|
News: Music Pundit: musicians fighting Spotify are ‘f-cking dumb’
Member Since: 3/27/2010
Posts: 6,259
|
Music Pundit: musicians fighting Spotify are ‘f-cking dumb’
Quote:
According to music industry pundit Bob Lefsetz, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is brewing.
Lefsetz authors the Lefsetz Letter, a free influential newsletter about the music business that has documented the momentous shift from physical to digital media. On the new podcast, he said artists such as Taylor Swift who have battled streaming platforms like Spotify are waging a battle they can’t win.
“You were known and you could have an audience,” he said of the old label system, in which only a few thousand albums would see the light of day per year. “Now you’re competing with everybody.”
He argued that, overall, hit acts are making more total dollars than ever, thanks to live shows and endorsement deals. And while the revenue Spotify makes might be less than traditional record sales, he said they offer artists a better cut of the pie: 70 percent of streaming revenue, versus 10 percent of album sales.
“What these people should be doing, if you look back, the previous change to the music business was MTV,” Lefsetz said. “What did they do? They got all the stars to come on and say, ‘I want my MTV!’”
“If the recording artists were smart, and they’re dumb, they would say ‘sign up for streaming! Then I would get paid,’” he added. “When we have the transition from the end of CD sales and the end of file sales, am I going to guarantee that every quarter here on out will be in the plus category? No. But as a general trend, will it continue to go up? Absolutely.”
|
You agree or Nah??
Source: Recode
|
|
|
Member Since: 5/27/2016
Posts: 13,482
|
I agree. just don't kill CDs though, packaging aesthetics are all that
|
|
|
Member Since: 2/16/2010
Posts: 69,775
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 3/25/2012
Posts: 10,673
|
Quote:
He argued that, overall, hit acts are making more total dollars than ever, thanks to live shows and endorsement deals. And while the revenue Spotify makes might be less than traditional record sales, he said they offer artists a better cut of the pie: 70 percent of streaming revenue, versus 10 percent of album sales.
|
People really need to stop regurgitating this argument as if it means anything for the vast majority of the industry. Most people in the music industry are not Taylor Swift, Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Drake, etc. Most people in the music industry don't have the ability to go on tour, do live shows, sell merchandise and do brand endorsement deals. Most people in the music industry are too busy writing and producing hits for the aforementioned to do all of that.
Most people in the music industry are not a brand, and those are the people that Spotify's low streaming payout will hurt in the long run. The fight against Spotify and free tier streaming services was never about the Taylors and Adeles of the world. Taylor and Adele will be fine regardless of what happens.
That said, streaming is inevitable at this point. The best thing the industry can do now is to lean into it and make it work for them somehow, instead of the other way around.
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 6,625
|
Quote:
Originally posted by cloudinthesky
People really need to stop regurgitating this argument as if it means anything for the vast majority of the industry. Most people in the music industry are not Taylor Swift, Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Drake, etc. Most people in the music industry don't have the ability to go on tour, do live shows, sell merchandise and do brand endorsement deals. Most people in the music industry are too busy writing and producing hits for the aforementioned to do all of that.
Most people in the music industry are not a brand, and those are the people that Spotify's low streaming payout will hurt in the long run. The fight against Spotify and free tier streaming services was never about the Taylors and Adeles of the world. Taylor and Adele will be fine regardless of what happens.
That said, streaming is inevitable at this point. The best thing the industry can do now is to lean into it and make it work for them somehow, instead of the other way around.
|
Now here's some hot tea
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 23,368
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 6/1/2011
Posts: 10,384
|
Quote:
Originally posted by cloudinthesky
People really need to stop regurgitating this argument as if it means anything for the vast majority of the industry. Most people in the music industry are not Taylor Swift, Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Drake, etc. Most people in the music industry don't have the ability to go on tour, do live shows, sell merchandise and do brand endorsement deals. Most people in the music industry are too busy writing and producing hits for the aforementioned to do all of that.
Most people in the music industry are not a brand, and those are the people that Spotify's low streaming payout will hurt in the long run. The fight against Spotify and free tier streaming services was never about the Taylors and Adeles of the world. Taylor and Adele will be fine regardless of what happens.
That said, streaming is inevitable at this point. The best thing the industry can do now is to lean into it and make it work for them somehow, instead of the other way around.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 3/8/2014
Posts: 6,940
|
Quote:
Originally posted by cloudinthesky
People really need to stop regurgitating this argument as if it means anything for the vast majority of the industry. Most people in the music industry are not Taylor Swift, Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Drake, etc. Most people in the music industry don't have the ability to go on tour, do live shows, sell merchandise and do brand endorsement deals. Most people in the music industry are too busy writing and producing hits for the aforementioned to do all of that.
Most people in the music industry are not a brand, and those are the people that Spotify's low streaming payout will hurt in the long run. The fight against Spotify and free tier streaming services was never about the Taylors and Adeles of the world. Taylor and Adele will be fine regardless of what happens.
That said, streaming is inevitable at this point. The best thing the industry can do now is to lean into it and make it work for them somehow, instead of the other way around.
|
This.
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/8/2011
Posts: 27,650
|
I was actually listening to this podcast on my way to work today. He makes some good arguments.
|
|
|
|
|