KVR Audio

sfd · Post by **sfd** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:30 am

Back in the days you could send a tape with a few good songs to a label. If they liked what they heard, and if you where no tto bad looking they would eventually pick you up.

Today in the digital era we got the tools to do everything our self.

But how good is that for DIY artist ?

Sure you can record and distribute your own songs all by your self today.

But will that take you anywhere ?

First of all - there are a zillion others doing that everyday. But that reason only your chances are pretty small.

Second - it's not enough just being a musician. Not even a brilliant musician. However the later always helps.

You've to be an engineer, producer, and promoter as well.
And you've to be very good on all of that.

Still that's not enough. You would need a quite big budget in order to promote your music to a broad audience.

But that's not al that will cost you money.

At first all software developers will do all they can to vacuum your wallet.

Once you've got your track recorded, mixed and mastered there will be legions of gangsters trying to squeeze out every cent from out of your pockets.

All those services that you "need" to get your music out and promoted is a new brach of greedy people who've found a new market among hopeful artists.

Mixing services, mastering services, promotion services and distribution services are flooding the net right now.

Not even the labels will do much for you. The waste majority of the signed artists have to do more or less everything them self.

The labels only spend their money on established artists or a very small selection of new artists.

Maybe it's a good time for them to go back to what they used to do and for artists to once again send them their tapes.

Becase that was the benefits of being singed in the good old days. The label brought in engineers,k producers and marketing people.

I'm not saying that it would make it easier for artists. Still you've to bring up something good.

Either way, the chances to get singed will be more or less equal to your chances to get somewhere by doing , and paying for, everything your self.

At the end of the day it'll be better to just be a musician and hand the engineering and marketing to others .

In today's digital DIY world you'll be declined for not having a well engineered track. No mater if you're brilliant musician with grat songs.

I'm just sayin' .....

Dasheesh · Post by **Dasheesh** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:50 am

you really need background music to make this impactful. Just saying.

First hit play... then read this... you'll see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrQzLyTnBqw

foosnark · Post by **foosnark** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 2:51 am

Counterpoint: things have always sucked for artists in the music business, except for a lucky few.

Record companies make their money by exploiting in both directions.

Before recording, you either found a wealthy patron or you did something else to earn your living.

sfd · Post by **sfd** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 3:00 am

foosnark wrote:Counterpoint: things have always sucked for artists in the music business, except for a lucky few.

Record companies make their money by exploiting in both directions.

Before recording, you either found a wealthy patron or you did something else to earn your living.

Yes, I just feel there's so much talk about how great the digital era is for DIY artists. And nearly no talk at all how DIY artists are being exploited. There should be more awarnes of the later and artists should try to stand up against that. The exploiters benefits from the silence.

Chemik · Post by **Chemik** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:15 am

There is a great book written about 15-20 years ago (Confessions of a Record Producer) where someone goes into the gritty detail about how the entire music industry is designed so that everyone makes money except the artist. After reading that, I was never the same again.

And, BTW, everyone is DIY until the industry ruins their lives and does it for them. Pick your poison.

woggle · Post by **woggle** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:21 am

as someone said in a similar thread - during the various gold rushes the people who made the money were the ones selling the picks and shovels

whyterabbyt · Post by **whyterabbyt** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:30 am

was someone expecting the 'new music bizz' to be different from every other bizz ever?

resynthesis · Post by **resynthesis** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:42 am

Required reading from Steve Albini

https://www.negativland.com/news/?page_id=17

digitalboytn · Post by **digitalboytn** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:00 pm

woggle wrote: During the various gold rushes the people who made the money were the ones selling the picks and shovels

And the people making videos on how to use all those picks and shovels

Scrubbing Monkeys · Post by **Scrubbing Monkeys** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:13 pm

If you want to make money in the music business be a business man. Exploit the resourse to your advantage If you want to be an artist because you feel the need to create, then do that. If your art attracts an audience by rising above the gazillion other distractions then someone will come along to exploit your resource to their gain. Other wise enjoy window shopping for picks and shovels.

jupiter8 · Post by **jupiter8** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:32 pm

So things are cheaper than ever and you're still upset you have to pay for stuff?

DJ Warmonger · Post by **DJ Warmonger** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 1:08 pm

Just exactly my thoughts.

The truth is, there are more wannabe artists than people who could possibly listen to all this music, yet alone pay for it.

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 1:27 pm

You can listen to my music HERE and here on YouTube and on Spotify.

No thanks.

melomood · Post by **melomood** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 1:39 pm

The labels could also do to you what they did to Badfinger and Bill Nelson when he still had his band Be Bop Deluxe

6 of one half dozen of the other

sfd · Post by **sfd** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 3:02 pm

woggle wrote:as someone said in a similar thread - during the various gold rushes the people who made the money were the ones selling the picks and shovels

+1

The new music bizz is all about sucking money out of DIY artists