81–90 of 163 posts
That's a lot of money - more than most people make in 2-3 years - for what probably amounted to a few weeks of work. And we're supposed to feel sorry for him because he couldn't retire on it? Seems to me if he got 1 of these per year he'd be pretty set.
Everyone is very focused on the contrast between the Radio royalties and the Streaming royalties - but we all skipped right past that first item: $149,000 in royalties for writing a song (just the first 3 years). That's a lot of money - more than most people make in 2-3 years - for what probably amounted to a few weeks of work. And we're supposed to feel sorry for him because he couldn't retire on it? Seems to me if…
I.e., it might not be long before a comparable song with comparable popularity earns him $1000 instead of $150,000.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If even people reaching a truly stupidly huge number of people don't get even close to making a living (I get more than that off a few hundred people on Patreon for the work that I do), in a situation where those operating the streaming services are renting out entire floors of office buildings in Manhattan, your question is disingenuous. Just because some of us are eking out a sort of existence in the new era doesn'…
> abolishing money Communes have been tried, voluntary ones and forcible ones, over and over. They never work out. People just aren't wired up that way. > Star Trek is an imaginary utopia. You can always make things work when writing a script.
Monastic orders for example can be stable over hundreds of years, but to pull that off they need a focus on new membership. They fail not when the last member dies, but when nobody signed on 20 years before then.
PS: There are ideological reasons that people oppose communes, and many had significant issues. However, the jump from 6 young people sharing rent, to 20 young people living together is not that difficult. And at 20 people economy of scale kicks in where buying in bulk saves money but meticulous record keeping is not worth the effort.
I have similar feelings. My gift generates millions for someone else. I take home above median income, but I'm not getting rich. I'm working toward a plan. I wonder what his plan is? It's interesting watching this comment section fill with bickering over what commenters think he deserves.
Everyone is very focused on the contrast between the Radio royalties and the Streaming royalties - but we all skipped right past that first item: $149,000 in royalties for writing a song (just the first 3 years). That's a lot of money - more than most people make in 2-3 years - for what probably amounted to a few weeks of work. And we're supposed to feel sorry for him because he couldn't retire on it? Seems to me if…
You don't get paid for all the non-hit songs you wrote.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If even people reaching a truly stupidly huge number of people don't get even close to making a living (I get more than that off a few hundred people on Patreon for the work that I do), in a situation where those operating the streaming services are renting out entire floors of office buildings in Manhattan, your question is disingenuous. Just because some of us are eking out a sort of existence in the new era doesn'…
> If even people reaching a truly stupidly huge number of people don't get even close to making a living (I get more than that off a few hundred people on Patreon for the work that I do), in a situation where those operating the streaming services are renting out entire floors of office buildings in Manhattan, your question is disingenuous. Seems like a weird detail to fixate on. Plenty more money has been spent on o…
(unless you believe marketing & distribution is all of the value)
30 years ago, the supply chain for recorded music went something like this:
creator -> music label & radio -> retailers -> audience
Now it's something like this:
creator -> (label) -> digital platform -> audience
Huge power is concentrated in the platforms, which essentially combine curation, distribution, sales, and marketing. They control pricing. They control the playlists. They control the relationship with audiences and understand them far more than record retailers or radio ever did.
Labels now provide questionable value -- I would expect that some platforms may start to move into that area, in order to guarantee exclusivity, which is one of the few ways for labels to establish competitive differentiation. This is already happening in other media, such as books (ex: Amazon-owned book labels signing top authors or strong up-and-comers) as well as Amazon video and Netflix funding promising scripts and creative teams.
What can artists do? They have a few cards to play. One of them is exclusivity. Another is the ability to build their own connections with audiences (often using free or low-cost communications platforms). And dedicated audiences will do what is asked of them, within reason.
Some also perform, which is one of the few areas to make money these days. But platforms are also horning in on that pot. Ticketmaster is ruthless when it comes to manipulating pricing and forcing artists to play by its rules.
If I were an up-and-coming artist, I would concentrate not on becoming a "star" but rather making music that both you and your audiences can love, and building indestructible bonds with audiences that they will follow you no matter where you go, whether it's jumping platforms, going on tour, buying new march, or taking part in other activities that respect their love for the music while helping you make a living.
> How will I be able to support my gift? In the end what we are seeing is that that golden era of creators making a living (and much much more) was an anomaly. Control of new types of distribution created scarcity and new forms of expression and shifting norms jacked up demand. But now distribution is free, instant and global. Demand has flatlined and production has exploded. The hard question a creator needs to ask…
>The hard question a creator needs to ask themselves now is not "how do I get paid for what my art is worth?", but instead "was my art ever worth much to begin with?" I disagree. The hard questions for creators of anything is how to control sales of the product. The digital platforms have failed musicians. The challenge is how to enforce prevention of piracy (ie illegal uploading of material). This will ultimately be…