Working with many artists for many years including Jeff Beck and Joe Lynn Turner it still amazes me that with all this advice so many new and not so new bands, singers and artists still don't get these important points. The rules have been the same since day one, nothing has changed but still I see regularly artists ready to sell their souls to become famous, not to be song/musically great I have to add! and expect to become rich overnight. Look at some of the biggest bands in the world that made no money for years and years and even then only a small percentage of the outlay it took to get them there. With virtually no record sales these days its even more difficult and you need to again look at these important points and think business and think smart. Sad thing is and this point is super important, for new bands to tour, sell products and even break even is impossible. Promoters charging massive upfront fees and cashing in to get you horrific gigs, venues charging money in advance for the privilege of playing in front of the mens restroom and so on. So its easy for industry names and producers to suggest that touring is the way to go, for major bands its not a problem, for anything new and boy do we need new talent its very difficult and super expensive.
Even at the local club level it's gotten worse. My first band I played w in early 80's we'd average $50.a night each.. People were going out to clubs every night of the week! Not anymore. People are afraid to chance getting thrown in jail over 2 or 3 drinks. I'll never stop playing/writing because I love it.
While I definitely agree on what he's saying about record labels - and he most definitely knows more about the record industry than I do - I don't agree with his views on touring. Seriously, for a little known or a new unknown band, touring is not a source of income: it COSTS smaller bands to tour and to get their name out there. As silly as it sounds, lots of small / somewhat known bands in fact lose money by touring or hardly break even. I guess the reason for this is, times are so desperate and with everybody touring, venues can virtually name what they will pay (not much), and If bands don't agree, no problem, they'll have 10 bands instantly who will accept to the pay. It's "take it or leave it" mentality now.
At the same time this was uploaded 8 years ago (5 years before your comment) and the industry is constantly changing. So what may have worked then may not work now. I agree with you, but it may not have always been that way.
J. Wolfman The ither thing is record labels don't have money anymore really anyway. KoRn has said that and many others. And no one goes to see local bands anymore these days anyway even if they have a "CD release party"
It's al about recoupment, this is how the music industry has been f***ing musicians since day one. The risk involved in the investment is how they justify this, they front the money, if you make it big, everyone is happy, but they get the bigger slice of the pie: if you fail, they sue your ass if you don't recoup on the their investment. You have to tour hard to make any money in music now. Because of piracy, unit sales alone are no longer as profitable, and that's bad news for everyone.
tours cost money, where's that going to come from? if you are a smaller artist/independent label "music sharing" hits you harder that the bigger acts with major label backing. In the past, smaller artists/labels could actually generate revenue from sales, and then use it to fund a tours, but if sales are slack, how's that going to happen? the majors have come out on top again, after ten years moaning about pirating, but the reality is it's the smaller players who have been hit the hardest.
You can tell this was written before people realized how artists were being ripped off by the lack of transparency in streaming numbers and revenues I don’t think so many artists are getting rich now I think that major labels are the major labels are screwing over the artist the artist of the ones that are writing the songs and performing them and producing them that’s their job and the major labels job is to make all the money for the work that the artist do what a horrible industry were in today
Working with many artists for many years including Jeff Beck and Joe Lynn Turner it still amazes me that with all this advice so many new and not so new bands, singers and artists still don't get these important points. The rules have been the same since day one, nothing has changed but still I see regularly artists ready to sell their souls to become famous, not to be song/musically great I have to add! and expect to become rich overnight. Look at some of the biggest bands in the world that made no money for years and years and even then only a small percentage of the outlay it took to get them there. With virtually no record sales these days its even more difficult and you need to again look at these important points and think business and think smart. Sad thing is and this point is super important, for new bands to tour, sell products and even break even is impossible. Promoters charging massive upfront fees and cashing in to get you horrific gigs, venues charging money in advance for the privilege of playing in front of the mens restroom and so on. So its easy for industry names and producers to suggest that touring is the way to go, for major bands its not a problem, for anything new and boy do we need new talent its very difficult and super expensive.
Even at the local club level it's gotten worse. My first band I played w in early 80's we'd average $50.a night each.. People were going out to clubs every night of the week! Not anymore. People are afraid to chance getting thrown in jail over 2 or 3 drinks. I'll never stop playing/writing because I love it.
While I definitely agree on what he's saying about record labels - and he most definitely knows more about the record industry than I do - I don't agree with his views on touring.
Seriously, for a little known or a new unknown band, touring is not a source of income: it COSTS smaller bands to tour and to get their name out there. As silly as it sounds, lots of small / somewhat known bands in fact lose money by touring or hardly break even.
I guess the reason for this is, times are so desperate and with everybody touring, venues can virtually name what they will pay (not much), and If bands don't agree, no problem, they'll have 10 bands instantly who will accept to the pay. It's "take it or leave it" mentality now.
You got it sopt on, well written J.M
At the same time this was uploaded 8 years ago (5 years before your comment) and the industry is constantly changing. So what may have worked then may not work now. I agree with you, but it may not have always been that way.
J. Wolfman The ither thing is record labels don't have money anymore really anyway. KoRn has said that and many others. And no one goes to see local bands anymore these days anyway even if they have a "CD release party"
Interesting and informative video. Refreshing to hear once again that Labels are not everything in the music industry.
It's al about recoupment, this is how the music industry has been f***ing musicians since day one. The risk involved in the investment is how they justify this, they front the money, if you make it big, everyone is happy, but they get the bigger slice of the pie: if you fail, they sue your ass if you don't recoup on the their investment. You have to tour hard to make any money in music now. Because of piracy, unit sales alone are no longer as profitable, and that's bad news for everyone.
Thanks owen so much for the info it was really helful.
tours cost money, where's that going to come from? if you are a smaller artist/independent label "music sharing" hits you harder that the bigger acts with major label backing. In the past, smaller artists/labels could actually generate revenue from sales, and then use it to fund a tours, but if sales are slack, how's that going to happen? the majors have come out on top again, after ten years moaning about pirating, but the reality is it's the smaller players who have been hit the hardest.
Great Information
You can tell this was written before people realized how artists were being ripped off by the lack of transparency in streaming numbers and revenues I don’t think so many artists are getting rich now I think that major labels are the major labels are screwing over the artist the artist of the ones that are writing the songs and performing them and producing them that’s their job and the major labels job is to make all the money for the work that the artist do what a horrible industry were in today