Times they are a changin

Bob Dylan said that a few years ago. I dont think he was talking about putting his music online... but hey, I'm always up for a good music related catch phrase for my intros...

I've yet to comment on the recent events that have been taking place in the music industry. Mostly because I've been on the road working my ace off, 7 days a week.

Most of you know im sure, about radiohead releasing thier latest album "In Rainbows" online for an optional donation of whatever you choose.

Analysts estimate that within the first week, the band managed to profit between 8 and 10 million dollars. Last time I checked there was still no official word on the actual number. I'm not entirely convinced that that information will be divulged to the public.

But it still poses an interesting question... Is this it... is this the future. Is this signaling the end of record labels?

According to Trent Reznor it is. A couple weeks ago he posted on NIN.com that he is now a free agent, and Nine Inch Nails is no longer affiliated with any record label.

The Blog world and message boards have been absolutley insane since these recent happenings have occured in the music world. I personally got about 20 text messages within minutes of the announcement. The interesting thng is... most of the messages werent even from NIN fans.


Tonight at midnight Trent Reznor is releasing Saul Williams new record online. and once again, you can either choose to donate 5 bucks through paypal or download it for free. The choice is completely up to you.


They claim that this is an experiment, and the kinks are being worked out as they go. Experiment or not... Its a step in the right direction... no scratch that... Its a LEAP in the right direction. No wait... Its a ludicris speed hyperactive launch in the right direction.

These days I think im more interested in what Trent Reznor does as a business man as much as if not more than what I am in his music.

So what about the small artists? the ones that dont have a ton of recognition already. Well Saul Williams could be considered a small time artist.... but He's got Nine Inch Nails fan base at his disposal... and we all know NIN fans... whatever Trents says to do... gets done.

What about the artists that dont have a history like radiohead? what about the artists that dont have the help of an extremly popular band with a huge fan base like nine inch nails? What are those bands supposed to do? Do they really still need a label? Can they do it on thier own?



I had the opportunity to interview Davey and Ashley from Great Northern last month when they opened for ladytron in san francisco. I asked them about this subject. This is even before Radiohead made thier album available. And I got some pretty interesting feedback on thier thoughts of artists going it alone... That entire interview will be posted soon (as soon as i get time to finish transcribing it)

But the part that interested me, regarding this subject, was the fact that they were currently looking forward to playing a show for UNIVERSAL, a large worldwide label that was interested in buying out thier contract that they held with EENIE MEENIE RECORDS. A great little indie label in Los Angeles, that is doing everything they can to pioneer the art of putting out records... And while Great Northern have all the respect in the world for a band that can make it entirely on thier own, without the help of a label... I got the feeling that they didnt think it was really possible to do it, and make it big (AKA make a decent living) without some big money behind them to get them the recognition that they had been hoping for.

But then theres the other side of the small indie coin. You have artists like Pete Samples. Who recently posted his entire album on his website via NON-DRM 128 kbps MP3 for free download. He did however state that fans should feel free to purchase the album by regular online methods or by walk in record stores, if they felt so inclined. As well as providing a link to donate via paypal.

Granted 128 Kbps MP3's are not the most amazing quality you could ask for... at least its not 96 Kbps. But what do you want for free? Not to mention the blessing to download from the artist themselves.

The recurring thought with all these bands is this... Download these decent, listenable quality MP3's. and If you like it, and feel its worth your time and money, then purchase the high quality files or the actual CD or record from said source, and then you can have whatever quality you like. Not to mention, if you like artwork and an actual tangible product...

I might still be in the dark ages with this one. I hate purchasing a file. I want to own something that I can rip the plastic open on, gush over the artwork and then rip and burn to my hard drive and pop onto my ipod, and then stick back in my crate under my bed. I can then pull it out whenever i decide that I want to utilize my 10,000 watt 8 speaker surround Hi Def optical sound system. Other than that, I'm usually glad to have it pumping through my ipod on my imac or through my JVC deck in my work van. But I still want to own something that I can have in my hands.

I've been buying CD's and records since 1989, when I was 9 years old. I dont forsee that ever stopping. But I also downloaded my first MP3 back in 96 or 97. along with a copy of winamp. Thinking that this was the coolest thing ever. And realizing that this was absolutely about embracing technology.

Then there was napster. Then I discovered Direct Connect from my cousin back around 1999... That was amazing. I filled up my 20 gig hard drive on my laptop within 2 months. and purchased my first external hard drive just for music. I think it was 150 gigs. I paid a few hundred bucks for that one. Since then I've accumulated probably over a terrabyte of digital music files. Due to bit torrent sites like demonoid and oink. Mostly oink.

Which is another closely related subject. That I'm currently debating on diving into...

Oh what the heck. Diver down. If you've read this far, then you will probably keep reading.

Last week, Interpol shut down OINK.cd

Depending on who you ask, this was mostly considered to be a major blow to the bit torrent music sharing community. Oink.cd was a website where you could find practically anything you ever wanted to find.


Rob Sheridan wrote an exceptional article about this over at his blog. Demonbaby.com. its probably the most well written and sane viewpoint that I've read, regarding this whole mess. Its made its way around the entire interweb. It was posted @ DIGG.com and last time i checked the site, just over 2800 people had dugg the article. thats not to mention slashdot and however many other sites have posted the link... He talks about working within the music industry. and the extreme spending and pimping and hoeing and the general lack of regard for spending. Money wasnt an issue. Because there was so much of it. Mostly because CD prices continued to rise, while they became cheaper to produce. Now I'm all for making a profitable living. I own my own business, and I'm constantly looking for ways to make more money. But I also know that, if I were to take part in shady business practices, then I would be able to make an absolute killing in my field. This is where morals come into play. If you can make more money... while technically remaining legal (which is once again open for debate, because the people that say what is and isnt legal are paid by these companies to make these laws)... would you do it if you felt it was morally wrong. and then chastise and sue the people that refused to play with you on your terms? Once again... your terms that you paid the government to make laws out of?

Its believed that the authorities are trying to figure out how they can go after the users that downloaded from this website.

Now wait a second. last time I checked... most artists that I was interested in, werent interested in suing thier fans for getting excited about thier music. So ok... this must be coming from the labels. The same labels that have the money to elect politicians who pass laws that suit the interests of the labels. The very same laws that allow these sites to be shut down and prosecuted as Criminals. yes the same kind of people that rape babies. These site owners are being demonized as criminals. when really, the sites dont actually host any of the actual files in question.

Hmm, hows that work?

It seems obvious to me, that these massive labels do not have the best interest of the artists that they supposedly support.

So what are these record labels supposed to do? How does a record label protect thier investment, while keeping up with the wants and demands of thier consumer base? Well so far no one has been able to answer that question. Trent Reznor, in all of his infinite wisdom, admits that he doesnt know what labels should be doing. Thats why artists like himself and radiohead have chosen to go it alone.

I heard an excellent illustration not to long ago. it might have been from rob sheridans blog. I'm currently too lazy to go back and reread it for the exact quote. but it was something along these lines...

Water bottle companies have to try and sell a product that people get piped into thier homes every day. The New York Times has to compete with the internet, where you can get any news you want instantly, with just a few keystrokes. But yet both of these industries and companies manage to survive. Hell, I still buy newspapers when I have time to read one. I also buy a few bottles of Aquafina on a daily basis.

So why cant the record labels figure out how to sell thier product to consumers. I think if they put half the effort into marketing and rethinking thier product that they put into suing possible customers, then they might have figured out some kind of answer by now.

But no. They've chosen the opposite. Only recently have some labels allowed thier music to be sold online without the restraints of DRM. Thats a step. But its not the entire answer.

In the end... Its my belief that there will always be music around. Artists will always exist. And maybe the labels will figure it out right at that last second, how to work with these artists. But I have a feeling that by that time it may be too late. I am inclined to think that its too late now.