music_news 91 posts

Let the people speak...how bad do you really need the new Avril Lavigne record anyways? I personally can live out my whole life without ever hearing a note, but if you are a fan don't give in ..download your favorite hit and get out of there..(and her other super star buddies as well)..leaving her and her record label with shrinking record sales and egos..we are all in this together, this is a global issue for everyone who loves music..Stand together in solidarity, and we will prevail.

Artists increasingly dont need a record label to reach the masses... Soon we will see the downfall of the greedy hands of labels, but online digital music distributors/retailers will still be another battle...

Not to mention these huge corporations signing up artists and then shelving them so there is no competition for there predicted and puppeted "Next big thing" .. In Australia it is out of control and even jurassic 5 (listen to some of the lyrics on there new album as they stick there finger up to there record company) and aussie acts like something for kate have had huge dramas..

The Pistols were fingering the labels back in 1977. 30 years later there are more labels, they have larger financial war-chests and they will fight this to the death.

I'm not sure a world without labels would be a good thing - but I can tell you this, they NEED to learn and understand the value in social media marketing and believe that they can make as much, if not more, if they drop their drawers a bit. I've spent thousands with allofmp3.com - Rather than burn my CD's I've repurchased many of them because it was cheaper to do so. Charge less, sell more. Charge less and see that people will purchase entire albums for $2.50 rather than one song for $1.30. Charge less and you'll see people more readily experiment and purchase things they wouldn't - ultimately becoming fans who'll attend shows, etc.

With the invention of music sites with huge music catalogues and cheap songs downloads, I feel I have finally broken free from the tyranny that is the music industry. Don't get me wrong, I'm spending more on music now than ever before, but instead of buying 5 CDs like in the olden days and liking only 1-2, nowadays I downloads tens of albums and then buy CDs only of those few that I really, really like and think deserve to be in my collection.

While I understand, and truly enjoy downloading of music, I don't think the music labels will succumb to any pressures or voiced concerns the listener will have. While we all voice the belief that lower prices will improve sales, it's not a guarantee. For example, if one gas station offered a lower price than everyone else everyone would rush there to get the cheapest price. Right? Yet, once the scales balance out and everyone was on a level playing field again it wouldn't matter. Everyone is going to consume the same amount no matter what the price might be. If we need it, or feel we do, we will pay the price to have it. While I'm not saying that price gouging is anyway right, especially for being a true fan. Yet if the product were quality, instead of most crap out there, the sales would increase. Instead we essentially balance the scales for them. Us paying higher prices for the quality items allows for them to takes chances and hope for the next big thing.

Why are we always blaming the labels, when its the artists signing up with them in the first place? I havent really seen any discussion talking about other options artists have without a mainstream label, yet its always the labels who get the blame.

Why not boycott artists who are happy to criticise their label while making more music for the label to sell?

Today you dont need a label, you just need some decent music. Signing up with a label when your band is new/growing is just like getting venture capital.

The only arguments you hear against piracy are from the large labels. The small labels are small enough to sell you good music that keeps them afloat. Buy from independent labels and do your research to make sure that the indie label is indeed indie and not a large labels "indie-wing"

wikked wrote:
While I understand, and truly enjoy downloading of music, I don't think the music labels will succumb to any pressures or voiced concerns the listener will have. While we all voice the belief that lower prices will improve sales, it's not a guarantee. For example, if one gas station offered a lower price than everyone else everyone would rush there to get the cheapest price. Right? Yet, once the scales balance out and everyone was on a level playing field again it wouldn't matter. Everyone is going to consume the same amount no matter what the price might be. If we need it, or feel we do, we will pay the price to have it. While I'm not saying that price gouging is anyway right, especially for being a true fan. Yet if the product were quality, instead of most crap out there, the sales would increase. Instead we essentially balance the scales for them. Us paying higher prices for the quality items allows for them to takes chances and hope for the next big thing.
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You must remember however that gas and music are two completely different animals economically speaking and comparing the two is illogical. It all comes down to the price elasticity of demand. For example: This last memorial day weekend gas consumption was at a high despite the fact that the gas prices are astronomical. Price changes in gasoline have very little effect in demand, therefore it is known as inelastic. Music on the other hand is a luxury item that is not nessesary for day to day survival. A price decrease or increase in the price of music will have a much larger effect on the demand and therefore it is elastic. Even better for the online retailers is the classic problem of supply matching demand. With digital downloads the supply is unlimited, thereby taking supply out of the equation almost altogether. It's like printing your own money!!

Maybe we should start regulating how "cool" or aesthetically pleasing something is purported to be. If it is really extraordinary, only the rich, including the corrupt oil barons, can afford to have it. Otherwise, we should stop sobbing about having to put a little effort into supporting an industry we completely voluntarily do business with.

Downloading - don't like it - prefer the real thing in my hands, the paper, the digipac, the booklet and sleevenotes. As for price - shop around - internet makes this very easy. Illegal downloads are poor, but a good way of try before you buy - saved me from a few poor choices. As for itunes and this site - great quality - but if I really like it - I'll buy the disc.... and besdies the artist gets more when you buy the real thing, the amount they get for downloads is pitiful. Gonna download the editors new album today - but depending how good it is... prob' get it from play.com. Pro's and cons i suppose.

I love Nine Inch Nails, screw the rest!

Yeah, I totally agree with these guys.

watch this site
http://mp3-wong.com