Further thoughts on why Major labels suck….

This morning I had a conversation with a musician friend about the demise of the music business. It’s interesting to note that some people are still arguing that the music business still exists. This is complete lie. The days of the huge labels controlling a massive industry are over. The labels that remain are pale shadows of their former selves. How did this come to be? It’s simple. They did it to themselves.

In the late 1980′s and early 90′s the music business underwent a format change. Vinyl records became obsolete and the CD became the new format. For the major labels (names like Columbia, Warners, RCA, BMG, Arista etc) this brought in a deluge of unearned money. It’s important to understand why this money wasn’t earned.

The ultimate prize a recording contract..II….

A recording contract says that the band can only record for the label and no one else. This is absolute and final. There is no scenario where the label will allow the band to record tracks without the label being in absolute control of those masters.

The ultimate prize, a record deal!

Well I’ve been dancing around this topic since I started the blog 5 months ago. I haven’t written this blog for some unknown reason. It is certainly not due to lack of interest from you all. The emails and votes for a blog on a record deal have been relentless. So now I will give in and outline the inner details of doing a deal with the devil.

Through the decades I have managed quite a few bands. Every one of them has lusted after a recording contract. After the first few contracts I developed the habit of telling all of these starry eyed children that getting signed to a recording contract was the worst possible fate. All of them laughed. All of them ignored me. Did this bother me? No, it was just me covering my moral ass. If I hadn’t said this, with what I know about recording contracts, then I would have been guilty indeed. All of the musicians I represented got what they wished for. all of them regretted it in one way or another. It some cases it destroyed them and ruined the band. Oh well, I warned them. Now I will warn you..

It’s all about being famous again…..

For those of you that are following along rather than just reading random postings tonight’s blog strays from the promised path. I will get to beating up Reader Oliver in the next blog. For the moment I will take a moment out to revisit the original post, “it’s all about being famous”. This is the [...]

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