NIN and Radio Head have put the nail in the coffin

[coach]

Originally Posted by V. Barbarino

So let me get this straight, they can't outsource their work and hire a few employees? If they spend 500k a year on operating their business, it's still chump change to what the label costs and they are now not forced to adhere to the labels demands..

Oh yea, they make 100% of the profit, so they only need to sell half the amount of records..

Sure they can, but they have basically become their own label. And they are spending more for those same services than they would likely spend through a label, thanks to economies of scale. And they are spending more time on those than they would through a label.

And again, as Myles said, and even you commented above, the money it costs them to do it is fairly insignificant to them. I mean, hell, they could retire today and just live off their earning and investments without doing any work. So, they are terrible test cases.

Yeah, they utilized the Label's marketing machines to become rich, and now they tell them to shove off. Nice way to do business.

[Apotheosis]

....right, not because they're talented bands or anything. it's just fluffy marketing that made radiohead the band they are. pffffft!

coach, you're just talking like that cause your big brother is watching what you type... :-)

radiohead fulfilled a 6-album contract...so what, they're supposed to beg their label for another contract?

[V. Barbarino]

Coach, why should NIN pay for the label tanking with other up and coming bands? Why should they subsidize other bands. No labels now makes the bands their own business. If their music is good and sells, there is no problem. The outcome would be the same with or without the label only the profit would change. Plus a established band can make a digital track at home, put it on itunes and there is almost zero cost.

[saintjohn]

Originally Posted by coach

Sure they can, but they have basically become their own label.

And labels have a way of becoming, well, labels. Do you want to play music, or do you want to market music? Sure, you can do both, but it's difficult for most artists to find (and maintain) a balance.

If you have a niche market and low overhead, you can definitely DIY. Just ask the folks at Dischord:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dischord_Records

[myles hie]

[quote=Apotheosis;1226581]....right, not because they're talented bands or anything. it's just fluffy marketing that made radiohead the band they are. pffffft!
QUOTE]


Okay, by that logic Radiohead would be as popular today with no major record label backing? Money given to them by the label) to make an album, to market, to distro, to make them a "buzz band" on MTV, etc..

You can look at it as a chincken/egg thing. But 1 did come first and wouldn't have been able to do it without the other. For every Radiohead giving away thier music and having a million downloads there are 10 Joes' Garage Band thats doing the same thing with only 5 downloads. The difference? 15 years of mega marketing by Radioheads label to insure you knew who the fuck Radiohead is. Where is that push for Joe? But Joe has his own website/myspace page and sells his own music, Joe plays every Fri and Sat night and even out of town twice a month. Joe has the looks and teh sound to be huge, but since there are no labels there are no A&R reps to sign Joe and make him a star.

It was not a perfect system, one hit wonders abound and alot of artists only made one album and faded away. But without some sort of infrastructure, you would have never got to experiance most of the bands you have heard in your lifetime

No one is saying the RH owes their label anything, but dismissing the record label as a key part of the infrastructure of the music business is very shortsighted.

[Apotheosis]

yes but radiohead got themselves on a label, then fulfilled a contract.

joe garage band has to work hard, it's that simple. and a myspace music page is NOT hard work.

btw, got their new album today....been listening....it's very mellow (perhaps too mellow). gotta listen a few times to get an accurate opinion...but i'm not too happy at this point, unfortunately.

[myles hie]

Originally Posted by Apotheosis

yes but radiohead got themselves on a label, then fulfilled a contract.

joe garage band has to work hard, it's that simple. and a myspace music page is NOT hard work.

.

Thats what i was saying. Without future labels to help bands, will there be another Radiohead or NIN or whatever, on the level that they have gotten to?

If Joe doesn't have the budget to buy print ads, go on tour, print posters and flyers and have a network of people all over the country or world to spread the word, where does that leave Joe? Joe could be the hardest working man in showbiz, but without certain resources he cannot potentially move to the next level.

[V. Barbarino]

You are thinking the year is 1995 when it fact it's 2007. A radio head today would be just as successful if their music struck an accord with fans. The only difference is how they reached their audience.

[Apotheosis]

everyone is in control of their own destiny.

[myles hie]

Originally Posted by V. Barbarino

You are thinking the year is 1995 when it fact it's 2007. A radio head today would be just as successful if their music struck an accord with fans. The only difference is how they reached their audience.

Your missing the point. How would they get the music out on such a large scale with out help? People would never know to like them if they didn't know they existed.