[CLUE-Talk] Hatch Takes Aim at Illegal Downloading

[Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier]

On Thu, 2003-06-19 at 16:44, Matt Gushee wrote:

*snip*

> You know, I've thought for some time that there should be tremendous
> opportunity for new entertainment companies with more sensible business
> models. I mean, if there were a record company that made a point of
> giving both artists and consumers a better deal, wouldn't people
> naturally gravitate to it? But for some reason it doesn't seem to
> happen. I can think of several obstacles:
> 
>   - nobody can start a new record company because it takes too much
>     capital.

It takes a lot less money to start a label now than it ever has.
Recording equipment, for example, is much cheaper now than it ever has
been -- I mean, you can still spend megabucks on equipment, but it's
also possible to record a professional-sounding album on much cheaper
equipment. 

>   - in order to make money, you have to have a few established artists,
>     but they're mostly signed with the major labels already.

Define "make money" -- there are a number of labels that are making
money with acts that aren't well-known. They're not making the big
bucks, but they're getting along. Much in the way of Linux/Open Source
companies -- it's possible to make money by treating artists well and
doing things on a small scale. You might not make Bill G. money, but
it's possible to make a living. 

One of my favorite small labels is Alternative Tentacles: 
http://www.alternativetentacles.com/

I believe Henry Rollins (formerly of Black Flag, now with the Rollins
Band) has his own label for his spoken word stuff, stuff with the
Rollins Band and for some other groups. 

Another band I like is "Boiled in Lead" -- they're on a small label
called Omnium: http://www.omnium.com/ 

Aimee Mann, who used to be on a mojor label, went independent after
getting screwed around too much by the record companies she worked
with... I guess she might be considered "established" but I know a lot
of people who have never heard of her. Oddly, she's gotten quite a bit
of exposure since she went independent, having done the soundtrack for
Magnolia and appearing on "Buffy" last year as well as a few appearances
on talk shows -- a major coup, since she doesn't have the backing of a
major label that will just put its own artists on networks it owns/is
affiliated with. 

I'm sure there are hundreds of other labels -- also, don't forget that
the music scene is not limited to pop/rock/rap/top 40 -- there are tons
of small labels that do jazz, "new age" (whatever that is, exactly),
classical, Christian music, and so forth. Tour around MP3.com and you'll
see a number of independent artists making music on the cheap and trying
to make a go of life without a major label. 

>   - laws that favor existing companies?

I'm not sure how existing laws are an impediment to smaller start-up
record companies. You'd have to explain this one. 

> But I wonder which one of these is crucial ... or is it just the
> combination of all of them?

If you're looking for the big mega-success, maybe all of them. If you're
talking about turning a profit and making a decent living, probably none
of them.

Having decent music would probably help, though... 

Zonker
-- 
Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier
jzb at dissociatedpress.net
Aim: zonkerjoe
http://www.dissociatedpress.net