A Mark In Time
Mark Knopfler Discussion => Mark Knopfler Discussion Forum => Topic started by: vancip on July 17, 2014, 01:31:19 PM
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Edit: Universal bought EMI Virgin and merged it with Mercury label
http://www.virginemirecords.com/mark-knopfler/
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I don't get where this monopoly will lead us. Now there are only 3 major labels, Sony/BMG, Universal and WB, amassing around 85% of the world's music business/copyrights/recordings...
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Let's face facts, you don't need a record label anymore.
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I believe that there are several aspects of the monopoly of the record business. One is that a record label with all the tools it has can turn the spotlight on you in a second, while doing it on your own through the internet is a task that takes lots of luck regardless of value and talent. And since the monopoly dictates the rules only a handful of artists (usually the multi million sellers) can live of off their music, recorded or live (merchandise included) .The second is how music which is a form of art, an expression of beauty, is enslaved by people that only have profit as their only concern, ending up destroying music and artists, framing their own customers and charging expensive for half baked desires. The labels, where artist is treated as a person and not a cash machine is in fact much needed for providing the artist with more time by taking care of the marketing part of the music business. But the independent labels are really run down by force , by the big 3. Let's see where it lead us.
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Let's face facts, you don't need a record label anymore.
Some artists that were used with a label tried to make without them and went back to the label system.
You have to be a superstar to be able to do without the label system but for 99.9 % of case you need them.
And even for the remaining 0.1 % most of the time they sign a deal with a major company to be distributed by them - this include big act such as The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin...
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Guy Fletcher doesn't have a label and with all respect (if any is actually required) he isn't a "superstar." In saying that, I don't know anything about his record sales but given that he hand signs copies they can't be in the millions! I suppose it depends on the name, marketing and a few other things as well. :-\
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The way Guy Fletcher "distributed" his albums can hardly be seen as professional, in fact it is the most unprofessional way one could think of... It looks more like a hobby... suddenly, when I saw this, I believed that they indeed could not care for money at all (like they always say)... it was great for us to have a personally shipped and signed copy in posh envelopes, but i guess none of his albums might have sold more than a few hundreds... With his famous name and the connections he must have and the possibilities, it is quite astonishing that he did it this way.
LE
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The way Guy Fletcher "distributed" his albums can hardly be seen as professional, in fact it is the most unprofessional way one could think of... It looks more like a hobby... suddenly, when I saw this, I believed that they indeed could not care for money at all (like they always say)... it was great for us to have a personally shipped and signed copy in posh envelopes, but i guess none of his albums might have sold more than a few hundreds... With his famous name and the connections he must have and the possibilities, it is quite astonishing that he did it this way.
LE
It's a good point you make in that he (Guy) must have made a lot of connections in the industry over the years and yet chose to distribute his albums this manner. Did he burn them on his MacBook Pro? :think
Perhaps with the huge percentage the label takes he resented it, especially for the small number he thought he would sell.
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It seems he's a real independent artist!
LE
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It seems he's a real independent artist!
LE
Yeah, didn't he design his own cover art too?
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It seems he's a real independent artist!
LE
Yeah, didn't he design his own cover art too?
Well, didn't you know that he can turn his hand to anything! ;D
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John Illsley released his two first records with Vertigo (as DS) and nowadays he does it with his own label. In fact he re-released that firsts records on his label as well
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It seems he's a real independent artist!
LE
Yeah, didn't he design his own cover art too?
Well, didn't you know that he can turn his hand to anything! ;D
:smack
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I miss the personal touch of the indie labels.