Today’s topic is the sense of entitlement that some people feel towards their favorite music. It seems that with the spread of P2P and other easy-access mechanisms, fans of music from all genres feel as though they are owed the world. All kinds of rationalizations are used to justify this sentiment, most commonly “Sour grapes” over how much money some famed act rakes in. As an example, witness this comment on the recent Zeropaid article “Chili Peppers “hurt” and “devastated” by leak of new album“
DEAR GOD………….now flea will only have 20 cars instead of 25 because we downloaded his album. i don’t even like the chilli peppers but i gonna download it just to help take money away from the greedy prick.
Complete sour grapes. We’re led to believe that because Flea’s music has made him rich, his rights as a musician are irrelevant. This makes no sense to me. The message shouldn’t be “Parlay your talents into huge success and the world will knock you down.” But in essence, that’s exactly the message being sent when entire albums are leaked before release without permission.
Let me use a personal example. I’m not a musician, but I have managed technology projects on the web since I was 16. Much like music, these projects involved tireless behind the scenes work to create something that we felt would be worth someone’s time and money. The work was often lengthy and starved the rest of my life of the attention it probably diserved. One of my best friends even lost his girlfriend due to the time he spent collaborating with me. The same type of thing happens to musicians all the time as they scramble to piece together an album they can be proud of and, hopefully, will sell well.
But that’s a secondary issue, really. My point isn’t to whine about the sacrifices made during the creative process. That’s a choice you make when you get into something like that. My point is this: the creative process is and really always has been taken for granted by people who haven’t really engaged it. It’s easy for some ungrateful fan to slam a band. But how would you feel if something you worked hard on for a year or more was released before you were ready? Would you appreciate it? Would you be any less upset about it if you’d already become successful?
I wouldn’t. And personally, I’m sick of people who take people’s considerations with a grain of salt because they’re materially successful. I don’t know what gave rise to this presumption. Being rich doesn’t make you any less of a person.
The thing about downloaded music is that now there is now way to control it and regulate it, I believe that musicians and artist should get paid a flate rate if they have given permission to the record company. Most of the time it is the record companies that prostitute the artist without them knowing and they make billions off the music downloads and video downloads. Hey if I write songs these are my songs and I have the right to get paid for them if someone is going to post my music on say 50-60 download sites. For those of you that don’t feel this is right, then when you go to your job this week just give the company and your boss half your check back and let them keep it. The record companies make 80-99 cents for a downloaded song on some pay sites and the artist never see the 30 cent they are suppose to receive, for instance The Allman Brothers & Cheap Trick sued Sony Recods in 2006 because their music was all over the world on downloads and never got any payment. Now is it right for Sony to collect 850 million dollars for these songs after they have already made money on the artist from the start of the recording. In the making milions on a concert issue, well only most of the well known artist such as big headliners The Stones, Paul McCartney and such make billions on their tours. The rest of the smaller bands have so much to pay in road crews, rooming and board and transportation of all the gear and equipment that they are lucky to come out with profit. All in all the record companies are the biggest pain in the ass and screw artist as much as anyone in the business and this is said from experience, this is the reason now why there are so many independent lable and artist self recording and producing their own products. So if any of you write a song and it sells you best make sure that you sign a great royalty contract, and even then get ready to see your song out there hundreds of times making money for someone else who you never even knew!
U2Mel — then perhaps instead of relying on music to make them money aritsts need to get a real job and leave music for a hobby.
most people have to work for a living they can’t just sit around and collect royalties for 99 years.
“What happens if your a theif and a drug addict? I’d hate to see how that relates to the music industry!”
Then your name is Pete Doherty.
Fruitless… As long as people can download albums be they prior to release or not they will download them. Why? Because they are free. People like free stuff. Yeah it sucks for anyone making money off their music but there’s not much more anyone can do to stop it. After all in some cases those leaking the album work for the record labels. (See U2 with HTDAAB) I run a file sharing site and we have mods who remove anything uploaded that is still currently available for purchase but stuff still gets through. We do our best but where there is demand there will be supply.
good shit nice story
“Is the public forced to listen to their music give their patronage to movie theatres etc?”
Your stuck in a runt here if the nobody listened to their music then they would not be rich artist owe the public for making them what they are hundreds of bands produce good music but only a select few will ever get to be a public icon and that is because the public lets them be that by buying their music and selling out their concerts does the public own the right to use their music anyway they want maybe not but artists need to realize they are were they are because of the public not the other way around.
It also makes me glad to see that some artists already realize that.
What happens if your a theif and a drug addict? I’d hate to see how that relates to the music industry!
They said at the bottom that it was released before they were ready. The album was finished but they made the date to be sold on Tuesday the 9th to make money due to not competeing with any other big releases. Or to jump into high gear for spring. Flea is not the lead singer he wears a sock on his cock what would more money do for them? I may be a theif but im not a drug addict like most muscians that you see these days.
I would like to bring to everyone’s attention that whoever posted the below message is hardly a deicated fan like this topic lead us to believe….
DEAR GOD………….now flea will only have 20 cars instead of 25 because we downloaded his album. i don’t even like the chilli peppers but i gonna download it just to help take money away from the greedy prick.
I think the topic is flawed is a fan someone who sits at home downloading anything 0day to use up every spare second of bandwidth? Or is a fan someone who makes an effort and gives a thought for their artist of choice.
With todays advertising schemes I believe we as consumers are sometimes tricked into believing that we actually need the new Chilli Peppers CD (for eg) even though we have never like them before.
So in order for us achieve this the consumer market has adapted to it’s own demand and developed it’s own distribution method. From my understanding if the music industry continues to power advertise they will find more and more demand for cheaper prices (Because consurmers want more and more music but don’t have the money for it) and if they can’t deliever these prices (like they refused to in the past) the artist inevitablty ends up disappointed in it’s fans for not purchasing it’s works.
Yes it’s unfortunate but every industry has risks and the Chilli Peppers were very aware of the risks invovled in releasing a new album prior to them working on it. There are always measures avaliable to lower risks obviosuly these were not taken.
I agree with more of that post than I disagree with. A lot of newer music is pure crap. But it’s still their pure crap. If they don’t want their pure crap released until X date I think that should be respected.
That said RHCP is a solid group of musicians that has stood the test of time. I don’t think this leak is going to put their mortgage payments at risk. They’ve made their money. It’s just a matter of principle.
I don’t think musicans should profit from music sales. Most musicans only gain a small percentage from the sale of a song anyway. The bulk of the profit goes to the record label. Look at the case of TLC who had to file bankruptcy at the peak of their popularity because the label stole everything that they earned.
If a musician can’t make money selling records then it is his or her responsibility to find a way to make money. Try touring or advertising. Honestly how many GOOD music groups are out there these days anyway?? For every one good song on any album there are 10 that suck. Why would I spend $75 dollars plus parking and service fees to go see a popular band that only has one or two good songs on every album? The truth is that the really good performers DO make money.
I grew up before MP3s. In those days we copied songs off the radio and listened to them just like people download them now. Musicans aren’t making money because they suck PERIOD!
No the RIAA is definitely something that has to be considered. I chose not to focus on them here because this wasn’t so much about the RIAA as it was the band’s personal dissapointment over their music being leaked. Yes in the legal sense music “belongs” to the RIAA as well as the musicians. But that’s another debate for another time.
Also what exactly do the artists “owe” the public? Is the public forced to listen to their music give their patronage to movie theatres etc? No. I don’t think suing the listening/viewing public is a great idea. Not at all. But I don’t think the artists owe the public anything more than great entertainment. We have no moral right to their work any more than they have any moral obligation to let us have it.
Anyway I didn’t really want to enter the download vs. don’t download debate. I just think it’s a damn shame when a band’s new work gets released without their permission before they’re ready. From a creative standpoint that bothers me. I like the comments though I’m glad this spurred some talking.
The whole p2p debate is about access and parity of access. Before p2p artists needed large releasing corporations to get product into the hands of consumers. Not anymore. No one robbed the RHCP of self expression. In the 1950′s this type of material would have been underground banned and not even allowed to be played in public. People are angry that artists produce less than one hour of material a year and expect to live off the royalties for life making millions for the few who get signed contracts while most of the people buying the albums are struggling to afford housing transportation and a better life. Until we have some universal access to information and universal income system this debate will never ever be resolved short of complete economic meltdown.
I’m so glad that I don’t listen to their crap! And Flea? HA HA! Oh look at me I’m a bass player I think I’m cool! Give me a break! The only albums that I would buy or support would be of bands that I actually like/love. Like the Old School GN’R albums or something like that! I wonder how much the RIAA would buy my GN’R Live Like A Suicide LP for? I mean since they claim that we “Don’t Own” what we buy!
The rich will always get rich and the poor will always get poorer bottom line here is that artists and actors owe the public does that mean that their rights don’t mean anything no but it also means that they should not be sueing the public (or backing the RIAA/MPAA that sue the public) that makes them to be able to buy all the luxury the live in.
This article is a good article but like most articles it only focuses on one point of view without seeing the whole view.
Just remember that that Flea dude (if I’m thinking of the right person -the lead singer?) wouldn’t hesitate to fVck the $h1t out of your GF/daughter/wife/sister based on the fame you afforded him by buying his music. That’s how I would justify it anyways…but I’m not even going to bother trying to DL it until I hear something I like.
Well I would say people are bitter because the rich are getting richer and trampoling on the poor that they are pushing further into the poor house. Its easy for someone who can barely make ends meat to not feel sorry for someone making millions when they bitch their album got releassed early. Quite frankly thats the current market trend things are being released early or to the public. If an artist wants to survive they will have to start making their money from concerts and merchandise. Some artists can make millions from a single concert so I dont think its really too much to ask. How many jobs do you get paid to sit on your ass while the money comes pooring in?
I guess that leaves the RIAA out then too right? MAN..this IS a headline!
THANK YOU