|
Post by kds on Mar 2, 2021 16:15:19 GMT
This is an interesting article about how The Who's 2019 album "WHO" apparently cost too much to make ultimateclassicrock.com/pete-townshend-who-album/I wish Pete went into further details here, but I wonder if the inability to tour on the album thanks to COVID played a part.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Mar 2, 2021 17:51:58 GMT
That really is interesting.
The shrinking budgets for making albums is an underappreciated aspect of modern music-making. My understanding from listening to numerous interviews in recent years is that labels pay far, far less to get albums than they used to, and I don't mean "not keeping up with inflation" (which is often the government/political reality when people say "cut": they just mean "don't grow fast enough). Here I mean CUT, and I mean DRASTICALLY CUT.
Producers talk about having gotten hundreds of thousands of dollars in the '80s, and being given maybe tens of thousands now.
Beyond that, the labels also often recoup touring revenues now, whereas that used to be primarily (or exclusively) for artists.
Now, I'm sure Pete Townshend is going to be fine. But even he is bound to be angry that he probably got more money 50 years ago to record an album than he gets now, and then can't even tour to try to make some cash on it.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 2, 2021 17:55:52 GMT
I guess that's not too surprising since the demand for tangible product isn't nearly what it once was in the pre streaming / digital era.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Mar 2, 2021 18:11:16 GMT
And not just digital product, but fans having more or less unilaterally decided they won't pay for music at all unless it's a special issue kind of thing that supplements music with gimmick collectibles. (What percentage of music fans even pay for the streaming services versus listening to the ad-filled free ones?)
I don't have it at my fingertips, but I believe I also recently saw that music labels are actually making HUGE profits. The talk of the industry's collapse is them reusing a two-decade old situation and pretending they're in dire straights, but really just finding new ways to cash in at the expense of everyone else, especially non-megastar artists.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 2, 2021 19:01:36 GMT
And not just digital product, but fans having more or less unilaterally decided they won't pay for music at all unless it's a special issue kind of thing that supplements music with gimmick collectibles. (What percentage of music fans even pay for the streaming services versus listening to the ad-filled free ones?)
I don't have it at my fingertips, but I believe I also recently saw that music labels are actually making HUGE profits. The talk of the industry's collapse is them reusing a two-decade old situation and pretending they're in dire straights, but really just finding new ways to cash in at the expense of everyone else, especially non-megastar artists.
I can't say that I'm overly surprised that the labels are doing well. If that weren't the case, I'd think a lot of the ways to listen to music for free would likely disappear.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Mar 2, 2021 19:34:35 GMT
True. But it is a little annoying, especially for musicians, I'm sure.
"Sorry, we just can't afford to pay our artists properly or give them legit budgets: if we did, we might fall short of our record-breaking, historically high profits."
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 2, 2021 19:45:13 GMT
True. But it is a little annoying, especially for musicians, I'm sure.
"Sorry, we just can't afford to pay our artists properly or give them legit budgets: if we did, we might fall short of our record-breaking, historically high profits."
I couldn't agree more. Granted, the Townshend's of the world will be fine, but I'd hate to think that this could stunt the releases of artists who aren't quite on the same level financially as The Who.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Mar 2, 2021 19:52:45 GMT
Yep. Superstars aren't suffering, but the working musicians battling for a first major-label deal, only to be told by the label they need to record the album on their own and just deliver it to the label, and oh by the way, also pay the label for a tour (that the label doesn't set up or pay for)? Uhhhh...thanks?
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Mar 3, 2021 18:29:46 GMT
David Crosby joins the club, selling his entire catalogue (Byrds, CSN, CSNY, and solo) to Irving Azoff/Iconic. He had unofficially announced such a move was going to be forthcoming in some December tweets:
"I am selling mine also… I can’t work …and streaming stole my record money ... If we could get paid for records and play live we would not be doing it. None of us.”
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 4, 2021 18:12:52 GMT
David Crosby joins the club, selling his entire catalogue (Byrds, CSN, CSNY, and solo) to Irving Azoff/Iconic. He had unofficially announced such a move was going to be forthcoming in some December tweets:
"I am selling mine also… I can’t work …and streaming stole my record money ... If we could get paid for records and play live we would not be doing it. None of us.”
There's a lot that could be said about this one. First, Crosby is basically broke and needs the money just to pay bills. Second, with his precarious health situation, it's probably better not to put a move like this off. Third, I get what Cros is saying about streaming, downloading, or whatever term you want to use. Hey, I appreciate old(er) artists like Crosby and other artists from that generation. They have provided me with countless hours of enjoyment with their recordings and, believe me, I'm thankful. I certainly want them to be happy and to live their later years in peace. But, with Crosby specifically and maybe others in general, I don't think he/they were exactly...prudent...in their spending and money management. I'm not a big/knowledgeable David Crosby fan, but if you look at the thousand (millions?) of dollars thrown away on, well, you know what I mean. Gee, I hope Cros doesn't read this. I could end up being hammered on his Twitter site.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 4, 2021 19:11:54 GMT
David Crosby joins the club, selling his entire catalogue (Byrds, CSN, CSNY, and solo) to Irving Azoff/Iconic. He had unofficially announced such a move was going to be forthcoming in some December tweets:
"I am selling mine also… I can’t work …and streaming stole my record money ... If we could get paid for records and play live we would not be doing it. None of us.”
There's a lot that could be said about this one. First, Crosby is basically broke and needs the money just to pay bills. Second, with his precarious health situation, it's probably better not to put a move like this off. Third, I get what Cros is saying about streaming, downloading, or whatever term you want to use. Hey, I appreciate old(er) artists like Crosby and other artists from that generation. They have provided me with countless hours of enjoyment with their recordings and, believe me, I'm thankful. I certainly want them to be happy and to live their later years in peace. But, with Crosby specifically and maybe others in general, I don't think he/they were exactly...prudent...in their spending and money management. I'm not a big/knowledgeable David Crosby fan, but if you look at the thousand (millions?) of dollars thrown away on, well, you know what I mean. Gee, I hope Cros doesn't read this. I could end up being hammered on his Twitter site. That's something I've noticed about Crosby in his interviews in recent years. It's always somebody else to blame. I get what he's saying about streaming, but it's not that new of a concept, and other artists are doing a far better job adapting to music in 2021.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Mar 4, 2021 21:01:59 GMT
Big ol' Plastic Ono Band box reissue coming in mid-April. I love that album--one of my absolute favorites from John, maybe my favorite--but I don't see a lot that would interest me.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 4, 2021 21:05:49 GMT
I'm actually kind of glad they weren't releasing lavish box sets of classic albums like this when I was in my 20s. I'd probably have a lot of stuff collecting dust.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Mar 4, 2021 21:24:06 GMT
I'm actually kind of glad they weren't releasing lavish box sets of classic albums like this when I was in my 20s. I'd probably have a lot of stuff collecting dust. Same here. In fact, I already do have plenty of stuff collecting dust. I'd hate to have more of it. Several of my big box sets are in boxes in the basement. Often I'd take out the CDs and keep those with everything else, but a lot of those big boxes, booklets, etc I have no use for once I've looked at them once.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 5, 2021 13:09:44 GMT
I'm actually kind of glad they weren't releasing lavish box sets of classic albums like this when I was in my 20s. I'd probably have a lot of stuff collecting dust. Same here. In fact, I already do have plenty of stuff collecting dust. I'd hate to have more of it. Several of my big box sets are in boxes in the basement. Often I'd take out the CDs and keep those with everything else, but a lot of those big boxes, booklets, etc I have no use for once I've looked at them once. I remember when I first really got into Floyd in my late teens / early 20s. I spent so much money collecting bootlegs. I've not touched any of them in 20 years, as I tend to stick to the official releases.
|
|