Stick it to the RIAA

[redant1]

I don't know if there are any Radiohead fans in here but they are releasing a new album starting today. They are not signed with any record company and are doing this by themselves. You can download the album and its a pay what you want. Yes, you read that right. Pay whatever you want for the album. I downloaded my copy this morning and paid 1 euro. There was a .45 euro credit charge which totaled around 2 dollars. Not bad for a full album.

Also read yesterday that NIN is now also free of any record label and one can only hope that they follow in Radioheads footsteps.

[Gsquared]

I heard this the other day. I downloaded for .01 but went back and changed it to 10 bucks just because I thought that was fair.

[District303aPastPlayer]

the RIAA makes me mad. They raided the ATL offices of DJ Drama, DJ Cannon and the Aphiliates a while back and seized over 100,000 authorized Mix CDs that the artists on them had authorized. so they weren't illegal, but since the RIAA didn't approve of them, they deemed them illegal.... I'm not really clear on it because i haven't read the article in a while, but you get the idea...

[Johnny 5]

I have not bought a cd since 1998

[redant1]

Originally posted by Gsquared
I heard this the other day. I downloaded for .01 but went back and changed it to 10 bucks just because I thought that was fair.

I know a lot of people that are doing that. I've downloaded it but have not listened to it yet. I'm thinking of doing the same after I listen to it.

The way most contracts are set up with the record companies the artist make less then a dollar on each album/cd sale. I read somewhere that if an artist made $.70 on each cd that was high. Most make less than that. Sad but true.

[District303aPastPlayer]

Originally posted by redant1
I know a lot of people that are doing that. I've downloaded it but have not listened to it yet. I'm thinking of doing the same after I listen to it.

The way most contracts are set up with the record companies the artist make less then a dollar on each album/cd sale. I read somewhere that if an artist made $.70 on each cd that was high. Most make less than that. Sad but true.

Two Words: Koch Records...

At Kock... its been reported that some artists are making up to $5-7 a disk. Its independently run and alot of the older big name rappers who still can produce a good single go there. Jim Jones (We Fly High[Ballin]) is signed to Koch via DipSet/Byrd Gang. While his street team handles his advertising, he can then spend more money on the production of the album, and reduce the overhead costs of promos because its already done by his camp. In turn, its less money that has to be paid to the record company (Koch) and increases the amount he returns per CD. I know at Rawkus Records (old school Bone Thugs) they were bringing in $5 a CD back in the late 90s before they closed up shop...

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by redant1
I read somewhere that if an artist made $.70 on each cd that was high. Most make less than that. Sad but true.

really, that's not that bad.... look at how many people get in on helping make the album, from the dude hooking up amps to the last minute studio guitarist called in to lay down a solo or some background work... the janitor has to get paid, the light bill has to get paid at the studio etc... chances are you didn't write all of the songs on the album, songwriter has to get a percentage off of the purchase of the album (hell, Randy Rogers wrote one song on the last Kenny Chesnet studio album and probably banked near 50k off of it, not bad for just writing one song...

really, if an artist sells over 500k copies, they makes pretty damn good money, but the big money is made touring and sellin' merch etc...

[redant1]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
really, that's not that bad.... look at how many people get in on helping make the album, from the dude hooking up amps to the last minute studio guitarist called in to lay down a solo or some background work... the janitor has to get paid, the light bill has to get paid at the studio etc... chances are you didn't write all of the songs on the album, songwriter has to get a percentage off of the purchase of the album (hell, Randy Rogers wrote one song on the last Kenny Chesnet studio album and probably banked near 50k off of it, not bad for just writing one song...

really, if an artist sells over 500k copies, they makes pretty damn good money, but the big money is made touring and sellin' merch etc...

First of all, I agree that the artists make their money touring. Thats why I've always said that if you really want to support an artist go to their concerts, buy their "stuff" at the concert, etc....

Second, I'd be hard pressed to find anybody nowadays selling over 100k albums. And a more reasonable price an artist gets per album is between 50 and 60 cents. So lets take the average and say that they make 55 cents per cd and that they do sell 100k albums. Thats only $55,000 that still has to be divided between the band members. Lets take the other end and say that by a miracle they sell 500k albums that is still only $275,000 that is to be divided by the band. Band numbers can run from 4 to 6 or 7 (usually). That does not sound like a lot of money to me. That would put a band member somewhere between $69,000 and $40,000. On top of that they do not put out an album every year so this income is not a yearly thing either.

What I would really like to see is a breakdown of where the money goes from the sale of a cd. With cd's being sold for about $17 and 3% going to the artist. Where exactly does the 97% go. Yes I know it costs to produce, etc... but I bet you that most of the $$$ goes into the pockets of the executives at the record label. That is why they are crying foul and having the RIAA going after people.

[Gobbla2001]

I think you may have read what the main artist makes, not the whole band... that's what I'm thinking anyhoo (go back to my Randy Rogers example, he's probably made about 50k so far for only writing a song that is on a Kenny Chesney album, did nothing else)...

And look at the billboard charts, the 50th ranked top seller has sold over 1,000,000 copies... that's some money right there, dude...

Some people REALLY get screwed, and most of them are new bands taking what they can get, and are taken advantage of, and it sucks... I've heard some horror stories... but other than that, I'm not gunna feel sorry for an "artist" who went into a studio 20 times and banked 200k or so off of it (the ones who don't write, just sing what's been given to 'em)... I go into work over 200 times a year and don't get that much from it...

if I could make 50k a year off of sellin' an album a year, I'd be happy...

I just don't feel sorry for 'em

[Gobbla2001]

2,761,915 people have bought "Me and My Gang" by Rascal Flatts? :confused:

this world is going to hell

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
2,761,915 people have bought "Me and My Gang" by Rascal Flatts? :confused:

this world is going to hell

and almost another 2,000,000 people have bought their previous album... :(

[redant1]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
I think you may have read what the main artist makes, not the whole band... that's what I'm thinking anyhoo (go back to my Randy Rogers example, he's probably made about 50k so far for only writing a song that is on a Kenny Chesney album, did nothing else)...

And look at the billboard charts, the 50th ranked top seller has sold over 1,000,000 copies... that's some money right there, dude...

Some people REALLY get screwed, and most of them are new bands taking what they can get, and are taken advantage of, and it sucks... I've heard some horror stories... but other than that, I'm not gunna feel sorry for an "artist" who went into a studio 20 times and banked 200k or so off of it (the ones who don't write, just sing what's been given to 'em)... I go into work over 200 times a year and don't get that much from it...

if I could make 50k a year off of sellin' an album a year, I'd be happy...

I just don't feel sorry for 'em

I don't feel sorry for the artist either. Most of them are doing just fine but it is due to the fact that they are touring and not record sales. The only ones really getting rich off of record sales are the record labels. I'm not trying to make any artist rich/er but I'm definitely not making the record label richer. Myself like Johnny 5 have not bought a cd in years because of this reason, but I'll gladly go to a concert enjoy the music and maybe buy a t-shirt.

I for one like what Radiohead is doing. They give you the option to pay what you want. Heck, they are even letting you pay $0.00 for it and then let you download it. If you think they are too rich how 'bout paying them nothing!

[redant1]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
and almost another 2,000,000 people have bought their previous album... :(

And the record labels are running to the bank with a huge grin on their face. :doh:

[Gobbla2001]

I don't expect to make more than my boss and neither should artists, but the record labels probably do take too much...

and if the artists didn't make much off of it, you wouldn't hear a lot of 'em saying "buy don't burn" (metallica etc...)

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by redant1
And the record labels are running to the bank with a huge grin on their face. :doh:

I would be too if I had just gotten away with selling crap...

[redant1]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
I don't expect to make more than my boss and neither should artists, but the record labels probably do take too much...

and if the artists didn't make much off of it, you wouldn't hear a lot of 'em saying "buy don't burn" (metallica etc...)

I know plenty of people that make more than their bosses. I myself in the past have made more than my boss at the time too, but all of that is irrelevant since I don't see the record labels as the artists boss. If that was the case there would not be any need for contracts between the two. The artists are their own bosses and decide if and who they want to sign with. Unfortunately it is hard for a band/group to start in the business without a label thus they'll pretty much sign anything in the beginning.

As for Metallica, they were wusses for doing what the record label was asking them to do..... That is not to say that bands do not make money from record sales and probably feel the pinch. All I am trying to say is that it's the record label that is taking most of the $$$ from record sales. They are the ones really feeling the pinch from piracy thus the RIAA going after people.

[carter08]

Downloading it right now. Good idea, and hopefully more bands use it.

In the meantime, please take the time to purchase music from non RIAA bands such as Band of Horses, Iron and Wine, or The Shins.

[redant1]

Originally posted by carter08
Downloading it right now. Good idea, and hopefully more bands use it.

In the meantime, please take the time to purchase music from non RIAA bands such as Band of Horses, Iron and Wine, or The Shins.

Is there a site where I can see a list of bands without labels?

[carter08]

Originally posted by redant1
Is there a site where I can see a list of bands without labels?

Actually, all those bands are signed with Sub Pop. But Sub Pop is not affiliated with the RIAA.

http://www.riaaradar.com/search.asp

Type in a band and it will tell you if they are RIAA afiliated.

[Emerson1]

Yay, the RIAA made no money off the new Kevin Fowler CD

[Blastoderm55]

Originally posted by redant1
I don't know if there are any Radiohead fans in here but they are releasing a new album starting today. They are not signed with any record company and are doing this by themselves. You can download the album and its a pay what you want. Yes, you read that right. Pay whatever you want for the album. I downloaded my copy this morning and paid 1 euro. There was a .45 euro credit charge which totaled around 2 dollars. Not bad for a full album.

Also read yesterday that NIN is now also free of any record label and one can only hope that they follow in Radioheads footsteps.

I read that at their website too. What's great about NIN is that they release the raw files for Garageband so that you can make your own remixes and basically recreate what Reznor has done. I'm really excited to see what their '08 tour will bring as well as new material to follow up Year Zero.