Music Companies Cleaning House...Again ! (1 Viewer)

[MikeAW]

Interesting that Van Halen and Warner Bros. are parting "amicably" after 23 Years with the label, and Tori Amos "leaving" her music label.
This makes a total of six major music artists...Mariah Carey, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Collective Soul, Tori Amos...set adrift and looking for places to distribute their music to Fans.
They don't need them Music Companies anymore anyway !!!
Sounds like somethin's really a brewin' that's going to actually change the way we get our music !
Link here for Van Halen story...
http://www.billboard.com/billboard/d...ent_id=1281337

 

[Jim_C]

Any speculation as to what that thing that's brewin' is?

 

[MikeAW]

They will probably say something like it's costing more to produce and market Music these days...but that's a little weak since all of the consolidation of labels.

Remember when it was contract time, I don't think anyone but themselves, felt it was worth paying those large, up-front advances for established artists. Look at that Mariah Carey EMI deal...she signed for $100 million, only delivered one album, settled the contract for $49 million...she in effect, got $49million dollars for one album...Not a bad business woman, if you ask me ! For the others, I don't know their individual stories.

I think Music Companies' real assets, are in the catalogues they own...so that accounts for the "consolidation" of labels. It's cheaper to "sell" something that's already in their vaults, and what they call "remaster", than it is to sell and produce a new release.

Look at the way they use new remastering technologies to justify multiple releases for established artists...like Steely Dan and the Beach Boys...both, whose catalog has been re-released at least four times so far! The fans just can't get enough, and are gluttons for this thievery. The groups themselves hide behind the record companies, hoping they don't get found out as being behind all of this!

With the expanding marketplace including sharing online music ordering, and newly instituted copy-protection technology, etc., I feel, the Music Companies are quietly paring down their rosters from the dead wood, in an attempt to squeeze more money out of what they have now, before they institute more austere recording contract measures on their "mature" artists.

But what the Music Companies don't get, is that these very new technologies to distribute music for them, means recording artists can directly to their fan base via the internet...like David Bowie. He is a true visionary in this area...starting his own IPO to finance his music projects, a web site to order, market and make music for his fans. And he is not the only one !

Music companies as we have known them are dinosaurs...and they know it ! They just don't want YOU, the music buyer to know that !

 

[Mike Broadman]

In my experience, those remasters do sound better than their previous releases. More often than not, the remastered discs are correcting past mistakes (for example, the first CDs of King Crimson's collection were awful, until Fripp found out and took control of it), or just applying the newest technologies to provide a better sound. If you feel they are rip-offs, then don't buy it.

 

[MikeAW]

Mike, remasters are budgeted to be produced at the lowest cost per unit possible...using whatever state-of-the-art technology is the cheapest and available...at the moment. It's better than spending money down a dry hole, like a new artist.

If you have taken that long walk down the upgrade road that the Music Companies have laid out for you to travel, as most of us have and still do..."Gold Disc", 20Kz, 24kz, HDCD, DVD-A, SACD, are just ways for you to purchase the CD again, and again, and again, and if this forum is any measure, everyone here who is in the "high end" DVD-A/SACD player Thing, you've already "bitten" the lure, by

purchasing, probably on the average, at least 2 to 3 versions of the same CD to get to the DVD-A/SACD level.

Some of us have stopped at the "24kz" Mark, making Creedence Clearwater and Saul Zaentz, and Steely Dan, more than happy at the scam they played on us. That they can prevail upon the consumer to take the next step, is what makes this a moneymaking business for them.

The Music Companies are very happy that you made your multiple purchasessssss! There are more scams on the way, for the short-termed thinking consumer, I'm sure!

 

[Eric Alderson]

Music companies as we have known them are dinosaurs...and they know it !

NOFX says it best in their song "Dinosaurs Will Die". Everytime I hear that song, I can't help but smile.

 

[Andrew_Sch]

NOFX says it best in their song "Dinosaurs Will Die". Everytime I hear that song, I can't help but smile.

Right on man, that great song is looking more and more prophetic every day.

 

[Brian Perry]

It would be interesting to see some statistics on the percentage of catalog title sales (including new releases of remastered discs) to new album sales for each year. I would venture to say that Mike is correct in saying that the record companies sell (and re-sell) far more catalog titles than new music.

 

[RicP]

everyone here who is in the "high end" DVD-A/SACD player Thing, you've already "bitten" the lure, by

Oh I see, it's all a scam...the better sound quality I hear is all in my imagination I suppose?
Do you actually listen to music for enjoyment? Or just to rip it apart with your happy horseshit? Do you even own a system worthy of playing your "24kz" discs?

 

[MikeAW]

Brian, it would be interesting to see the comparison of new album sales to reissues...I guess just a walk down the aisle of your local retail outlet should give you the answer too.