Back in the day, Slade’s Noddy Holder shouted it’s Chhhhhrrrrrrriiiiiiissssssttttttt-mmmmmaaaaasssssssssss! which, in 1973 became the year end Number 1 and stayed at the top of the charts for 5 weeks. It certainly was a glorious time for Record Companies who must have felt their Egg has tons of Nog in it and their chestnuts were well and truly roasted! Music was going from strength to strength and the CD was just a twinkle in the eye of Phillips!

But, forward 35 years and things look very different. The Cassette, The Walkman, The CD, The CD Walkman, The Minidisc, the DVD, The DCC have all been and gone or are going and the landscape for music and it’s revenue streams are now under extreme pressure. The Music Corporations are in dire need of a ‘Nog’ transplant and they are clueless as to where to get this.

Why wouldn’t they be?

They have built their whole business model on exploitation. Exploitation of artists by not accounting to them fairly and exploitation of loyal fans by re-selling them the same music under the guise of new and better (mostly overpriced) formats.

The old game plan of “throw enough shit at the wall and some of it will stick” has no merit now in this single track world. It has been replaced by Industry Bigwigs flinging blame about and asking “who spoilt the party and put that fan there?” The traditional Music Industry is stuck firmly in a downward spiral and if you need more proof (and there are many places to look) look here.

This strain that the traditional model is under presents a great opportunity for forward thinking individuals and Companies. Bands are now empowered. Managers can shop around for deals or go it alone and find good, like-minded partnerships with dynamic Companies to get their vision and music heard. Majors are tired and slow and Indies are quicker, but bands and managers are the slickest and most versatile creatures of all.

2009 is your time.

Oh, and what makes a good band?

Write good songs, connect with your fans, be honest and above all…

Don’t split up.

You know who you are!

Laurence

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I felt the atmosphere change at the majority of Record Companies about three years ago. The black clouds were well and truly above them at this point and they’d left their umbrella’s on the tube. Sure there were some perky personnel within who were in denial about the sea change that was inevitably coming. Some were aligning themselves with statistics that (without thinking forward) looked reasonably safe. The value of digital sales as opposed to the value of physical CD sales etc. but these were flawed.

For many years now Corporations across a multitude of Industries have, what they call ‘planned obsolescence’ built into their products. Old phones give way to new (and better) models, Cars, PC’s, Games Consoles etc. In this instance the Record Industry was suffering ‘un’planned obsolescence. They had failed to adapt. Failed to think about the future.

The old ‘throw enough shit at the wall and see if it sticks model’ had turned to diarrhoea and had  began to slide down the walls of their boardrooms.

Then what followed over the next couple of years was a number of big Industry figures blaming everyone but themselves. Most recently, Seymour Stein VP at Warner Music Group and founder of Sire Records as quoted by the Globe and Mail said, “We blew it. The first major music labels were all phonograph manufacturers, but by the time the Beatles came along, most companies were no longer involved in the hardware. Had we remained in control of the hardware, we wouldn’t be hurting as much as we are now. And the iPod would be ours”

I think this quote says everything you need to know about the mentality of Record Companies. They see themselves as blameless. That they are purely victims of circumstances that they had no control over. Quite frankly this is Crap!

Record Companies have exploited artists forever – using them and tossing them away like old tissues. Whilst a few artists may have navigated their way though this vipers pit and held on to some dignity, most did not. But now the power has shifted to the Artist, Managers and few forward thinking Companies, but you need to be equipped to succeed in this brave new world. You can be an employer not an employee, but with this power comes great responsibility. It is now not possible to hide behind someone else’s decisions. You need to step up.

For a refreshing and thought provoking article about the new Industry take five minutes to read this.

If you are an Artist or Manager and want any advise or would like to work directly with a forward thinking Music Company. Click Here or contact me.

Futile of Fertile, it’s in your hands.

Laurence