them sign them I the first place by having them make the same type of music as that we just can't get enough of on the radio these days and sound like everyone else who makes that very music. That's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard, must be a corporate thing...

That's a good point, Motown. They bring people in just to re-package them and turn them into something else. Only the lucky ones can stay true to their craft and still feel like they haven't lost their own identity.

SeventeenDayze said:

MotownSubdivision said:

Interesting article. Shows how really, it's the music industry's fault that it's in the mess it currently is and why there are no truly big name stars anymore. What gets me the most from what was explained is how labels sign people for their unique style and individuality only to strip them of the very things that made them sign them I the first place by having them make the same type of music as that we just can't get enough of on the radio these days and sound like everyone else who makes that very music. That's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard, must be a corporate thing...

That's a good point, Motown. They bring people in just to re-package them and turn them into something else. Only the lucky ones can stay true to their craft and still feel like they haven't lost their own identity.

The lucky ones i.e. Janelle Monae don't get the promotion and backing but they get the unspoken "respect" so to speak. I wouldn't say she is lucky. I just think she chooses to play the game by HER rules and forfeiting her right to be more mainstream for her artistic freedom. She has worked hard with little to no promotion to even be as big as she is now. That means if she had more marketing she would be a superstar because she has the talent and appeal.

mjscarousal said:

SeventeenDayze said:

That's a good point, Motown. They bring people in just to re-package them and turn them into something else. Only the lucky ones can stay true to their craft and still feel like they haven't lost their own identity.

The lucky ones i.e. Janelle Monae don't get the promotion and backing but they get the unspoken "respect" so to speak. I wouldn't say she is lucky. I just think she chooses to play the game by HER rules and forfeiting her right to be more mainstream for her artistic freedom. She has worked hard with little to no promotion to even be as big as she is now. That means if she had more marketing she would be a superstar because she has the talent and appeal.

Yeah I was surprised to see her in a Covergirl ad in a magazine recently because I NEVER see her commercials as much as I see Sofia Vergara's commercials....