Could work better if the labels didn't get their greedy hands involved. Could work better once they expand and let fans to more promotion. Could work better if connected with youtube and fan generated videos and contests, networked as well with artist sites and facebook pages/twitter, etc..
Who said I was being treated poorly? I work for a living and do give back to my community and to artists. I've purchased an absurd number of DVD's, even without trying (not all were good) but ONLY because the price was fair and worth it. When you charge $20 for a new DVD, sorry too expensive. When you charge $10 for a known good movie, I'll buy it. If you charge $5, as long as it looks interesting, I'll buy it.
Several I bought and don't like, so I'll donate them to the library or Value Village or something.
I also want to help artists by generating a web service to make things easier for fans to get what they want. No one wants a bunch of hoops to loop through to support the artist - and that includes bullshit regional coding or worse, bullshit licensing.
Make the content available at a reasonable price globally and watch what happens!
Bog it down with "important" licensing bullshit meetings where lawyers simply try to justify their existence, and you'll see people get it for free.
Maybe, just maybe, if you listened to what fans wanted you'd see more would buy!
I want to make that easier than ever. Live in India? Create this account and just like iTunes you can buy directly from the artist, and you the fan get the option of sharing it too via the private bitTorrent Network (PBN). You get to share and promote the artist when you buy. We'll make it easier than regular bitTorrent.
Point being, it's trying something! It's something I can do to try to help artists bridge that terrified gap between the old days and the current days!
And that web service is only the start. People need to let go of a little control and just damn well try!
Sounds an awful lot like you're trying to pull the "you just want everything for free" bullshit tag line the industry likes to toll. In addition you try to reverse the "woes is me" in an attempt to redirect the argument off of yourself and derail the conversation.
Again, we want to pay artists, but we quickly lose interest when we're alienated. If McDonald's shit on their customers by treating them poorly, people would exercise their right to not eat there.
Of course, if McDonald's was anything like the recording industry, they'd claim it was due to piracy (aka M&M Tastey Burgers, Wendy's, Burger King, Harvey's, etc... -- you know competition).
Very few can piss on their fans and get away with it, which doesn't say much for the types of fans they have either.
The guy in the article, Alex Day, creates NEW material that people enjoy, he doesn't sit on his past and bitch and complain.
People tell you how it works because you walk in here and criticize and say "that isn't how it works" so you get the same in response. You're telling us how you want to be treated.
People like you walk in here and think you need to "educate" us on how the recording industry works and we simply don't "get" it (ie: that artists need to be paid for their work). The problem is you hate it when people explain to you the cat is out of the bag, adapt or you won't survive. We give your type examples of people that have succeeded and you counter that with more of the "that's not how it works" argument.
You're not listening very well either. This is a common theme with some artists. Indianna Gregg and Billy Bragg did a great job exercising this routine on the now dead a2f2a.com site. If we don't agree, it's because we don't "get" it. But when we explain how they don't understand the technological genie that's free, it's because we don't understand that artists need to be paid. Round and round we go, accomplishing nothing.
Look, "the good 'ol days weren't always good and tomorrow isn't as bad as it seems". Try "keeping the faith" (Billy Joel - Innocent Man album).
He's right. Let's also not forget the infamous words of Billy Joel again with The Entertainer "I am the Entertainer, and I know just where I stand, another serenader, in another long haired band. Today I am your champion, I may have won your hearts, but I know the game, you'll forget my name, if I don't stay on the charts." -- Obscurity is far worse than piracy and that's always been the case.
In addition, and to repeat, you won't get that genie back in the bottle where your corporate masters can charge for false-scarcity of goods. So roll with it and adapt and work with us, by not "you don't get it" arguments and try to understand that yeah, we do, we just don't agree with you.
Being paid for 70yrs after your death is NOT helpful and NOT a way to keep your music being heard!
And investors invest by CREATING NEW THINGS, you can't compare McDonald's to filesharing because if people could replicate McDonald's food with a click, while NOT REMOVING A SINGLE ITEM FROM THEIR SHELVES, then you'd have a similar argument.
So you want new funds, invest in yourself and create new things.
Families with money have said money because their family leaders worked for it, generated MORE than enough for themselves to have and their entire families, and when the well has run dry, the kids fend for themselves.
The only people bitching about being poor and miserable are the lazy heirs of musicians or people like yourself. Dweezil Zappa does a lot on his own, working for a living as a musician. Yes he has his father's name, but he doesn't sit around and do drugs sucking off his father's fortune, he's out there working his ass off and that's why he gets paid.
"You think the life of a songwriter is, or was, easy? Maybe for a small percentage, a few blessed people."
Sounds like you are putting words into my mouth. Not the correct thing to do!
I never said it was easy, so your rant is really misplaced.
Several songwriters do have a "I wrote this, now pay me" mentality and then claim "people who download have a sense of entitlement."
What I was offering was options, you know the help that you claim in post 104 no one offers.
You can't turn back the clock, you can legislate people into buying and you can't change the tide.
I was actually addressing frequent comments that advice here works only for musicians who perform, not for studio musicians or songwriters. I was giving you ideas!
Don't slap people when they try to give you advice in a nice way. At least we're trying instead of bitching like you are.
Here's something for your last paragraph:
"Nobody knows the trouble you've seen, nobody knows your sorrows."
There, feel better? Helped your situation didn't it?
Or maybe you could try something different instead of bitching how difficult life is.
Try working retail at WalMart or picking from gardens in the hot sun all day for pittance. No job is easy!
There's no reason songwriters couldn't utilize alternate means of getting paid either. No reason at all.
Dianne Warren made a name for herself writing amazing songs (in my opinion) covered by talented performance artists (whether you like their style or not is not important, because many people like it - enough to make it popular). If Dianne wants extra revenue because Heart or Celine Dion or whoever isn't pulling in royalties and radio isn't paying, then Dianne has to market herself.
"Want a custom song for you, that you can perform, written by a pro? Call Dianne."
"Want to learn the secrets of channeling your emotions into music? Call Dianne."
"Attention Amature Musicians, we're starting a kickstarter project, Dianne writes the songs, you perform them, and Eli Roth creates the videos. Love never hurt so much! ;) Sign up for your chance to perform on the new album, Dianne Gives. Amature musicians perform, funding through kickstarter, using TuneCore/iTunes/etc..., fans encouraged to make fan videos, best is chosen and said fan works with Dianne, performance artist, and Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino for a professional video shoot."
Point being, songwriters can't sit and hide anymore. They have to get out there and market their craft, connect with the fans, give a reason to buy beyond "I wrote this, someone perform it and pay me."
Trent Reznor created a video game, do you think that helped his album sales? Isn't that different from just album artwork? Imagine if it were his fans who created the video game and used kickstarter to get a little cash for it, or even dinner with Mr Reznor as a reward for their contributions?
The main thing, as already said, you have to do what you like and you will find like-minded people who will pay for the opportunity to do that with you.
You know what fans value most? Your time!!! It doesn't take lots, even if the fans can be demanding, that's par for the course. But that little time you give, if it is quality time, and you have fun and they have fun, and you're not faking it or making it seem corporate like those after-show meet'n'greets, you'll do very well.
Those lucky fans will spread the word and others will join. Mix it up, don't just do custom QnA or read the news, mix it up, keep it new, re-use is OK as long as you're not trying to make it a cash-cow. Fans can see right through that.
And there's NO reason songwriters can't do the same!!!
His music and video for Good Morning Sunshine is very happy and silly and fun.
Not quite my cup of tea, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
Looking at his YouTube channel you can tell he uses his persona, his "Alex Day" Character (could really be how he is) and that's what attracts people.
You can't fake his charisma and enthusiasm. It works well for him and that's why he is successful.
For others, maybe it is the way they rant or whatever, but anyone can be successful at something if they are willing to work at it. Reach inside and find something unique about you and maybe others will like it, if people around you laugh, you can gain popularity with it.
The key thing is you have to enjoy it, look at Alex's videos, he's having a blast and that's what the viewer feels and so they support him. He's hooked you in.
That would show the USOC and IOC that people don't give a shit about their corporate ass-kissing and maybe even the corps who support the Ohlimpicks will wake up to the will of the people.
Though most likely the USOC will sue the restaurant for violating a "law" and then sue those who supported via Kickstarter for being accomplices.
There is NO collection of data to prove your assumption correct. In fact there are data collections that prove counter.
Do you know why Lowery and labels don't understand it, because you cannot model human desires.
If it were as you say, iTunes would not be the success it is.
And people DO buy from the artists they love! Not everyone, some are restricted via stupid money-grabbing licenses (ie: Australia for NIN's music charing 1.5x what they should), some are simply not available, some simply don't have the money but buy what little they can (like a concert ticket).
There should be no more "import" pricings this day and age. That's a bullshit cash grab designed to screw consumers.
And some download music just to have a large collection of stuff they don't listen to and would never buy. Again, that's not a metric you can easily reference.
Cary Sherman's salary is truly a waste of money. The guy should be getting no more than $200k/yr to do what he does.
The remaining $3 million should go into a fund to help artists who've been screwed over by the RIAA. Not the labels via bad contracts, I mean the artist whom had legitimate use of many products and services the RIAA has succeeded in shutting down.
It may not be much when split across the large number of artists who've been hurt by the RIAA antics, but it's better than nothing (or ASCAP or SOCAN).
Then take Barry Sookman's salary, cut that to $80k and give the rest to a fund to help those who have been wrongfully sued (don't ask for it if you were really sharing files only, if you were not).
Finally, make it illegal to lobby government for laws via any financial means, direct or indirect. Any attempt to destroy products that have both good and bad uses (knives are OK, they are used to kill people or cut food - but they are not banned) as an attempt to maintain monopolistic control should result in extradition to Antarctica.
And if you read the comments you see only one person agrees with Lowery *using Casey Kasem's voice* "and he writes... 'A thief is a thief is a thief. (You can quote me.)' "
Re: Re: I wrote this but it got moderated (maybe it is nonsense?)
The devil is in the details:
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(4) Wages for some occupations that do not generally work year-round, full time, are reported either as hourly wages or annual salaries depending on how they are typically paid.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
The first line indicates the bias. "Do you work full time as a musician?" 'No, but I still make..' "Sorry, we can't include your data."
When one of the few independent studies said the industry was growing, it was not limited to full-time-major-label-US musicians, like the one you're linking to.
You're looking for anything that supports your belief system, which isn't the way to get to the truth. You have to do the opposite, search for what counters your belief first, trying to actually prove yourself wrong. Only then will you have a balanced view and reduce your own bias.
Anyone who frequents Techdirt could link to articles to counter the ones you refer to.
You want the real truth? Ask the IRS but even that won't be 100% accurate for the USA, as Willie Nelson can attest.
Are you sure you couldn't find a link to your own site for this reply? Come on Mr Lowery, you MUST have something on your site you love to promote here like it was 100% accurate (while others use numerous sites to counter), especially your "lesig gets it wrong" article?
You're missing a chance to direct traffic to your site, what's going on? Are you slipping or something?
Did you not get the latest update? The status messages are broadcast over twitter, I think it is @USAPowerGrid.
The really cool part is that replies to the twitter account are processed as commands to the system. Not even in hexadecimal coding, just plain text.
For example: @USAPowerGrid "Shut down all nuclear reactors" is a valid nation-wide command to turn off all US nuclear reactors. From what I've heard, that command just pulls the plug to the control system, as the politicians (not nuclear safety experts) wanted a fast shutdown so they could go silent.
Apparently the politicians got the idea from watching Down Periscope.
On the post: Alex Day Sells Half A Million Songs By Breaking All The 'Rules'
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Funny
On the post: Alex Day Sells Half A Million Songs By Breaking All The 'Rules'
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Songwriters?
Several I bought and don't like, so I'll donate them to the library or Value Village or something.
I also want to help artists by generating a web service to make things easier for fans to get what they want. No one wants a bunch of hoops to loop through to support the artist - and that includes bullshit regional coding or worse, bullshit licensing.
Make the content available at a reasonable price globally and watch what happens!
Bog it down with "important" licensing bullshit meetings where lawyers simply try to justify their existence, and you'll see people get it for free.
Maybe, just maybe, if you listened to what fans wanted you'd see more would buy!
I want to make that easier than ever. Live in India? Create this account and just like iTunes you can buy directly from the artist, and you the fan get the option of sharing it too via the private bitTorrent Network (PBN). You get to share and promote the artist when you buy. We'll make it easier than regular bitTorrent.
Point being, it's trying something! It's something I can do to try to help artists bridge that terrified gap between the old days and the current days!
And that web service is only the start. People need to let go of a little control and just damn well try!
On the post: Alex Day Sells Half A Million Songs By Breaking All The 'Rules'
Re: Re: Re: Re: Songwriters?
Again, we want to pay artists, but we quickly lose interest when we're alienated. If McDonald's shit on their customers by treating them poorly, people would exercise their right to not eat there.
Of course, if McDonald's was anything like the recording industry, they'd claim it was due to piracy (aka M&M Tastey Burgers, Wendy's, Burger King, Harvey's, etc... -- you know competition).
Very few can piss on their fans and get away with it, which doesn't say much for the types of fans they have either.
On the post: Alex Day Sells Half A Million Songs By Breaking All The 'Rules'
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Funny
People tell you how it works because you walk in here and criticize and say "that isn't how it works" so you get the same in response. You're telling us how you want to be treated.
People like you walk in here and think you need to "educate" us on how the recording industry works and we simply don't "get" it (ie: that artists need to be paid for their work). The problem is you hate it when people explain to you the cat is out of the bag, adapt or you won't survive. We give your type examples of people that have succeeded and you counter that with more of the "that's not how it works" argument.
You're not listening very well either. This is a common theme with some artists. Indianna Gregg and Billy Bragg did a great job exercising this routine on the now dead a2f2a.com site. If we don't agree, it's because we don't "get" it. But when we explain how they don't understand the technological genie that's free, it's because we don't understand that artists need to be paid. Round and round we go, accomplishing nothing.
Look, "the good 'ol days weren't always good and tomorrow isn't as bad as it seems". Try "keeping the faith" (Billy Joel - Innocent Man album).
He's right. Let's also not forget the infamous words of Billy Joel again with The Entertainer "I am the Entertainer, and I know just where I stand, another serenader, in another long haired band. Today I am your champion, I may have won your hearts, but I know the game, you'll forget my name, if I don't stay on the charts." -- Obscurity is far worse than piracy and that's always been the case.
In addition, and to repeat, you won't get that genie back in the bottle where your corporate masters can charge for false-scarcity of goods. So roll with it and adapt and work with us, by not "you don't get it" arguments and try to understand that yeah, we do, we just don't agree with you.
Being paid for 70yrs after your death is NOT helpful and NOT a way to keep your music being heard!
And investors invest by CREATING NEW THINGS, you can't compare McDonald's to filesharing because if people could replicate McDonald's food with a click, while NOT REMOVING A SINGLE ITEM FROM THEIR SHELVES, then you'd have a similar argument.
So you want new funds, invest in yourself and create new things.
Families with money have said money because their family leaders worked for it, generated MORE than enough for themselves to have and their entire families, and when the well has run dry, the kids fend for themselves.
The only people bitching about being poor and miserable are the lazy heirs of musicians or people like yourself. Dweezil Zappa does a lot on his own, working for a living as a musician. Yes he has his father's name, but he doesn't sit around and do drugs sucking off his father's fortune, he's out there working his ass off and that's why he gets paid.
On the post: Alex Day Sells Half A Million Songs By Breaking All The 'Rules'
Re: Re: Songwriters?
Sounds like you are putting words into my mouth. Not the correct thing to do!
I never said it was easy, so your rant is really misplaced.
Several songwriters do have a "I wrote this, now pay me" mentality and then claim "people who download have a sense of entitlement."
What I was offering was options, you know the help that you claim in post 104 no one offers.
You can't turn back the clock, you can legislate people into buying and you can't change the tide.
I was actually addressing frequent comments that advice here works only for musicians who perform, not for studio musicians or songwriters. I was giving you ideas!
Don't slap people when they try to give you advice in a nice way. At least we're trying instead of bitching like you are.
Here's something for your last paragraph:
"Nobody knows the trouble you've seen, nobody knows your sorrows."
There, feel better? Helped your situation didn't it?
Or maybe you could try something different instead of bitching how difficult life is.
Try working retail at WalMart or picking from gardens in the hot sun all day for pittance. No job is easy!
On the post: Alex Day Sells Half A Million Songs By Breaking All The 'Rules'
Songwriters?
Dianne Warren made a name for herself writing amazing songs (in my opinion) covered by talented performance artists (whether you like their style or not is not important, because many people like it - enough to make it popular). If Dianne wants extra revenue because Heart or Celine Dion or whoever isn't pulling in royalties and radio isn't paying, then Dianne has to market herself.
"Want a custom song for you, that you can perform, written by a pro? Call Dianne."
"Want to learn the secrets of channeling your emotions into music? Call Dianne."
"Attention Amature Musicians, we're starting a kickstarter project, Dianne writes the songs, you perform them, and Eli Roth creates the videos. Love never hurt so much! ;) Sign up for your chance to perform on the new album, Dianne Gives. Amature musicians perform, funding through kickstarter, using TuneCore/iTunes/etc..., fans encouraged to make fan videos, best is chosen and said fan works with Dianne, performance artist, and Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino for a professional video shoot."
Point being, songwriters can't sit and hide anymore. They have to get out there and market their craft, connect with the fans, give a reason to buy beyond "I wrote this, someone perform it and pay me."
Trent Reznor created a video game, do you think that helped his album sales? Isn't that different from just album artwork? Imagine if it were his fans who created the video game and used kickstarter to get a little cash for it, or even dinner with Mr Reznor as a reward for their contributions?
The main thing, as already said, you have to do what you like and you will find like-minded people who will pay for the opportunity to do that with you.
You know what fans value most? Your time!!! It doesn't take lots, even if the fans can be demanding, that's par for the course. But that little time you give, if it is quality time, and you have fun and they have fun, and you're not faking it or making it seem corporate like those after-show meet'n'greets, you'll do very well.
Those lucky fans will spread the word and others will join. Mix it up, don't just do custom QnA or read the news, mix it up, keep it new, re-use is OK as long as you're not trying to make it a cash-cow. Fans can see right through that.
And there's NO reason songwriters can't do the same!!!
On the post: Alex Day Sells Half A Million Songs By Breaking All The 'Rules'
Interesting
Not quite my cup of tea, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
Looking at his YouTube channel you can tell he uses his persona, his "Alex Day" Character (could really be how he is) and that's what attracts people.
You can't fake his charisma and enthusiasm. It works well for him and that's why he is successful.
For others, maybe it is the way they rant or whatever, but anyone can be successful at something if they are willing to work at it. Reach inside and find something unique about you and maybe others will like it, if people around you laugh, you can gain popularity with it.
The key thing is you have to enjoy it, look at Alex's videos, he's having a blast and that's what the viewer feels and so they support him. He's hooked you in.
Anywho, best of luck to him.
On the post: Alex Day Sells Half A Million Songs By Breaking All The 'Rules'
Re:
On the post: US Olympic Committee Forces 30 Year Old Philidelphia Gyro Restaraunt To Change Its Name
Re: Re:
That would show the USOC and IOC that people don't give a shit about their corporate ass-kissing and maybe even the corps who support the Ohlimpicks will wake up to the will of the people.
Though most likely the USOC will sue the restaurant for violating a "law" and then sue those who supported via Kickstarter for being accomplices.
On the post: A Business Model Failure Is Not A Moral Issue
Re: Re: Re:
Do you know why Lowery and labels don't understand it, because you cannot model human desires.
If it were as you say, iTunes would not be the success it is.
And people DO buy from the artists they love! Not everyone, some are restricted via stupid money-grabbing licenses (ie: Australia for NIN's music charing 1.5x what they should), some are simply not available, some simply don't have the money but buy what little they can (like a concert ticket).
There should be no more "import" pricings this day and age. That's a bullshit cash grab designed to screw consumers.
And some download music just to have a large collection of stuff they don't listen to and would never buy. Again, that's not a metric you can easily reference.
On the post: Get Ready For The Political Fight Against Encryption
You can have both
You can totally protect user's data and not have encryption. Yup, totally possible, if you rely on sneaker-net with exploding briefcases.
On the post: RIAA's New War: Shutting Down The Equivalent Of Internet VCRs
$3.2 million down the toilet
The remaining $3 million should go into a fund to help artists who've been screwed over by the RIAA. Not the labels via bad contracts, I mean the artist whom had legitimate use of many products and services the RIAA has succeeded in shutting down.
It may not be much when split across the large number of artists who've been hurt by the RIAA antics, but it's better than nothing (or ASCAP or SOCAN).
Then take Barry Sookman's salary, cut that to $80k and give the rest to a fund to help those who have been wrongfully sued (don't ask for it if you were really sharing files only, if you were not).
Finally, make it illegal to lobby government for laws via any financial means, direct or indirect. Any attempt to destroy products that have both good and bad uses (knives are OK, they are used to kill people or cut food - but they are not banned) as an attempt to maintain monopolistic control should result in extradition to Antarctica.
On the post: Why Do The People Who Always Ask Us To 'Respect' Artists Seem To Have So Little Respect For Artists?
Re: Re:
On the post: David Lowery Wants A Pony
Re: LA Times - Lowery "a new voice of sanity"
On the post: David Lowery Wants A Pony
Re: Re: I wrote this but it got moderated (maybe it is nonsense?)
The first line indicates the bias. "Do you work full time as a musician?" 'No, but I still make..' "Sorry, we can't include your data."
When one of the few independent studies said the industry was growing, it was not limited to full-time-major-label-US musicians, like the one you're linking to.
You're looking for anything that supports your belief system, which isn't the way to get to the truth. You have to do the opposite, search for what counters your belief first, trying to actually prove yourself wrong. Only then will you have a balanced view and reduce your own bias.
Anyone who frequents Techdirt could link to articles to counter the ones you refer to.
You want the real truth? Ask the IRS but even that won't be 100% accurate for the USA, as Willie Nelson can attest.
On the post: NSA: Figuring Out How Many US Citizens We Illegally Spied On Would Violate Their Privacy
Above the law, maybe
If Wyden and Udall can use FUD (same tactic used by all these days) they can maybe get congress to agree the NSA has too much funding.
These are tough economic times, if agencies don't want to cooperate, simply cut their funding and blame it on debt reduction.
Once you do that, maybe then they'll find the time write a simple query to their databases to get the total, sorta like the SQL SUM function.
On the post: The Role Of 'Perceived Value' In Music Is Small And Fading Fast
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ???
You're missing a chance to direct traffic to your site, what's going on? Are you slipping or something?
On the post: The Role Of 'Perceived Value' In Music Is Small And Fading Fast
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Depends also...
On the post: The Politicians Who Cried 'Cyber Pearl Harbor' Wolf
Re: Re: Didn't read it all..... lol
On the post: The Politicians Who Cried 'Cyber Pearl Harbor' Wolf
Re: Re: Re:
The really cool part is that replies to the twitter account are processed as commands to the system. Not even in hexadecimal coding, just plain text.
For example: @USAPowerGrid "Shut down all nuclear reactors" is a valid nation-wide command to turn off all US nuclear reactors. From what I've heard, that command just pulls the plug to the control system, as the politicians (not nuclear safety experts) wanted a fast shutdown so they could go silent.
Apparently the politicians got the idea from watching Down Periscope.
Next >>