An online music store update

[smoothmoniker]

Originally posted by SteveDallas
I'm not saying the musicians should do the recordings for free or sign away all their rights. (I personally think the smart thing to do is for the orchestras themselves to produce recordings, and a couple are starting to try.)

i haven't seen that work too well. In essence, you're asking the orchestra to handle it's own marketting, PR, distribution, etc. Why reinvent the wheel when branches like Sony Classical are so good at it already?

But I guarantee that at least some of them will live to regret that they have left no recorded legacy of their careers.

So what is the union doing about it, I wonder?

Well, here in LA they renegotiated a "side letter" contract that allows musicians to work for 60/hr (about half the current rate) for recordings that are done with a budget of less than 100k, and that sell less than 50k recordings. If the recording becomes succesfull, then the original players get paid an additional amount based on sales. It makes it less expensive for a label record, but makes the musicians part of the success of any endeavor. Seems to be getting a positive response from both sides of the table.

-sm

[Troubleshooter]

Originally posted by Undertoad
You can do that, but make sure what you hum is licensed, and don't hum for the entertainment of others.

Um, isn't humming for the entertainment of others covered by another sort of statute?

[smoothmoniker]

depends if you're doing it in a commercial venue.

if you're being hired by a bar to hum tunes every friday as part of their weekly entertainment, they need an ascap liscense.

-sm

[xoxoxoBruce]

Or a sidearm.

[jaguar]

I was right.
New app called iMix means people can put tracks for sale on iTunes. Now watch the big guys start to really tremble, this could be the start of the final stage of their demise.

[smoothmoniker]

you can also now get there through CD Baby, and indie dristributor for unsigned artists.

-sm

[jaguar]

I completely misunderstood iMix, retract that. It allows you to publish playlists, not songs.

[smoothmoniker]

jag

it looks like imix only allows you to post your playlists, not your own actual recorded material. Could be wrong, but that's what it looks like at first glance

http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/04/27/itunes/

http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/share.html

With CD Baby you can post actual content. You sign a distribution contract with them, which they will do with anyone, and pay a one time fee of $35 or some such, and they hold and mail CDs for you, and put you up on iTunes. The artist cut from iTunes is I think something like $.73 per download, of which CD Babay takes 6 cents or so, leaving you with a much higher cut than anywhere else.

Anyone still wanna rail against the injustice of the music industry?


-sm

[SteveDallas]

Yes, I still have more to comment on the orchestra issue but I haven't had time to line up my research!

[smoothmoniker]

i thought you might ...