From: t-bird (djtbird1_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 2004-10-17 12:15:01
--- Steve <scatanzaro4_at_cox.net> wrote:
> So, it costs labels a lot of money to stay in
> business. People don't
> just lick stamps and make deliveries and audit books
> out of the kindness
> of their heart. They have to be paid.
of course they do, but i still think the numbers are
"padded" a bit.
> And, in cali,
> they have to get
> their union health benis, and unemployment insurance
> and fica, and state
> and federal, and property tax, and AFM salaries, and
> AFTRA salaries,
last time i checked union salaries and benefits were
paid by union MEMBERS, not the label. same goes for
fica and income taxes--paid from the employees check,
no additional cost to the employer. unemployment
insurance doesn't cost anything to the employer until
a claim is filed.
> Now, is it true that lots of musicians probably wish
> they never signed
> their label deal? Sure, especially if they used
> their advance money to
> buy a 590sl or a land rover instead of some studio
> gear.
>
> And many, many musicians are young and immature,
> ready to sign anything
> they need to be a rock star. And, they get shafted
> because the label
> makes the call as to what they want to push.
not only do they make the call as to what to push, but
what they want to release. did you know that even if
they choose not to release your music you're still
bound to record (approx.) an album a year? all the
costs are recoupable, too:
http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=4449
(patti austin talking about reasons to LEGALLY limit
contracts to 7 years or less)
> So yes, its always better to be independent if you
> can, or to sign the
> shortest deal you can. BUT, my point was
> specifically about those who
> HAVE made a name for themselves through their
> relationships with the
> majors.
the only reason to sign with a major at this point is
to make your name. if you don't have music with a
broad appeal, a major is probably not the best place
for you. sad thing is, this wasn't always the case.
> Pop stars, generally speaking, are like milk... they
> start to stink if
> they hang around past their expiration date. But if
> you've built a fan
> base thru your time in a major, and now you're
> talking about the major
> as though you were a SLAVE...
>
> Well, hell, then... why did u sign the deal in the
> first place? Why
> didn't you just come up with $40k and do it
> yourself? I never knew a
> prisoner who got a $50-100k advance before they
> locked the doors on him.
> (And, did you ever see a prison with just about
> every musician in the
> world trying to get in?)
in the link i provided, patti also talks about how the
label could move her to another sub-label w/o her
consent, and she couldn't leave when the person she
signed to work with was no longer involved (quincy
jones--her godfather.)
http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=4450
(Testimony of Michael Greene, President & CEO, Grammys
2001)
in that link, michael talks about executives being
moved around like chess pieces and how that negatively
affects the recording artists. imagine you were to
sign with warner's because of mo ostin or lenny
waronker being there, and then right as the ink dries
it comes down that they're gone... can you leave the
label? no.
-t
=====
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