After Putting Mixtape Creators In Jail, Universal Realizes It Needs Mixtapes
from the produce-your-own-crappy-ones dept
Remember back in January, when a SWAT team, at the direction of RIAA officials, raided the studio of a well known DJ and mixtape artist in Atlanta? This seemed like quite the overreaction to a system that had been known for its successful promotion of many RIAA-backed artists. However, after the DJs were arrested, the entire market was on notice and many mixtapes stopped showing up in the marketplace. In other words, many new acts lost a valuable channel for promotions. So what's a record label like Universal Music to do? Apparently start making its own mixtapes with some DJ that no one's ever heard of. Despite throwing the competition in jail, it seems that this attempt to coopt the mixtape space isn't working very well. The first Universal-backed mixtape has sold less than 6,000 copies since being released over a month ago and many record stores have very little interest in carrying it. Next time, perhaps the RIAA folks will ask the record labels they represent before throwing one of their biggest promoters in jail.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: djs, mixtapes, record stores, riaa
Companies: riaa, universal music
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Perhaps...
or perhaps the RIAA will do what they have been doing for the past several years and throw the book at anyone who even thinks of sharing music via mixtapes (or mash-ups for that matter) ...or via others in the same room/car/area listening to music that was only purchased one-time (once) and not per-listener (many times).
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
MAFIAA
So...Much...Fury...Can't...Write...
*throws up hands and hits 'submit'*
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: MAFIAA
Someones a little frustrated. Take a deep breath and come back when you make a little more sense.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: MAFIAA
It's amazing how an asshole like you can bridge any chasm on any subject to turn it into political commentary!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: MAFIAA
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Perhaps the RIAA will ask?
The RIAA? Ask?
They don't ask. They sue. They hire SWAT teams. They punish little old ladies, struggling students, and innocent housewives. They strangle kittens, club baby seals, and pull the toes off three-day-old infants. They don't care, and they never will.
The RIAA has never learned from any of its mistakes, and it has made quite a boat load of them. Do you really, REALLY, think that they will "ask the record labels they represent" before doing anything?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Perhaps the RIAA will ask?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re #5 & General
Along the lines of them asking before doing something.
Ha.
Like they asked Nine Inch Nails about the songs Reznor specifically released for free to promote his album before it was out before they started sending threatening letters to those hosting the songs.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
RE #5 (SPR)
Both the RIAA and politicians use political maneuvering to achieve their ends. Of course, the best ones do so without drawing attention to that fact, unlike the RIAA and our politicians! :-)
And, oh yeah, in the future I'd suggest you don't start off with insults... it undermines the point you're trying to make ;-p
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
You don't understand ...
No, I don't understand that either, but that's how the RIAA thinks.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Well, It might make some difference
Remember the "Radio Taping is Killing the Music Industry" campaign back in the day and remember, they will survive and so shall we.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I just realized...
Ah, they'd probably MAKE him play some new mashup everyday for the free advertising.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Well not quite...
Apparently start making its own mixtapes with some DJ that no one's ever heard of.
The fact that said dj is an unknown had nothing to do with it. Even Tiesto, Oakenfold, and Moby were nobody at some point. The problem is the RIAA tried to strong arm the competition and then plant their own dj on the scene. If corporations would stop trying to create word of mouth and buying street cred we would all be better off.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Well not quite...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Well not quite...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Well not quite...
I think that the issue that people are trying to point out is that there was an existing mixtape channel with name DJs promoting up-and-coming acts. However, these 'names' were arrested and Universal has been trying to imitate the culture they shut down.
Remember, this is about hip-hop mixtapes not trance and house DJs (so comparisons to Moby, Oakey, etc. are moot). The original scene depended on trusted DJs promoting unknown acts. Now they have an unknown DJ promoting acts that one record label are interested in - it's not going to work in the same way, even if the DJ becomes a 'name' in his own right.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Well not quite...
At least I think that is what happened here.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]