Introduction
The purpose of this page is to convince music artists that embracing and encouraging illegal file sharing is career suicide. Countless indie artists and musicians do it because they believe "The Big Lie."
- The "Big Lie" is that the internet is a magic highway1 to fame and stardom for indie artists.
- The Big Lie is that free music is the key to it all.
- The "Big Lie" is that the era of copyrights is over and no longer relevant.
- The "Big Lie" is that in the internet world, one can't protect copyrights anyway so free is all we have. (if you believe this one—please click here and read our filing to the US government on what can be done to stop illegal file sharing cold).
Don't misunderstand, we are all for the internet. We are all for bands and artists using the internet to get their message, their music, and their "brand" out there. Hell, one of our founders has a cut coming out in Germany, Summer 2010, because of his Myspace page. We even detail one success story in the footnotes below. But, don't lose sight of the big picture.
The Big Picture
The "Big Picture" is that wannabe artists and songwriters have been giving it up for free forever—not just on the internet, in the real world too. There is little difference between the online "fan" who steals your s*** for free and the cigar-chompin' music bizness "executive" who promises to "make you a star" if you just "sign here" (for nothing).
The Big Picture is that artists truly launching themselves from the internet are the exception. There are literally millions of artists/bands vying, clamoring, competing for the same ears and eyeballs. The ones that break through are the exceptions. And "exceptions" are what the music biz (and movies, etc.) are all about. The "rule" are the millions of wannabes. Want to see some? Click here.
Whether you use the internet or the old fashioned approach: shoe leather, elbow grease, and shaking a lot of hands (i.e., face-to-face networking), only the exceptional few break through the clutter. You can take the Ingrid Michaelson Internet/Myspace approach2 or the Ke$ha "traditional" approach. In either case though, you have to bring the talent and both of these girls are prodigally talented.
You should also pay attention to the fact that both girls have sold less than 500,000 albums since their "debuts." In the "old days" (like say 2000 when top group N'Sync sold almost 10 million3 of their debut), Kei$ha, with the success of her "Tic-Toc" single, should be a platinum selling artist and in our view, Ingrid too.
The Next Step
But, after the breakthrough, then what? If you want to be a successful local or regional artist, then by all means, the internet "model" works to a degree. But, if you aspire to storm the national stage and sell millions of records, it takes major money. If you have it, great. By all means spend it. But, for the rest of us, an industry is required. And an industry implies some companies with some money. The major labels have historically been those companies. But, illegal filing sharing is inexorably bankrupting them. EMI's probably going to go away in 2010. And what a shame that is. Maybe you are one of those that "hate" the major labels, but you know EMI brought us the Beatles, Beachboys, The Band, Pink Floyd, Garth Brooks, James Brown, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Rolling Stones, and on and on and on.
In short, illegal file sharing is going to destroy the music industry pretty much outright. It's already destroying quality and quantity. We all bitch about the "lousy" music they offer. But, do you realize that it's our fault (if we download illegally and either encourage others to do it or take a blasé attitude about it).
Want to take a walk in the shoes of a music industry observer at SXSW 2010 and see what we mean about the changes taking place in the "biz"?? Click here.
Bottom line, as much as many hate the major record companies, we need them desperately. Click here to read why.
Conclusion - Don't Kill Your Own Career
What we are trying to get artists to understand is this: by all means use the internet to get your music out. Give it away at first if you feel you have too. But, don't encourage illegal file sharing!!
Recognize that when you give your own music away, that's a business decision. Moreover, your fans downloading the songs you decide to give them is not stealing. But, encouraging the world to illegally download others' unlicensed copyrighted material is just plain stupid. You are killing your own career and dreams. Killing off those big bad majors has a trickle down effect that is hurting everybody: the session musicians that no longer have jobs, the recording studios, the concert venues and club owners4, music magazines (like Rolling Stone that just keep getting thinner and thinner and smaller and smaller), music retailers, and the list goes on and on.
If we have changed you attitude on all of this, click here to see what you should do!!
