kingcat are you aware of this development in the music industry?

[dan_bgblue]

I figure you are and it may mean nothing to you, but I know you used sound cloud for getting your music out on the net and wondered if the developments were going to affect your publishing efforts.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/e...=pocket-newtab

[kingcat]

I go through the biggest of the online distribution companies CDBaby. not sure how it might affect things going forward.

When Lil Nas X's song "Old Town Road" forced its way onto the country charts at #1 that basically changed the game across the music industry. He released it on his own through the Sound Cloud platform similar to the way I did my songs but Billboard, despite early success, dropped it from the country charts claiming it did not fit the genre. Fact is, imo the record labels wanted to crush it to prevent what eventually happened anyway.
What that young man did was to enlist Billy Ray Cyrus to go into the studio and sing a verse and other parts in the song..same song recording with an added track or two. And at that point with BRC's help the radio stations and streaming services accepted it as country forcing Billboard to follow suit and the labels to squirm. Number one for 11 weeks or so and an Indy song at that.

That was the big game changer in music and legitimized the open door now available for every artist at any level to make the same attempt via online distribution and streaming..

Now imo, what we have is an industry which was left outside looking in, who will try to force change by creating barriers for lesser known artists ( and for lesser talented ones..of which there are huge numbers). Establishing these services as part of the management team along with the labels for major acts they have signed creating a two tiered system. And that will furnish them continued control of the industry.

Thing is, its not going to work unless they can somehow control the technology to create and stream music too. Which they can never do. Basically they had no choice but to dive in and grab everything that floats
By the way, those streaming services do not pay anything substantial to the artists. A hundred plays nets you a penny or a little over.


The labels are using the down time to delve into streaming music because the lack of live performances and such are tapping into their deep pockets.
Most all that money that artists supposedly earn on tour and off merch goes back to them by contract while continuing the facade of great artist wealth. ("People call it putting up a front") Thats whyy Prince became..whatever he became. Not that he was so weird, just that the labels had the entity "Prince" secured for themselves and he used the emerging tech at the time to get around that.

So you can see why they are trying to shore up the streaming end of things while they have the opportunity. And the almost unlimited finances available to them via the performing arts package in the Cares Act makes it a no brain'er for them.

Basically interest free multi-million dollar business loans with hardly any questions asked for the performing arts. And the labels control each of the independent small businesses within their structure. Recording studios and engineers, production companies, manufacturing and distribution along with promotion companies. What they do not control is the online streaming and sales businesses nor the independent artists they serve.

[kingcat]

Here is a little of the Lil Nas story..although it leaves out much of the criticism of billboard and the labels. This article came right after he signed with Sony Music’s Columbia Records over other major offers.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-...d-controversy/