Releasing Music Yourself -versus- Not Unless We Get a Deal (1 Viewer)

[snap-apple]

waterfall, fella, here - quite alot of musician folk who post regularly on thumped are more interested in simply 'making music' as opposed to 'making a lliving from music'. your original post really only adresses those people who want to make a serious go at making a living from music and that's the minority of people around here.

if people seriously want to make a living from their music they need to spend as much time on the business side of things (promo, distro, and all the horrible networking and image stuff) as on the music side. it's also a big huge risk. it takes hard work, a certain amount of talent and alot of luck. it regularly (not always) involves some sort of compromising of musical or ethical integrity.

for those reasons there are alot of people who just aren't interested in following the music industry path in order to 'scratch the itch' that egg_ talks about. this is the situation for alot of folk that post here and have for whatever reason decided to do it themselves to a large extent. some have no intention of making a living from their music. some would like to but are realistic that it is incredibly difficult to do so if you are based in ireland.

so you see when you start talking about success and failure in your first post these are fuzzy terms. to a band who have no intention of making a living from their music then success is simply getting a good product out there and enjoying the experience and any positive reactions that come their way. if they can break even on the enterprise then that really does constitute success. musical success does not have to equate to fame, record sales and your face on the cover of a music rag. unfortunately the majority of people think it does and that something is wrong with you if you don't.

 

[waterfall]

So if a band aren't successful and they "fail" they have to pay the recording expenses and promotion expenses themselves?


I didn't think that was the case but then again I dont know or actually claim to know.


Anyway I'm way too hungover to think about this shit.



P.S. you're a spa.

Fuck off to boards.ie like.







P.P.S I love you

like you said, you don't know
nice one for arguing through your arse though
read seanc's post above

 

[snakybus]

I'd love to make a living from music, myself.

 

[therealjohnny]

I'd love to make a living from music, myself.

sellout

 

[Stereobaby]

like you said, you don't know
nice one for arguing through your arse though
read seanc's post above

Can you explain for the process for me so if you know how it works?

Even just a brief summary.

Seanc's post doesn't mention how you can become bankrupt.










PPS I love Clive

 

[Pantone247]

I'd love to make a living from music, myself.

I'd like too to, in a say, Jim O'Rourke stylee fashion

unfortunatly most of the stuff you hear about bands 'on the rise' is just depressing, I don't think I could get in a shitty tansit van and drive all the way up and down the toilets of england for a year or two, with no money, away from friends and family, only to be told that the labels plugger didn't get enough air play for your first single so you're being dropped... arses to that...

I just read the history of Creation records by the by, amazing book, but fairly depressing at the same time...

 

[snap-apple]

I'd love to make a living from music, myself.

But is that your realistic goal with the current band? Is it not the case that you're satisfied that to make a living from music you'd have to go about things in a completely different way and so you've settled (hoho) for the DIY route to scratch your musical itch?

 

[Pantone247]

But is that your realistic goal with the current band?

cause if it is.... we've got have a talk...

 

[snap-apple]

unfortunatly most of the stuff you hear about bands 'on the rise' is just depressing, I don't think I could get in a shitty tansit van and drive all the way up and down the toilets of england for a year or two, with no money, away from friends and family, only to be told that the labels plugger didn't get enough air play for your first single so you're being dropped... arses to that...

This is my point. The reality of making a living off music and wanting to be able to make a living off music are different things. Alot of folk here would like to make a living off music but are all too aware of the crap involved in it and so have satisfied themselves with the DIY route.

 

[snap-apple]

cause if it is.... we've got have a talk...

heh

 

[snakybus]

Thanks, guys, that's a real vote of confidence.

And Conor, as far as I'm concerned, there's no "have to" in life, or when making music. You been reading too much Hot Press.

 

[waterfall]

Can you explain for the process for me so if you know how it works?

Even just a brief summary.

Seanc's post doesn't mention how you can become bankrupt.

PPS I love Clive

A major label spent the money on the band.
The band didn't succeed commercially.
The major label held the band accountable for money spent and lost.
Court ruled they owed a few hundred grand to label.
Band declare bankrupcy

Legally, especially if you have Mr Burns-esque 10 high priced lawyers, a label may not have to include a specific commitment in the contract where the band has to pay back money regardless of earnings. I'm not a solicitor but they can include something that doesn't explicitly say it but will give them grounds to argue and win the matter later in court should the situation arise.

The fact is, these major label legal types are 10 times more ruthless than any legal advice sought by a young band offered a deal. You can't protect yourself really. You just have to hope you sell a shit load of records or the label does the decent thing.

Sometimes the label doesn't do the decent thing and they drop you. Then take you to court.

 

[classic seanc]

shut up seanc

 

[Corey]

Right. Lunchtime.

 

[mailman]

Here's one band's (the Dresden Dolls) perspective on trying not to go broke while doing music full time. They make the majority of the money from touring.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6885355

 

[egg_]

I'd like too to, in a say, Jim O'Rourke stylee fashion

Or Tom Waits
Or Kate Bush
Or any of those feckers who never bothers to tour but still does very well, thankyouverymuch

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Or Tom Waits
Or any of those feckers who never bothers to tour but still does very well, thankyouverymuch

well tom waits mainly makes money from suing people for likeness right these days doesn't he!!

 

[egg_]

I'm not a solicitor but they can include something that doesn't explicitly say it but will give them grounds to argue and win the matter later in court should the situation arise.

That's mad
An old friend of mine got signed to Polydor, ran up a hundred+ grand bill in Windmill, never got a release, contract terms expired, end of story. No liability on her part, AFAIK (haven't talked to her in years though)

 

[therealjohnny]

Ron Perlman should consider growing a beard, just in case

 

[snap-apple]

Thanks, guys, that's a real vote of confidence.

And Conor, as far as I'm concerned, there's no "have to" in life, or when making music. You been reading too much Hot Press.

Eh? You mean gramatically?