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Billy Bragg Sets MySpace Straight
I’ll admit to my seedy past… I once worked at a place where we used a dubious legal release that, if one looked at it at the right angle, could be interpreted to give my employer ownership of any music…
What if lack of net neutrality dictated your playlist?
I honestly hadn’t thought about this until now… If the record industry, which has used payola and co-op dollars for decades to squeeze small artists out of radio playlists and off of record store shelves, could actually pay cable and…
Sales Drive Radio Airplay, Not Vice Versa
Yes, back when guys like Cousin Brucie and Dick Clark could open a mic and cause a Sam Goody stampede, radio (and TV) could dictate what records flew off store shelves. Not today. Focus groups and sales forecasts determine what…
Que SIRA SIRA
…whatever will be, will be, if you don’t put your two cents into the latest Capitol Hill copyright fight. The Section 115 Reform Act (SIRA) would revise the way that businesses and consumers pay for the right to make “incidental”…
Fool me once…
It’s worth noting that Sandi Thom, whose webcast concerts from her basement caught the attention of RCA/SonyBMG last week, had a publicity company working the press angle. That’s not to say her story isn’t legit or success is undeserved, but…
Spoon frontman waxes about work ethic
Here’s a cool article on Brit Daniels and his band Spoon, and his workman-like approach to music: The singer-guitarist-songwriter says his years intently listening to radio hits were like “extensive research.” Knowing from the beginning that he cared most about…
Nashville Star no star-maker
Like its pop counterpart American Idol, the show Nashville Star has failed to produce country superstars as first expected. Second season winner Brad Cotter was dropped from his label after his post-NS release only sold 128,000 copies. (Is it me,…
CD Baby updates
Thousands of artists use CD Baby’s digitial distribution program to get their music into iTunes, Rhapsody and other digital stores. Today, CD Baby posted a streamlined version of their DD agreement. Among the changes are: improved readability, ringtones and an…
American Idol no guarantee of marketplace success
Here’s a report that American Idol finalists typically have poor record sales and that labels are hesitant to offer contracts to former AI contestants. Of course, “poor record sales” can mean different things to different people: Second-season singer, third-place finisher…
iTunes finds success in online market
Created in 2003 to prevent the music industry from losing money on illegal downloading, iTunes has since sold one billion songs on its online music store. It offers individual songs for 99 cents, and, curiously, after paying off its partners,…
Hummer? Humbug.
Apparently there are some lines even the most strapped-for-cash indie bands won’t cross. Case in point: the ad agency for GM’s Hummer SUV is happy to offer upwards of $50,000 in exchange for using songs in Hummer ads, if only…