Two more big music artists free from record industry contracts are rumored to be considering following in Radiohead’s footsteps.
I mentioned last week how Radiohead will offer its new album "In Rainbows," which goes on sale today in fact, for free, allowing fans to pay as little or as much as they want to download a copy from their website. Now it seems as though a couple of other big name artists may now follow Radiohead’s lead and get in on the act of offering their content directly to fans.
It’s no secret that bands make most of their money from merchandising and concert tours, recovering as little as $1.99 on a $16.98 CD retail price. In fact, one Universal exec mentioned a while back that this should change, that revenue streams should adapt so that it gets a cut from "…concerts, merchandising, sponsorship, song-writing etc.."
By making their content more widely available to fans, artists can thereby increase the demand to see their concerts and purchase stuff to show their support for the band. With artists getting a meager return on physical CDs anyways, they really have little to lose and everything to gain. It may just be what they need to stay relevant in a society where people have almost unlimited options for media consumption and entertainment.
It really comes down to in light of falling CD sales why would a band want to sign away years of their career when they could just as easily achieve similar financial results on their own?
If Radiohead’s experiment with "In Rainbows" proves to be successful then it may be all that Oasis, Jamiroquai, and other big name talents unencumbered by record industry contracts need to take the plunge and offer free album downloads.
Again, today’s the day that Radiohead’s latest album "In Rainbows" is available for download online so I urge you to log on and donate a few bucks to make this grand experiment of theirs a success.
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I wish I knew how to/ or had the motivation to learn how to make a good website. With the new trend of music moving away from big corporations theres gonna be a demand for a website to help bands product and sell merchandise. This site could have two components. First would be the fan component where people can come in download free music from artist on that section you could donate money buy their merchandise and view their concert listings. On a separate section you could have the tutorials and information for artists. In that sections you have information on how to record songs to your computer and edit them how to build your own studio for cheap or professional quality how to market your music contact information for studios venues rentals instruments etc… Basically a one stop shop for fans and musicians alike.
Along with some banner ads etc to generate an operating income.
I really think that the best way to defeat the unethical RIAA is to SUPPORT artists with this type of vision! In my opinion a boycott to hurt the RIAA will never work but something like this could. If the only thing that comes out of the Free Jammie case is that we start to see artists align themselves with this same vision we will make a huge dent in the fat cats wallets and put it with the creative artists. I understand that many artists are going to chained under the control of the big record compines for a long time. I just think it would be really cool to walk into a music store and see an RIAA side and a NON-RIAA side (wing addition new floor etc). Eventually the RIAA will be in the basement and then out the door. Bye Bye see ya later losers.
The most frustrating thing is that the RIAA idiots have had tons of opportunities along the way to embrace technology and be in a totally different position than they are in now.
Let creative people get paid directly for their work and let THEM decide how they will create record distribute and market their product. If they as a band (along with fans) can’t get the job done they can alwyas look for different levels of service providers that can help them with these tasks.
To quote Dylan: “The times they are a changin’.” Should we dig the RIAA’s grave now or wait a bit?
Winning this case did more damage to the RIAA’s position than anyone else could have done. Karma…
Not good enough Im afraid. Im going to wait until Oasis pay me before I download their albums.
“Not good enough I’m afraid. I’m going to wait until Oasis pay me before I download their albums.”
LOL! Yeah I agree….the only song of theirs I have even liked is wonderwall…..but in the video they have the singer dressed up as a John Lennon WANNABE! With glasses guitar and the whole ball of wax.