The Inquirer – Thursday 11 January 2007:
ESSEX FAUX-ROCKERS Koopa may well become the first ever unsigned group to score a place in the UK top 40 chart, thanks to recent alterations in the chart rules to include digital single sales even if no CD version is available.
The band’s single “Blag, Steal and Borrow” – which is only available for download – looks like it could hit the top 40 this Sunday according to early sales figures, reports the BBC.
Koopa seem pretty chuffed with the new chart rules: “It does give hope for genuine talent,” said singer and bassist Joe Murphy. “You can release a song and if you’ve got the fanbase and people buy it, you’ll get into the charts – it’s great.” He reckons that other unsigned bands will be taking advantage of the new rules too, which could redefine the way chart music is as a whole.
If a bunch of nobodies can get a hit without label support, exactly why do established artists need labels? And what will happen to the labels when the established artists wise up and jump ship?
Update: Koopa did it. They’re the first band to make it to the top-40 in the UK without being signed!
I think at this point the only people who need a label are talentless hacks (See boy band) and those who want a guaranteed, cash upfront, sort of deal (See sell out)
Not that I blame them, I’d sell out too… Hell, I’m cheaper than most of them actually. I’d give up whatever dignity I have left for a measly 500k… or a box of cheese its.
The only good thing about a label these days is free PR. If marketing firms get the idea to make special deals with individual bands (little to no cost upfront for a percent on the backend type deal) the label may drop out completely. But then the marketers need people to tell them which bands are worth representing… then you have a label again.
So I guess… bloggers should represent bands. Dvoraks musical badassery of the day dept anyone?
Wow… ramble much?
1. “The only good thing about a label these days is free PR. “
Actually, the labels don’t provide anything for free. They charge the bands for all the promotional CDs they mail out, all advertising, for the limos to and from the concerts, for booking them on Leno, etc. The labels don’t do anything for free.
That’s why those huge advances are called advances. They are an advance of money that needs to be paid back later.
And as you point out, an established artist could easily hire an agent/marketing firm for the same “benefit” the music labels perform. The difference between the marketing firm and the label is that currently the label holds all the cards. If you want to sign with a major label they set the terms. However, the balance of power would be different for established artists as they’d have thousands of such marketing firms from which to choose.
Less established artists would have to actually rely on their own talent and build up followings by using the net and touring. Heck, that’s the way rock bands did it in the 60s and 70s. They toured and toured until they got huge fan bases.
distribution and Advertising are the only USE…
they have all the contacts, and can get you in places(they own the stations) that you couldnt get to.
In the USA, most radio stations are PAID to play…
And Many are owned by the Corps… You WILL NOT here independant radio on about 99% of the stations.
NOR will you get into any tape/record/cd outlets easily..even tho they are in the DIRT.
The only radio I listen to now days is NPR (National Public Radio). If I want to listen to or purchase new music I hit the Internet. I might actually listen music on FM radio if it didn’t suck so hard.
3. Labels “can get you in places that you couldnt get to.”
Where? Like the top 40?!
A Label is about as useful as that sorry SOB who woke me up this morning begging me to subscribe to his newspaper – Of course me not being entirely awake yet, I had to let him know that If I wanted to read the paper, I can access hundreds of newspapers stateside, and thousands worldwide via ze web (he didnt take it very well, reminded me of the RIAA) – As such, music Label’s are a lot like newspapers – useful in the past but basically useless now http://citebite.com/m7u2b4h7aspn
This is a a WTF link
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2007/01/seti-riaa-sues-aliens.html
jebus riaa, the aliens arent gonna play nice
The only radio I listen to now days is NPR
You must be a real blast at parties.
Jessz U Guys, don’t forget the jillions of
College and Indie stations on the ‘net!
#9, You got me. I am an over the hill stick in the mud. Frankly, jumping around and drinking until I puke no longer holds any charm for me.
Are there any good internet ‘radio’ stations out there? Like entertaining ones like WHBL (Chicago in the 60’s) I listened to a station in Wellington New Zealand it was very good. Especially since it’s summer time down under!
Anyone got any suggestions?
Major labels make virtually 0 money for their typical musicians. Check out this article that explains the economics of a typical popular band.
http://www.arancidamoeba.com/mrr/problemwithmusic.html
Long live music podcasting!
Major Labels do the “company store” scheme to lure the talent in and then hold them to contracts while the Labels make the cash, the bands make nothing.
For instance, that girl group TLC…back when they had the number one song in the country with “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls”…making millions for their label…they each got $50,000 that year. The entire YEAR they cleared $50K….that’s right, I was at the time making more than the hit group with the number one song. Executives at their label were getting fat raises and patting each other on the back.
Pathetic…screw the RIAA.
In this day and age established artists don’t. They’re businesses already. If they choose to continue to associate themselves with a label after their contract is up they deserve to get cheated.
They will crumble but only if the corporate media monopolies are broken up. It’s generally easier for the cattle to tune in a local radio station than find what they want on the net. Ever since the last independent local station was bought my some conglomerate I can’t even listen to the redundant, formulaic programing, not to mention 2 songs then 20 minutes of DJ patter and commercials. I want a Digg for music. If I missed it and there is please tell me. There are only so many hours in a day.
Rant, Rant, Rant …