Radiohead’s new album has been the talk of the new industry. Is it because of the greatness of the music? No, it has created an enormous buzz over the way it was distributed. Radiohead put out their new album online, and allowed fans to pay whatever they wanted, evening nothing. The results are in and, much to the chagrin of the spin rooms of the major music labels, gasp, three out of five people downloaded the album for free.
Even more disconcerting to these music capitalists was that the average price paid was $6 globally ($8 US), and only 12 percent paid between $8 and $12(the standard online album price). The same people who brought you O-town now say that this proves that labels still have there relevance. They say that unlike mega-bands like Radiohead, most bands lack the distribution and marketing to make models like these effective. Most people would rather steal digital music than buy it, so the only way for bands to make any serious money is thru major labels.
The band NOFX wrote a song in the mid-90’s about the music industry called, “Dinosaurs Must Die”. One line particularly stands out, “Parasitic music industry, as it destroys itself. Well show then how its supposed to be”. It is laughable to suggest that major labels have any interest whatsoever in their artists’ except for their personal financial gain.
Here is a quick summary of how it works to do an album on a major-label. They sign you, generally with a particular product image in mind (often by the formula of this artist mixed meets this artist). Then they give you a large sum of money called an advance. This advance is money with hooks attached; this is the first money that is “recouped” by the labels from album sales. This puts an enormous amount of pressure on the artist to be commercial; it is the mantra of the major labels who see albums and artists as nothing more than stocks. Even if an artist recoups the advance, they literally see pennies of the actual $15 album sold in stores. Labels make up all types of ridiculous packaging and overhead costs that amount to artists getting crumbs while labels get loaves.
Radiohead could distribute their album on an 8-track and people would still buy the album and scour the earth for 8-track players. They are a mega-band and of course they can demand things that other bands cant. Their model is however, a clear indicator of how the major label music industry is an empire on the verge of collapse. Even Paul McCartney bucked the Major Labels in favor of the new Starbucks Label.
Artists today know that major labels are no friend to them or their art. The label itself is not inherently corrupt. Many independent labels are fair and trustworthy, and they can do what many bands cant, promotion and distribution. But with digital music, the physical music disc is becoming obsolete. While purists will continue to crave vinyl or CDs, the future is digital music. And artists know that what ultimately makes them money is not the studio albums, it is tours and merchandise.
Artists today make the majority of their money being on the road and selling stuff with their name on it. This is why Radiohead is also selling an $80 box set which they will make a killing off of. The recorded music in today’s free-for-all digital arena is becoming less the show, and more the ad for the show. It is also forcing artists to push themselves or get out the way, because now unknowns can become known overnight.
The public is demanding more. We want more from artists live shows(death to the backing track), we want more than one good song per album(death to the one-hit-wonder) and we want more from the labels and distribution (death to the arm-and-leg prices for music).
Still major labels spin the truth, stew over profit losses and sue their customers. Empires generally don’t know how to react when they start to crumble. Ultimately, they will lose, Art is not something that can be confined to capitalist profit margins and technology is progressed with the human spirit of freedom. In the end, Dinosaurs Will Die.
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