Big labels are f*cked, and DRM is dead
Few people know the music industry better than Peter Jenner. Pink Floyd’s first manager, who subsequently managed Syd Barrett’s solo career, Jenner has also looked after T.Rex, The Clash, Ian Dury, Disposable Heroes and Billy Bragg – who he manages today. He’s also secretary general of the International Music Managers Forum. And he doesn’t pull his punches. The major four music labels today are "fucked", he says. Digital music pricing has been a scam where the consumer pays for manufacturing, distribution, and does all the work – and still has to pay more. Labels should outsource everything except finance and licensing.
The undertaker is measuring the Big Four record labels for a wooden overcoat
Tunecore is playing a dangerous game. They are a music publishing service operating at minimal costs, and they have contracts with iTunes and Rhapsody allowing artists to sell their music on two of the most powerful music sellers.
"Let’s give away the ProTools files on MySpace. Vocals, guitars, drums, and bass. We’ll let the fans make their own mixes." The room falls quiet.
Cingular: Giving Away the (Music) Store
The cell-phone carrier’s new mobile music strategy allows users to download songs to handsets at no charge—but players are a different story
A bigger bang – The Guardian on Web 2.0
The second internet goldrush is in full swing, and this time it’s all about real people, creating, editing and showcasing their own lives and opinions. John Lanchester gets to grips with the virtual universe and Guardian writers interview the smartest and the luckiest entrepreneurs who demolished the old internet and built a brand new one.
Peter Jenner is saying EXACTLY what I have been telling the Musi185 students at Otago this year.
That 4 multinationals controlling 75% of the worlds music is F*cked!
I have been trying to get clarity with a NZ outpost of a major for 2 years on behalf of a certain artists and they JUST DONT WANT TO KNOW. Meanwhile the fans wait.
That just aint right…
I think hes right about outsourcing everthing except finance and licensing, ive found my own experiences can endorse that one. Oh yeah, your blog reads well on my phone which is where i am now.
Interesting articles but I find this whole subject gets treated in an over-evangelistic way. pete jenner is great, though there are some artists who have been manged by him who wouldn’t cross the road to piss on him if he was burning. while i agree with much of what he is saying it should be remembered that he comes from a background of artist management and that shapes all his views and persepectives. he references indie labels a couple of times but much of what he talks about would see them go under.
i think there is a great danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater in this era where journalist get frothed up about the ‘revolution’ thats going on. i’ve spent many years campaigning against the heavy manners of the majors but i’m not dumb enough to think they’ll simply pack up their toys and trudge off. nor would i want them to, they serve a purpose, much of what they will be left with requires a massive corporation and indies or the new hyped music distro methods aren’t going to be able or interested in dealing with it. music has been devalued to the point where it is seen as being worthless and free, now everyone wants to tear down the environment around it. will it be really great if the majors all go down or will it leave a huge chasm that can’t be filled? and what will be torn down with it? the way people are talking i can see indie labels, indie promotion and a lot of other things getting shafted as well. and why does no-one mention A&R? yes the majors generally have accountants doing that these days and that is another reason why they are suffering so hard but that is where indies have the upper hand (and even though i spend an inordinate amount of time checking audioblogs i don’t think bloggers have the perspective that is required for real A&R work which isn’t just spotting bands)
utimately i just want to throw these questions up because everyone is treating this like its black and white and things are going to happen in a certain way, it isn’t black and white and if the last few years on the net have taught us anything it should be that it probably won’t happen exactly the way we expect it to. i welcome being chanted down by raising these points but i’m no major label apologist, in fact this is probaly as close as i’ve ever come to defending them or at least the need for those kind of structures (in a massively less powerful form, as is currently happening). strange days indeed.
It should be said that I don’t necessarily agree with all of Jenner’s points, just that he said them and here is where to find them. My answer to everything is always ‘Well, it’s complicated’ — but you’re right Jim, these things need to be unpicked a little more critically… and this is exactly why I need you guys in the forum.
Hi there, I must say that you have done a wonderful job on your site and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here, I thank you for sharing it with me…