on 11/2/04 7:53 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Sounds like what mp3.com was supposed to be but I don't think for a minute > that will actually happen that way > > Apple and other communications companies are not altruistic entities - they > are in it for the money > what other communications companies are you talking about? Clear Channel? > Time-Warner? Microsoft?
at this stage i'm talking about apple, napster, od2 and the other forefront digi download channels > if they become quasi-labels then I guarantee you they will have > not-so-quasi-contracts. of course not. this is the real world and change is gradual. their contracts will be real but they will ask for a smaller share of reveneue than that consistenly asked for by major labels > they may not call themselves major record labels but they will act like > them (and maybe worse since many large corporations are now considered > individual entities by the law and aren't held responsible in the same way > smaller business are). The artist will make a contract with the "marketing > department" then and music will get even more recycled. The marketing > department will take over all aspects of how to market a band because it > will be a product. The artist will be, even more concretely, a sub-brand of > the label. That is what marketing departments do. yes - i'm saying that record labels will no longer own the means of manufacture and distribution. this is their power base - it is slowly disappearing - record comapnies are undergoing a massive restrcture atm. they have shed 1000s of jobs worldwide. > >> the days of record companies asking for 70% revenue shares of sales are > over. > > what makes you so sure? i work in the industry and i've seen it happen already. > they still will have major control of distribution - look at iTunes - how > many websites would you have to visit to get 20% of the music they have > available? just one. go to kazaa and download their software. > And if you found them all online what percentage would be able > to sell the tune directly to you? The monopoly is just going to change > hands yes you're probably right to a degree - with 5 major labels its actually more of an oligopoly at the moment. > I don't see it as being as equal as you do - it never has been so why would > the already large companies who have the technological jump on it (Apple, > etc.) i never said it would be equal - this is the real world, nothing is black and white and that includes the debate over file sharing and the future of music. i see it becoming more equal than it is....perhaps I'm an optmist. i have been witness to the disgusting behaviour of major record labels, as far as I'm concerned I would be suprised if we reached a situation where the power wielded by major record labels was as immense as it was up until the late 90's/
