Is The Music Production Business Dead?

[jancivil]

I buy my groceries from Food 4 Less, which I doubt has any added to the price to pay royalties for the annoying music they play.
Everything I buy at Walgreen's is on sale and if it's the same item that's at Food 4 Less (yes, it's a facking '4' for the word 'for') it's cheaper yet.


So I'm really just not a big part of the economy. I'm sure the store prices at retail have everything to do with the price of fuel and oil for the trucks that haul the shit and like that. There could be some cost for the piped-in music but I'm not that worried somehow. I wonder if the Hendrix estate is getting a cut off All Along the Watchtower, or if Dylan is, I mean I've heard that numerous times at Walgreen's.
It strikes me as absurd, particularly the bit about banks involved in the transaction. This ain't Germany, yet.

[woggle]

I buy my groceries from Food 4 Less, which I doubt has any added to the price to pay royalties for the annoying music they play.
Everything I buy at Walgreen's is on sale and if it's the same item that's at Food 4 Less (yes, it's a facking '4' for the word 'for') it's cheaper yet.


So I'm really just not a big part of the economy. I'm sure the store prices at retail have everything to do with the price of fuel and oil for the trucks that haul the shit and like that. There could be some cost for the piped-in music but I'm not that worried somehow. I wonder if the Hendrix estate is getting a cut off All Along the Watchtower, or if Dylan is, I mean I've heard that numerous times at Walgreen's.
It strikes me as absurd, particularly the bit about banks involved in the transaction. This ain't Germany, yet.

the royalty collection agencies get a fee - it is not very much, but for using say a radio the fee is based on per store and floor area so would be factored into business costs. Maybe not in the US.

[jancivil]

point is, it's not filtering down to me in any way you can say it's out of pocket, because I don't pay retail, what I buy is half that typically.
Wouldn't surprise me there's some fee even for their own channel, and it's usually their own channel here these days. Starbucks probably pays somebody. The royalties collectors coming around to collect seems kind of anti-American but that kind of whole sentiment is anachronistic today.

[woggle]

point is, it's not filtering down to me in any way you can say it's out of pocket, because I don't pay retail, what I buy is half that typically.
Wouldn't surprise me there's some fee even for their own channel, and it's usually their own channel here these days. Starbucks probably pays somebody. The royalties collectors coming around to collect seems kind of anti-American but that kind of whole sentiment is anachronistic today.

I dont know what a walgrens or a food4less is - but if they are for-profit companies then a tiny fraction of what you pay - even less than Spotify royalties - is going on the background music - they just factor that in to their profit margin spread across all goods and services. Or it would be in Australia and other countries that have that sort of royalty collection system

[we have not for profit food companies that sell really cheap past use by date stuff that is perfectly fine for consumption - as well as free food distribution companies like the Catholic Church]

[Functional]

you're missing something though, yes your ears do get accustomed to lower quality sound but when you are in a better environment whether it be a room with better acoustics or a better system the difference will be huge. You might be accustomed to the lessor tone quality but your mind will still notice and appreciate the better quality.

I agree with jace, I have a nice but modest 7.1 surround system* I can run it in surround or kill the surround and run it in stereo (with or without sub) with old school front and back stereo. This is a huge improvement over pioneer tower speakers I had before. The overall tone from the speakers was just not as good for me, it felt like some frequencies were not sounding as well and as a result it was like my ears were stuffed. I grew accustomed to those, I had to replace a smaller set of polks with these pioneers and when I got another set of larger polks it was like taking a wet blanket off of my speakers.

Your headphone story is similar to my experiences but I was not satisfied with that sound at all. I also am not an audiophile like you describe, I too have an mp3 player hooked up to my system, I also have an ipod usb jack in my car so it is used frequently between. Guess what happens when I have been in my car for hours and then I take the ipod inside to my home system? It sounds much better for my tastes.

I put considerable time and effort into making my sound best for my tastes, I dont care what audiophiles say (and I have one very snobbish audiophile friend who has been one of my best friends since 4th grade). I did not just get use to crappy sound, I was proactive in creating the best listening experience I could afford and it as done me very, very well. Exactly what I did collecting several tube amps to build a system suitable for my tastes as a guitar player.

*lower end Sony 7.2 receiver (hdmi switching) with my main front and backs being vintage polk audio and my surround speakers (ms-10's in the front and ms 4's in th rear high on my wall) are klipsch (sub is new polk)...all bought used but I like my polk audio 10's because hey have a passive radiator as opposed to a woofer. I lived in apartments for decades, I didn't have a sub until I bought a house, passive radiators gave me plenty of perceived bass with considerably less thump to disturb neighbors.

I didn't miss out on that aspect, in fact I elaborated on it earlier by pointing out an audiophile often likes to talk about how their friends are amazed at their soundsystems rather than themselves. And to be honest, a car stereo system isn't usually going to sound similar to what you have at your home due to inherently different environment. Not only the acoustics, but the engine noise.

As for whatever system you have in place, I mean good for you (not in a sarcastic tone either), I don't really judge anyone on whenever they buy themselves good sound system even for just listening purposes rather than professional. What I do judge is people who criticize others sound systems (in various discussions on the internet) usually to try and get an edge in their arguments about music tastes or whatever ridiculous they're talking about. Or just generally advertising expensive gear to their friends, who would only ever use it to enjoy music (which is, what audiophile gear is inherently meant to do).

Like you know, when people start talking about how you need tube amp for your regular impedance headphones that get amplified more than enough by a mere phone. That sort of thing.

[tehlord]

The music business has always been, and always will be a business where the few make 90% of the money, and the many fight over the remaining 10%

There are now more opportunities to make money out of the music business (directly and indirectly) than there ever has been.

If you're not making money out of it (assuming you've put the hours in and had a little bit of luck), you're either doing the wrong kind of thing (stuff the market just doesn't want) or you're simply not good enough.

The quote in the OP's post is simply illustrating that the model that worked for HIM doesn't exist any more. I have a producer and DJ friend who just bought a house, leases a BMW M4 and has just paid a company £2k to come and treat his home studio. He's no millionaire, but he's also doing very well in a VERY niche genre. He spreads his wings wide and plays the game smart.

My own income comes from several sources, and will no doubt come from more sources in the future.

All this post points out is that some people are dinosaurs, and cannot move with the times.

[Jace-BeOS]

There are more opportunities to get exposure, but they’re not wide-reaching (people have to seek it out, rather than it being marketed to them or promoted at them). More opportunities to make money... meh. Pocket change at best.

Your friend is a rare example, not a proof that anyone who works hard and has “a little luck” can make a living off music.

[wagtunes]

There are more opportunities to get exposure, but they’re not wide-reaching (people have to seek it out, rather than it being marketed to them or promoted at them). More opportunities to make money... meh. Pocket change at best.

Your friend is a rare example, not a proof that anyone who works hard and has “a little luck” can make a living off music.

You're wasting your breath. You're talking to a stone wall. People have their minds made up that the world is rosy and anybody with a laptop and a DAW can make millions.

Locking this one up because there is nothing left worth saying to be said.