Comments on: Wait, You Mean… I’m Not Getting Paid for This? http://www.juliansanchez.com/2007/04/10/wait-you-mean-im-not-getting-paid-for-this/ Just another geek in the geek kingdom Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:16:39 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Barry http://www.juliansanchez.com/2007/04/10/wait-you-mean-im-not-getting-paid-for-this/comment-page-1/#comment-1992 Barry Wed, 11 Apr 2007 23:29:31 +0000 http://juliansanchez.com/?p=1719#comment-1992 In other words, there's a huge difference between 'sign the corporate contract or eat sh*t' and 'sign the corporate contract or go You Tube/website/podcast/etc.'. Especially as almost all artists never get offered the corporate contract. Tim O'Reilly (?) had a point that the biggest commercial threat to an artist is obscurity - nobody *wants* to 'steal' their work. For a big coporation, that's less of a case. They market and advertise. For an amateur, it's a big difference; they can give away lots of free samples that they otherwise wouldn't have gotten paid for anyhow. In other words, there’s a huge difference between ’sign the corporate contract or eat sh*t’ and ’sign the corporate contract or go You Tube/website/podcast/etc.’. Especially as almost all artists never get offered the corporate contract.

Tim O’Reilly (?) had a point that the biggest commercial threat to an artist is obscurity – nobody *wants* to ’steal’ their work. For a big coporation, that’s less of a case. They market and advertise. For an amateur, it’s a big difference; they can give away lots of free samples that they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten paid for anyhow.

]]> By: Laure http://www.juliansanchez.com/2007/04/10/wait-you-mean-im-not-getting-paid-for-this/comment-page-1/#comment-1991 Laure Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:13:00 +0000 http://juliansanchez.com/?p=1719#comment-1991 What's occurring (also in film) is that the middle is dropping out. That is to say, music that works on a DIY level still is fine, 'cause it is cheap to put it together in your living room or somebody's basement (unless you happen to live somewhere where somebody's basement costs $1250/month to rent, but I digress). On the other end of the spectrum, bands or artists that are making commodities that are sound investments even in our itunes world (keep in mind, there are still publishing and other ancillary rights to be exploited!) like Madonna or Justin Timberlake will be able to spend ever more massive amounts creating their packages. (You might doubt this but I believe it is still the trend). What's lost is the artists who do not make excessively commercial work but can't really do it on the cheap (do any records you like have many instruments, lush productions, etc.?). These artists used to be subsided in part by larger artists and in part make back some money by gradual sales in the "album-oriented" vein, which is now disappearing. There are artists who don't tour for whatever reason (sleeping on floors and eating ramen maybe having gotten old) and the value of residual rights is another question mark for "career musicians". Have you read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Noise-Political-Economy-History-Literature/dp/0816612870/ref=pd_bbs_5/103-8859061-3518263?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176317641&sr=8-5" rel="nofollow">Noise</a>? It's been a long time but I recall it being worthwhile. What’s occurring (also in film) is that the middle is dropping out. That is to say, music that works on a DIY level still is fine, ’cause it is cheap to put it together in your living room or somebody’s basement (unless you happen to live somewhere where somebody’s basement costs $1250/month to rent, but I digress). On the other end of the spectrum, bands or artists that are making commodities that are sound investments even in our itunes world (keep in mind, there are still publishing and other ancillary rights to be exploited!) like Madonna or Justin Timberlake will be able to spend ever more massive amounts creating their packages. (You might doubt this but I believe it is still the trend).

What’s lost is the artists who do not make excessively commercial work but can’t really do it on the cheap (do any records you like have many instruments, lush productions, etc.?). These artists used to be subsided in part by larger artists and in part make back some money by gradual sales in the “album-oriented” vein, which is now disappearing. There are artists who don’t tour for whatever reason (sleeping on floors and eating ramen maybe having gotten old) and the value of residual rights is another question mark for “career musicians”.

Have you read Noise? It’s been a long time but I recall it being worthwhile.

]]> By: Grant Gould http://www.juliansanchez.com/2007/04/10/wait-you-mean-im-not-getting-paid-for-this/comment-page-1/#comment-1990 Grant Gould Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:26:38 +0000 http://juliansanchez.com/?p=1719#comment-1990 20-something ramen-eaters are the new outsourcing! How can honest Americans be expected to compete with 20-something ramen-eaters? We need a tariff, or price supports, or possibly a draft. 20-something ramen-eaters are the new outsourcing! How can honest Americans be expected to compete with 20-something ramen-eaters? We need a tariff, or price supports, or possibly a draft.

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