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Mind_Drive 
Forum Senior Member 
Joined: September 06 2009 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 389 |
 Topic: Greedy Record Companies and other StoriesPosted: July 14 2014 at 06:05 |
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Hey you guys im
 quite  !  i knew that artists do not get too much cash from a sold cd when singned to a record label but its actually way worse than i thought! some article speak about less than 10% another one says itīs only 4% !!! while the record label gets 31% HELLO? is this a joke? so there are alternatives like bandcamp.. there the artists gets almost 85-90% but has to come up for production etc for themselves but i guess it is still much more than they get from cd selling through a record label. as i want to support the artists and not the music industry which in my eyes is a greedy capitalistic machinery as every industry on earth and therefore has to DIE!  but i honestly do not like to buy albums where only some 70 cents or something go to the artists.what are your opinions? are there alternatives you prefer? where do you buy your music and do you think it is possible that the musicindustry will be killed by crowdfunding and bandcamp etc? |
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It's just a ride... <3
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UMUR
Special Collaborator 
Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 19 2007 Location: Denmark Status: Offline Points: 3010 |
Posted: July 14 2014 at 06:12 |
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As far as I know itīs always been like that. Most artists receive less than 5% of the record sale. I remember reading somewhere that Metallica at some point blew the roof, because they received 13% or something like that.
Itīs of course not much, but the labels used to pay for production costs, marketing and distribution, so they did have quite a few costs when making and releasing an album. Artists that sold millions of albums where probably reasonably satisfied, but smaller artists of course didnīt make much from record sales. Today they make even less, and have to resort to Funding campaigns, self-releasing their releases on Bandcamp and similar sites, which I assume isnīt much more financially satisfying. Today artists earn their Money on the road, but Iīm pretty sure thatīs more or less as itīs always been (at least for the smaller artists). |
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Mind_Drive
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 06 2009 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 389 |
Posted: July 14 2014 at 06:34 |
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although they have to pay for production costs, marketing and distribution etc., a balanced relation between actual efford/ acchievement and payment is not given. because i supose that the big bosses of the labels are the ones who earn the sh*t while they dont work 1000 times more but earn that much more. its corruptet and thats what pissing me off. the argument it has always been like that does not count anymore for we have internet now and artits do not rely on labels to get discovered. so i hope there will be change!
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It's just a ride... <3
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Windhawk
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: December 28 2006 Location: Norway Status: Offline Points: 11400 |
Posted: July 14 2014 at 06:40 |
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From what I can recall the performing artist gets a certain percentage, and another percentage will go to the composer(s). There are also different kinds of agreements between artists and labels, so just how much money an artist will earn for each sale isn't set at a fixed rate as such. At least if I recall correctly.
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Websites I work with:
http://www.progressor.net http://www.houseofprog.com My profile on Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/haukevind/ |
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HolyMoly
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin Joined: April 01 2009 Location: Atlanta Status: Offline Points: 26133 |
Posted: July 14 2014 at 06:44 |
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A soundtrack for your thread --
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
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Mind_Drive
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 06 2009 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 389 |
Posted: July 14 2014 at 06:46 |
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i was referring to prog, so the composer is most likely the performer, too
 anyone have any ideas about bandcamp or other possibilities where i can really support the ARTIST? |
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It's just a ride... <3
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zachfive
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 13 2005 Location: Kitsap WA Status: Offline Points: 770 |
Posted: July 17 2014 at 01:30 |
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Buy records from the Ipecac label.
A quote from the Ipecac Recordings wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipecac_Recordings (Werckman being one of the founders of the label along with Mike Patton); Greg Werckman - "Lawyers or businesspeople call us morons for only doing one-record deals," Werckman scoffs. "They say, 'You're not really anything, then.' Well, we like our catalogue. We like the records we put out. Our bands aren't rushing away. Our job isn't to own any artist. We're here to put out the art that people create." "Low overhead and no video or promotional cost partnered with very little distribution costs allow for hearty royalties "Every six months I send those guys royalty checks," Werckman says. "It's great. It's the way it should be. Even bands that are very successful when they get royalty checks from us, they're stunned."
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Jim Garten
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin & Razor Guru Joined: February 02 2004 Location: South England Status: Offline Points: 14693 |
Posted: July 17 2014 at 02:09 |
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You may be interested to read this interview I did with Martin Orford (Ex-IQ) 5 years ago:
Interview with Martin Orford 2009 At one point in the interview he's asked why he doesn't go it alone without the record company/middle man, thereby reaping more of the reward himself. |
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 Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
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Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: July 18 2014 at 16:01 |
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Your maths is out by a wide margin. If the artist gets 5% then the most a record exec can earn from each artist is 20 times, not 1000 times. Even if the record exec had 50 artists on his books it would still only be 20 times. HOWEVER. It doesn't work like that either. A record label employs considerably more people than just a greedy executive and while you have acknowledged that the record label pays for the production, marketing and distribution costs, there are also the manufacturing costs to consider and the cost of any advance paid to the artist, you seem to disregard where this money comes from. The breakdown of were each cent of a CD sale goes can be found easily enough on the web, I don't need to guess or make-up numbers so neither should you. Another point to think about: All the cash-flow in a company comes from sales and in an established record label this is self-perpetuating... Sales from one successful album funds the production, manufacturing, promotion and distribution of the next 5, 10, 20, ... 50 albums... Some of which will sell well but most will fail. An example of this is Virgin Records... Sales of Tubular Bells paid for dozens of albums that didn't sell as well - if Oldfield had walked away with most of the cash earnt by TB we would not have albums by Tangerine Dream, Gong, Henry Cow, Slapp Happy or Clearlight Symphony.
Edited by Dean - July 18 2014 at 16:59 |
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What?
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JJLehto
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Status: Offline Points: 34550 |
Posted: July 19 2014 at 22:00 |
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Eh, if it really ruffles yer feathers I'd say why even worry? With the rise of technology you never need to touch a major label. If you want you never even need to use any label period.
I mean there's just no point these days, unless you want to take that old school rock star path. It really is quite oudated though. Hell, those 12 year old kids from NYC who put videos on YT of them playing metal have now "made it" playing at legit shows like Coachella and even Warped. About as indie as you can do it.
Edited by JJLehto - July 19 2014 at 22:01 |
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Luna
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 28 2010 Location: Funky Town Status: Offline Points: 12794 |
Posted: July 19 2014 at 22:05 |
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If you want to support the artist, go to a concert and buy a T-shirt.
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JJLehto
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Status: Offline Points: 34550 |
Posted: July 19 2014 at 22:16 |
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The simplest yet best thing said on the matter! |
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Kati
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 10 2010 Location: Earth Status: Offline Points: 6253 |
Posted: July 19 2014 at 22:32 |
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JJLento and Luna, I second what you both said here, however I must add that spreading the word about the artist's music especially with great enthusiasm is most effective too. Hugs to both of you  xxxx
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Greedy Record Companies and other Stories
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Mind_Drive wrote: