tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.comments2023-06-17T03:12:28.120-05:00Derek Thinks MusicDerek Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08128562427978094361noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-74655852884348728572012-11-30T16:27:18.601-06:002012-11-30T16:27:18.601-06:00This is wonderful, Derek, thanks. As an indie, I&#...This is wonderful, Derek, thanks. As an indie, I'd go for "Play Music and Have Financial Security." And BINGO - I have a day job, so the dream is realized!;)<br /><br />Actually, I'd probably add "Get Enough Fan Support to Sustain Me Emotionally" (though whether "support" means "adoration," "feedback," or "pure numbers," I'm not sure)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12872038125891585124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-34508982697337251942012-08-20T23:56:46.066-05:002012-08-20T23:56:46.066-05:00Hey Derek
I liked your point about being experime...Hey Derek<br /><br />I liked your point about being experimental with music, and how stability allows you that. Unless you get a big cheque through the door that allows you space and time to experiment without having to rely on the next piece of work to help pay the bills, then that experimental process will go.<br /><br />Although, there can be room to try both if the artist is prolific enough. He can keep both his sanity by being experimental and doing a side project whilst doing another body of work, similar to the previous version.<br /><br />Stability is very important for the experimental musician.<br /><br />Great article!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-59884636440105838022012-04-23T10:29:39.870-05:002012-04-23T10:29:39.870-05:00Thanks for the heads up Lilin. It's fixed.
S...Thanks for the heads up Lilin. It's fixed. <br /><br />Sounds great, quote away! Just please add a link to the site in your bibliography. Thanks!Derek Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08128562427978094361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-16898055222404151302012-04-20T15:04:09.018-05:002012-04-20T15:04:09.018-05:00Derek,
I am using some quotes from your blog for m...Derek,<br />I am using some quotes from your blog for my final in English, and I noticed a wrong word in your blog. "If you're making the label less money then they're spending on you, consider yourself on the short list to get dropped." then should be than. I really enjoyed the blog though, enough so that I asked for special permission to quote you.<br />-Lilin DemonUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12369484161949404324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-85739518225118106962012-03-04T16:51:46.985-06:002012-03-04T16:51:46.985-06:00"The economics term is rent-seeking, or using..."The economics term is rent-seeking, or using structural factors to increase one's share of existing wealth instead of creating new wealth." This is so interesting. I love this blog because you apply all these really neat business concepts to music. Edutainment!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-5664779980403609392012-01-22T02:27:40.795-06:002012-01-22T02:27:40.795-06:00Concerning the "luck"-factor: Steve Jord...Concerning the "luck"-factor: Steve Jordan, a producer and drummer, has a 3-part or 4-part interview on youtube. He talks about his own succes story and also states that a lot is based on luck, but that "luck is where preperation meets opportunity". Beautiful.Didier Leclairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08418298832414530690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-88245122046772477742012-01-13T01:47:11.651-06:002012-01-13T01:47:11.651-06:00"Support Local Music" is the mainstay of..."Support Local Music" is the mainstay of any scene lamer who wants to cajole you into feeling awful for not being interested in his/her shitty show. They will make it feel like it is your duty to go to this show, lest local music dies, regardless of the quality of the band.<br /><br />It's hogwash.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11859296468188094130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-72724833428957813642012-01-12T19:48:52.351-06:002012-01-12T19:48:52.351-06:00THISTHISTito Lopezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02936260903919720328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-53107905225021183002011-12-13T13:23:10.551-06:002011-12-13T13:23:10.551-06:00From my experience with Steam, that remark about p...From my experience with Steam, that remark about pricing vs experience is absolutely true. I remember when it first came out and it was awful - slow, buggy, and a huge pain in the ass. They didn't jack up the price of games or anything, but it was miserable to use. A few years later, they'd fixed most of the user experience issues and it was great, particularly if you had multiple PCs. I think services like Spotify will be the rough equivalents to Steam in the music realm. It's interesting to watch big music retailers experiment in the same way as Valve (see http://thepricingjournal.com/2011/05/24/amazon-offers-highly-anticipated-lady-gaga-album-for-99-cents-but-was-the-promotion-effective-or-ineffective/) and speculate what the downstream effect on labels/etc will be.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11576777472403694311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-57116533335137561012011-11-29T10:56:00.656-06:002011-11-29T10:56:00.656-06:00Exactly! Great example about Radio One, the same t...Exactly! Great example about Radio One, the same thing happened a few decades back when priate station Radio Caroline forced the UK to add rock to their stations.<br /><br />I've been passively monitoring http://www.thenewrecord.com/ as that seems like it might be a viable model for an indie-only distribution channel you're talking about. The real key to success here would be having these indie stations do a great job of selecting high quality material, so the consumer would go to this indie channel as their go-to new music source.Derek Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08128562427978094361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-11386639368107723832011-11-18T17:35:23.260-06:002011-11-18T17:35:23.260-06:00Streaming is great as long as you can make the dea...Streaming is great as long as you can make the deal or you use a system where the deal is made with a level playing field, right from the outset.<br />The only company that offers that is Google. They pay the same rate (according to the ad served) to everyone. Now Google have launched their own music service, it would be very interesting to see how they do this.<br /><br />I do think indies are wasting their time with mainstream radio and mainstream Spotify etc.<br />They need their own system.<br /><br />In the UK when mainstream radio did not play any dance music, creators and lovers of dance music started their own, illegal pirate radio first of all and then legal stations when the govt was forced to deregulate. The result was a flood of dance music in the UK charts and guess what happened? Radio One relented and soon became dominated by it.<br /><br />This is what needs to happen now. Instead of trying to get on mainstream radio, START YOUR OWN. This would mean a coalition of indies who play a selection of chart music AND new indie releases only therefore getting good exposure and giving the public what they want.<br /><br />If this is too prohibitive for an FM station then try a digital or even an internet radio station. It is also possible to start your own TV show plugging your music which could have a similar effect.Myhotmusichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02450680486160232397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-88496747609958264852011-11-08T22:12:26.410-06:002011-11-08T22:12:26.410-06:00I hear ya, but I have yet to see convincing number...I hear ya, but I have yet to see convincing numbers for return on investment or conversion rates for the cash put into compilation CDs. Does it increase website traffic / youtube song plays after it drops? Is there an increase in sales of iTunes singles?<br /><br />The bigger problem I see with the compilation market is lack of focus. For a 20 song group, there's maybe only 2-3 high quality tracks put alongside a collection of miscellaneous subgenres that don't mesh well. I think it would make for a better product to limit each compilation to a very select track list (around 7) of only very high quality recordings within a specific genre. It'd be much easier to market these collections by building up a reputation as a discerning taste maker than a shotgun-style approach (like the Unsigned and On The Rise compliation we got. Had the compilation dude cared about quality, we shouldn't have been on it, as we were heavy metal on a CD of pop-metal)Derek Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08128562427978094361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-86367136734555811762011-11-08T17:57:06.907-06:002011-11-08T17:57:06.907-06:00As a promoter and one who does those "Compila...As a promoter and one who does those "Compilation cd rackets" as you have referred to them i can say that it is a good way for a band to get exposure if done right. we charge a very small fee (no where near the aforementioned $250) and do all the work ourselves. as a member of a band you have to trust that the person responsible for such a product knows what he or she is doing and determine if it is worth it or not. exposure can be achieved many ways though and most times for free (well cost of gas to drive to a venue and play music to whoemever is in the crowd) so it can really go either wayTorchEntertainmenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06402708048834188444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-20067969085006730002011-10-26T14:49:45.876-05:002011-10-26T14:49:45.876-05:00Here's my stance on streaming for what it'...Here's my stance on streaming for what it's worth, I am a now 35 yr old singer/songwriter, been in the business for 15yrs now,<br /> I watched this car crash in slow motion, 10 years ago I voiced my concern to Warner Chappell music publishing to which I was signed to then. I was told, "Ollie, your way ahead of yourself, no need to worry about that yet!" <br /> Well I didn't worry and I watched record deal opertunities roll of to now being an unwise business choice. But whatever, adapt or get whacked right?<br /> Trouble is , we independent artists are adapting and were stil getting whacked.<br /> The concept of streaming is great ( in principle ) as it will get you exposure based on popularity and money can't really help you jump the line. <br /> But the concept wasn't just to help artists, infect the initially motivation from these concepts came from businessman like Sean parker and Daniel ek, spotify CEO. They are profiting huge amounts from the artists material, when all they are doin are allowing you to listen to there copy, this is an unnessercary middle man and an unfair intervention.<br /> Let's say I had a big house, which is unlikely thanks to the greedy aforementioned!<br /> And I had a copy of cold plays latest Album and played it in my house, and every time I saw somebody go across to the record shop across the way I shouted across to them and said, there is no need for you to buy coldplay, I have it here and you can come and listen to it when ever you want, just let yourself in, but you can't take the album away with you. Is that really fair?<br /> Would these guys be comfortable in saying that in front of the record shop owner?, to he'll they would, it would be long before the conflict became physical.<br /> But do it behind a massive hard drive and a fiber optic connection, well, that's ok, is it ok, what's the difference? From a moral point of view?.<br /> It's plain and simple, these new streaming models are profitiing from other people's hard work by simply intervening this is unfair and all they are going to achieve in the long run is a society that don't pay for music because no one else is, that I am sympathetic with, especially in these hard economic times, why would you pay if your uncertain whether that is going to be the longterm protocol.<br /> I wish that it could be up to the artist whether there music is available to such an extent that it needn't be paid for. <br /> I'm all for evolution a revolution, but distruction of a model leaving only the artist to lose out, well spotify, well done for finding a host to leech from but were not going down without a fight.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06508311231707808880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-20091077209197018002011-09-15T12:35:08.991-05:002011-09-15T12:35:08.991-05:00...And I have been served a proper thrashing.
I&#......And I have been served a proper thrashing.<br /><br />I'll admit when I'm wrong, and from the responses I've been getting I'm clearly off-base.<br /><br />I appreicate the feedback, however. Getting my thoughts corrected is very important to me.Derek Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08128562427978094361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-8343842830154673372011-09-14T14:23:52.074-05:002011-09-14T14:23:52.074-05:00I would certainly sue this restaurant... and any o...I would certainly sue this restaurant... and any other business that profited from my creative work... if, I had the money to do so.<br />Thankfully BMI does have deep pockets.<br /><br />I think that BMI is making a statement to small business, and the public in general, that it has to start respecting composers & stop marginalizing their importance. You are not exempt from the laws of the land, just because you are small.<br /><br />How many meals were stolen from this restaurant?<br /><br />How about we, you & I, get all of our friends <br />(and their friends as well)together and go to this restaurant everyday for lunch & dinner and tell the waiter to take a flying leap when he gives us the bill.<br /><br />(It's probably not open the morning, but I guess we could do a break & enter for breakfast)<br /><br />I bet you're even against suing businesses like Youtube,( I'm talking 1,000,000's not 1000's) who make millions of $$ every day in ad revenues, by using the FREE raw materials(music) supplied by composers.<br /><br />Please don't come back to me with that lame excuse, "Ya, but what about all that free exposure?"<br />It's not free. Musicians overpay for it through the unpaid royalties not received.<br /><br /><br />You, as well as too many who call themselves musicians, lack a serious respect for the term "professional musician", in all its permutations.<br /><br />"Created art" is not air. Air is free. It belongs to everybody. Art involves intellectual work.<br /><br />I suspect that you may be a "living room" musician who sustains himself with a non-musical job...music is your sideline that helps you earn extra money in your struggle to meet those monthly car payments.<br /><br />It's the amateurs whom business has taken sides with,because business can make huge profits from amateurs and( here's the kicker) they don't even have to kiss them first.<br /><br />If you look at any professional association, BMI, CAW, AFM, their duty is to protect the well being of its professional membership. That's the folks who actually earn a living using their talents & skills.<br /><br />Your complaint about BMI, as I give it further consideration, is obviously from an amateur "wanna be's" view point, & not to be mistakenly attributed to that of a "professional" musician's point of view.<br /> <br />Amateurs, as we all know, work for free, as they have nothing invested & nothing to lose.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11557278901088179740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-41055997781993977712011-08-30T22:00:16.774-05:002011-08-30T22:00:16.774-05:00Wow, that's a sure way to endear yourself to y...Wow, that's a sure way to endear yourself to your customers! /sarcasm<br /><br />That's a nice workaround, haha.Derek Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08128562427978094361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-4839723871658428982011-08-30T21:24:36.909-05:002011-08-30T21:24:36.909-05:00I worked at a restaurant where BMI would CONSTANTL...I worked at a restaurant where BMI would CONSTANTLY call to notify us about how we needed to pay them royalties for playing music in our restaurant. The owner of the restaurant figured that since he paid for satellite music stations, that that was good enough. I'm not sure if BMI is still pestering them but this post reminded me of that....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-33290717099537836182011-08-23T16:41:09.256-05:002011-08-23T16:41:09.256-05:00http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/08/30-years-of-m...http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/08/30-years-of-music-industry-change/Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11576777472403694311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-50966356005627964372011-08-06T17:14:22.849-05:002011-08-06T17:14:22.849-05:00Thanks Derek, This is greatThanks Derek, This is greatgregcoakleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05883870647510485409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-60247933016049084002011-07-28T16:14:35.834-05:002011-07-28T16:14:35.834-05:00Haha, awesome. Good call indeeed.Haha, awesome. Good call indeeed.Derek Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08128562427978094361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-17492331156686319102011-07-25T10:38:12.031-05:002011-07-25T10:38:12.031-05:00The Clash had a good song about this dilemma: http...The Clash had a good song about this dilemma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TcKiC2yB0sAaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11576777472403694311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-84485841689370232352011-07-11T19:56:39.939-05:002011-07-11T19:56:39.939-05:00Once again, a reminder I'm not living in the r...Once again, a reminder I'm not living in the right country, haha. That's beautiful.Derek Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08128562427978094361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-39490363447770595172011-07-11T16:15:20.881-05:002011-07-11T16:15:20.881-05:00Speaking of anti-marketing: http://www.roadrunnerr...Speaking of anti-marketing: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=75046Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11576777472403694311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-306216838768951491.post-16445420007528384912011-06-29T12:49:51.498-05:002011-06-29T12:49:51.498-05:00do a trip report of this: http://kottke.org/11/06/...do a trip report of this: http://kottke.org/11/06/vegan-black-metal-chefAaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11576777472403694311noreply@blogger.com