no1cowgirl
01-11-2001, 12:29 PM
<br>The Way It Is
<br>--From countrycool.com
<br>
<br>I have been in the music business, professionally, for 20+ years. I must say that until you have seen this business from all levels, as I have, from the artist to record executive, you will never believe the stuff that goes on behind the scene. What you are about to read may shock you, but it is the reality of the business. And I'm sure that there will be people out there that say, " I can't believe you think that my favorite artist is like that." Or even, "I'm in the record business and I have never heard of any of this." Well guess what? My response to these would be, "What planet do you live on?" The truth hurts. I had to say something in response to all of the squabble about pop vs country. One day I will write a book and name names. Until then, what you read below is a broad overview. So jump in and hang on.
<br>
<br>The Record Business
<br>
<br>The record business is just that, a business. In every business the bottom line is money. Also, in business every employee is expendable. Not many people see artists as employees, but they are. But, on top of that the artists are also commodities. Record companies do not look at their artists as people. They look at them as commodities. It is really a love hate relationship. The record companies love the money they make off of the artists and they hate putting up with the artists' eccentricities, whining, drug problems, divorces, affairs, etc..
<br>
<br>A major label signs several bands or artists yearly. Out of all of these bands they pray that one will be their next meal ticket. One they get a chart topping band they dump the majority of their budget for the year into that artist or band. This fuels the rollercoaster ride for making an insane amount of money off of that artist. Guess what happens to the other artists on that label? Well, if they are in the middle of recording their projects, they may be told that their budgets have been cut back, they are on hold for a while or the projects gets shelved all together. It takes about 4 million dollars, on the low end, to "promote" a single artist. The record company needs to fuel the "promotion" machine with money.
<br>
<br>How does a single artist rise to the top? Obviously, an artist has to have some talent. Right? Not always. The record companies bet on the fact that humans will buy anything that they are spoon fed. They win every time. They also bet on the fact that humans are all talk and little action. They win this one hands down. People in general say they want change, but never take action. How many time have you said, "I hate that politician" but you didn't vote or you didn't know the issues of your candidate before you voted?
<br>
<br>So, taking these two factors into account, the record companies use the oldest trick in the book to catapult artists to the top, "Payola." But wait, isn't that illegal? Yes, that's why they just changed the name of the game to "Consulting Fees" and "Entertainment Expenses." You honestly don't believe that radio stations love to play the same ten songs all day long? Do you think that the listening audience that calls in requests only those ten songs?
<br>
<br>Radio stations have a "play list". This play list is constructed at the top of the food chain and passed all the way passed down to DJs. Because most radio stations in the U.S. are owned be only a handful of companies, with the proper consulting fee paid to the right person at the top, the artist is guaranteed spins. Also, a night out on the town for the right people (this is where the record companies Entertainment Expenses comes in), complete with your choice of women and the right miscellaneous substances, can definatly get you an extra week or two in heavy rotation on the radio stations and "video" TV channels.
<br>
<br>If the artist that has been "pushed" to the top, using the above techniques has talent, the record company stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars and the artist will have a shinning carrier. If the artist does not have real talent, well……the record company will still make a boat load of money but only in the tens of millions of dollars. Then the artist will crash and burn without any consoling from the recording company.
<br>
<br>The Artist
<br>
<br>Artists, no matter how talented they are, are a strange bunch. That is what makes them creative and intriguing. They make outrageous demands, they live bizarre lifestyles, a lot of them have major issues that need immediate attention by a qualified psychologist. etc.. As they get more famous, these problems are compounded. They live in a bubble. But, with fame there is a cost. All the consulting fees, entertainment expenses, videos, touring……comes out of the artists pocket. The artist does not make one dime until the artist sells enough records to pay back the record company. So, Mr. or Ms. Artist, you can be as weird as you want to be, there is a price for everything.
<br>
<br>The record companies do not want an artist that they can't mold. They want an artist that will do go along with almost everything they want. With the exception of if the artist is so unbelievably talented that the record company has to give in to the artist from time to time. If everybody out there only new of the real talent that you never got to hear because of politics. Some of these artists make the artist that you think are GOD look like amateurs. Do you know how many beautiful women are out there that sing like angles? Do you know how many men are out there that can make women swoon at the first sound of their voice? Alas, no one will ever get to hear them. A lot of them are not willing to "play the game" or give up their personal morals. Unfortunately, there are enough artists to pick from that are willing to bend over backwards for a record deal that the record companies have an easy time picking the ones most suitable for their bidding.
<br>
<br>Note: The average life in the music business of an artist/band is two albums before they get pushed aside. Hmmm…..maybe that's why you only hear the same ten artist on country radio from year to year…they beat the odds. (Ya right!)
<br>
<br>The Bottom Line
<br>
<br>The record companies and radio industry dictate what direction a style of music will go in, i.e. pop vs country, not the artist. And as long as consumers put up with it then you deserve what you get. Think about it, people actually think that MTV's "The Real World" is real life! Or that Garth Brooks talks with a country accent when he's not in front of a camera or microphone! No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of human beings.
<br>
<br>To this day, I continue my career in the music business and I make an incredible living, but I would have never been able to get to where I am unless I was willing to see the music business for what it really is, a business selling commodities.
<br>
<br>--Anonymous
<br>
<br>-------------------
<br>Awesome. The guy tells in like it is. :)
<br>
<br>Krista<P>(This message has been edited by no1cowgirl)N
<br>--From countrycool.com
<br>
<br>I have been in the music business, professionally, for 20+ years. I must say that until you have seen this business from all levels, as I have, from the artist to record executive, you will never believe the stuff that goes on behind the scene. What you are about to read may shock you, but it is the reality of the business. And I'm sure that there will be people out there that say, " I can't believe you think that my favorite artist is like that." Or even, "I'm in the record business and I have never heard of any of this." Well guess what? My response to these would be, "What planet do you live on?" The truth hurts. I had to say something in response to all of the squabble about pop vs country. One day I will write a book and name names. Until then, what you read below is a broad overview. So jump in and hang on.
<br>
<br>The Record Business
<br>
<br>The record business is just that, a business. In every business the bottom line is money. Also, in business every employee is expendable. Not many people see artists as employees, but they are. But, on top of that the artists are also commodities. Record companies do not look at their artists as people. They look at them as commodities. It is really a love hate relationship. The record companies love the money they make off of the artists and they hate putting up with the artists' eccentricities, whining, drug problems, divorces, affairs, etc..
<br>
<br>A major label signs several bands or artists yearly. Out of all of these bands they pray that one will be their next meal ticket. One they get a chart topping band they dump the majority of their budget for the year into that artist or band. This fuels the rollercoaster ride for making an insane amount of money off of that artist. Guess what happens to the other artists on that label? Well, if they are in the middle of recording their projects, they may be told that their budgets have been cut back, they are on hold for a while or the projects gets shelved all together. It takes about 4 million dollars, on the low end, to "promote" a single artist. The record company needs to fuel the "promotion" machine with money.
<br>
<br>How does a single artist rise to the top? Obviously, an artist has to have some talent. Right? Not always. The record companies bet on the fact that humans will buy anything that they are spoon fed. They win every time. They also bet on the fact that humans are all talk and little action. They win this one hands down. People in general say they want change, but never take action. How many time have you said, "I hate that politician" but you didn't vote or you didn't know the issues of your candidate before you voted?
<br>
<br>So, taking these two factors into account, the record companies use the oldest trick in the book to catapult artists to the top, "Payola." But wait, isn't that illegal? Yes, that's why they just changed the name of the game to "Consulting Fees" and "Entertainment Expenses." You honestly don't believe that radio stations love to play the same ten songs all day long? Do you think that the listening audience that calls in requests only those ten songs?
<br>
<br>Radio stations have a "play list". This play list is constructed at the top of the food chain and passed all the way passed down to DJs. Because most radio stations in the U.S. are owned be only a handful of companies, with the proper consulting fee paid to the right person at the top, the artist is guaranteed spins. Also, a night out on the town for the right people (this is where the record companies Entertainment Expenses comes in), complete with your choice of women and the right miscellaneous substances, can definatly get you an extra week or two in heavy rotation on the radio stations and "video" TV channels.
<br>
<br>If the artist that has been "pushed" to the top, using the above techniques has talent, the record company stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars and the artist will have a shinning carrier. If the artist does not have real talent, well……the record company will still make a boat load of money but only in the tens of millions of dollars. Then the artist will crash and burn without any consoling from the recording company.
<br>
<br>The Artist
<br>
<br>Artists, no matter how talented they are, are a strange bunch. That is what makes them creative and intriguing. They make outrageous demands, they live bizarre lifestyles, a lot of them have major issues that need immediate attention by a qualified psychologist. etc.. As they get more famous, these problems are compounded. They live in a bubble. But, with fame there is a cost. All the consulting fees, entertainment expenses, videos, touring……comes out of the artists pocket. The artist does not make one dime until the artist sells enough records to pay back the record company. So, Mr. or Ms. Artist, you can be as weird as you want to be, there is a price for everything.
<br>
<br>The record companies do not want an artist that they can't mold. They want an artist that will do go along with almost everything they want. With the exception of if the artist is so unbelievably talented that the record company has to give in to the artist from time to time. If everybody out there only new of the real talent that you never got to hear because of politics. Some of these artists make the artist that you think are GOD look like amateurs. Do you know how many beautiful women are out there that sing like angles? Do you know how many men are out there that can make women swoon at the first sound of their voice? Alas, no one will ever get to hear them. A lot of them are not willing to "play the game" or give up their personal morals. Unfortunately, there are enough artists to pick from that are willing to bend over backwards for a record deal that the record companies have an easy time picking the ones most suitable for their bidding.
<br>
<br>Note: The average life in the music business of an artist/band is two albums before they get pushed aside. Hmmm…..maybe that's why you only hear the same ten artist on country radio from year to year…they beat the odds. (Ya right!)
<br>
<br>The Bottom Line
<br>
<br>The record companies and radio industry dictate what direction a style of music will go in, i.e. pop vs country, not the artist. And as long as consumers put up with it then you deserve what you get. Think about it, people actually think that MTV's "The Real World" is real life! Or that Garth Brooks talks with a country accent when he's not in front of a camera or microphone! No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of human beings.
<br>
<br>To this day, I continue my career in the music business and I make an incredible living, but I would have never been able to get to where I am unless I was willing to see the music business for what it really is, a business selling commodities.
<br>
<br>--Anonymous
<br>
<br>-------------------
<br>Awesome. The guy tells in like it is. :)
<br>
<br>Krista<P>(This message has been edited by no1cowgirl)N