From: Admin
2009-04-27 22:39:45
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To: Admin
2009-04-28 13:16:41
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| | <li><b>You is their bitch now</b>: You will be their bitch. You will owe them music, money, and will be working for them. Many bands have had problems with their labels dictating what music to play, not releasing music or albums that they did write, or releasing and then burying their music with no promotion. This lack of control is what is mentioned a lot in the music press when bands complain about their labels.</li> | | <li><b>You is their bitch now</b>: You will be their bitch. You will owe them music, money, and will be working for them. Many bands have had problems with their labels dictating what music to play, not releasing music or albums that they did write, or releasing and then burying their music with no promotion. This lack of control is what is mentioned a lot in the music press when bands complain about their labels.</li> |
| | </ul><p>Here's why, the long version:</p> | | </ul><p>Here's why, the long version:</p> |
| - | <h3>Band Better Have My Money</h3> | + | <h2>Band Better Have My Money</h2> |
| | <p>The money’s not there because of two reasons. One is that they charge you for everything. And we do mean everything: recording the album, mastering, the producer, marketing, duplication, breakage, samples and giveaways, the music video, limos, drugs, prostitutes, that guy who’s separating out the red M&amp;Ms, the cowbell polisher, etc. Heck, they even charge interest on the money that they spent on you, including that advance that they gave you at the beginning, probably the only money you’ll actually see.</p> | | <p>The money’s not there because of two reasons. One is that they charge you for everything. And we do mean everything: recording the album, mastering, the producer, marketing, duplication, breakage, samples and giveaways, the music video, limos, drugs, prostitutes, that guy who’s separating out the red M&amp;Ms, the cowbell polisher, etc. Heck, they even charge interest on the money that they spent on you, including that advance that they gave you at the beginning, probably the only money you’ll actually see.</p> |
| | <p>The second reason is that they are tight with the distributors, and it’s not in their interest to give you an honest accounting of the sales. You know Columbia house, or the BMG CD clubs? The accounting statements for those are a bank error in their favor. Overseas sales? <i>What</i> overseas sales? If you want to audit them, you're paying for the audit, and you will be contractually obligated to give them warning ahead of time, when they'll clean up their book keeping.</p> | | <p>The second reason is that they are tight with the distributors, and it’s not in their interest to give you an honest accounting of the sales. You know Columbia house, or the BMG CD clubs? The accounting statements for those are a bank error in their favor. Overseas sales? <i>What</i> overseas sales? If you want to audit them, you're paying for the audit, and you will be contractually obligated to give them warning ahead of time, when they'll clean up their book keeping.</p> |
| | <p>Don’t believe us? Research this on your own if you want to get into the industry. The best is <a href="http://www.negativland.com/albini.html"><b>The Problem With Music</b></a> by Steve Albini. Also, Courtney Love had an interesting lawsuit with her major label, later settled, where she let us behind the scenes on how they treat artists. And we also recommend reading about Janis Ian, as she <a href="http://www.janisian.com/article-internet_debacle.html"><b>talks about file sharing from</b></a> the point of view of an artist with a long career with a label.</p> | | <p>Don’t believe us? Research this on your own if you want to get into the industry. The best is <a href="http://www.negativland.com/albini.html"><b>The Problem With Music</b></a> by Steve Albini. Also, Courtney Love had an interesting lawsuit with her major label, later settled, where she let us behind the scenes on how they treat artists. And we also recommend reading about Janis Ian, as she <a href="http://www.janisian.com/article-internet_debacle.html"><b>talks about file sharing from</b></a> the point of view of an artist with a long career with a label.</p> |
| - | <h3>All Rights Reserved...For <i>Them</i></h3> | + | <h2>All Rights Reserved...For <i>Them</i></h2> |
| | <p>Before you sign away on that dotted line, make sure that you understand the rights that you have with the music you create. Read our <a href="http://indiebandsurvivalguide.com/wiki/page/Copyright_for_Independent_Bands"><b>copyright section</b></a> for more information.</p> | | <p>Before you sign away on that dotted line, make sure that you understand the rights that you have with the music you create. Read our <a href="http://indiebandsurvivalguide.com/wiki/page/Copyright_for_Independent_Bands"><b>copyright section</b></a> for more information.</p> |
| | <p>Once you know what you're giving away, imagine you just bought a house. You may have a lot of debt, but at least the place you’re living in will one day be yours. You are paying out monthly, but you are slowly on the path to owning your house. It’s a good feeling. When you’re done, you own something of value.</p> | | <p>Once you know what you're giving away, imagine you just bought a house. You may have a lot of debt, but at least the place you’re living in will one day be yours. You are paying out monthly, but you are slowly on the path to owning your house. It’s a good feeling. When you’re done, you own something of value.</p> |
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| | </ul><p>Possibly the best online link for this issue is the <a href="http://futureofmusic.com/"><b>Future of Music Coalition</b></a>, which is literally a group of musicians trying to set things right. Their <a href="http://futureofmusic.org/contractcrit.cfm"><b>critique of major label contracts</b></a> is very informative.</p> | | </ul><p>Possibly the best online link for this issue is the <a href="http://futureofmusic.com/"><b>Future of Music Coalition</b></a>, which is literally a group of musicians trying to set things right. Their <a href="http://futureofmusic.org/contractcrit.cfm"><b>critique of major label contracts</b></a> is very informative.</p> |
| | <p>The best research you can do on this topic is definitely the book <u>All You Need to Know About the Music Business</u> by Donald S. Passman and our own <b><u><a href="/wiki/page/Order_the_Book">The Indie Band Survival Guide</a></u></b>, as mentioned above.</p> | | <p>The best research you can do on this topic is definitely the book <u>All You Need to Know About the Music Business</u> by Donald S. Passman and our own <b><u><a href="/wiki/page/Order_the_Book">The Indie Band Survival Guide</a></u></b>, as mentioned above.</p> |
| - | <p style="text-align:right;"><a href="/wiki/page/Commercial_Radio_in_Three_Words_Pay_for_Play">Next: Commercial Radio in Three Words: Pay for Play</a></p> | + | <p style="text-align:right;"><a href="/wiki/page/Commercial_Radio_in_Three_Words_Pay_for_Play"><b>Next: Commercial Radio in Three Words: Pay for Play</b></a></p> |
| | + | <p style="text-align:right;"><a href="/wiki/page/Indie_Band_Survival_Guide_Ebook"><b>Back to The Indie Band Survival Guide Ebook Home</b></a></p> |
