Music Industry

There was a great article on Gizmodo today from a guy in some old British band detailing the screwing that he is receiving from Warner Music. He references the same Alibini article I linked to a while back.

They're both great reads that highlight why I don't give a shit about the music industry and why "buying music to support the artist" is a load of crap.

A friend of a friend works in the music industry. Universal I believe. He's a great guy. I enjoy hanging out with him even though it's just one of those see-you-around-in-six-months kinds of things, so I don't want this to sound like I'm dumping on him or he's an idiot or anything like that. Anyhow, I first met him a year or two back when the Conservatives had proposed copyright reform and it was all over the news and stuff. I just had to bring it up and ask him what he thought.

The very first thing he said was the same"Did you know that 98% of the bands we sign cost us money?"as handed out in the article. It was the big "we're subsidising music for everybody" argument as to why they're allowed to be such a bunch of assholes. Like it's my fault that they sign a dozen Nickelback wannabees and nobody gives a shit about them.

Well. A bit of beating a dead horse. But I love to pile on the music industry.

Update - Oh man. I love it. There's a class action lawsuit against a bunch of the majors for making and distributing compilation CD's without the permission of the artists, or compensation paid to them. So, based on the precedent that the music industry has set by suing fans ($20,000 per song, per infringement), we're talking 60 BILLION DOLLARS. Which is all kinds of awesome. How is this not a bigger story?

Further Update - The CRIA acts as a hired gun and convinces the crown to charge a small independent record store for selling 100 imported CD's in his record store. Good points made by boingboing.