The fight for Independant musicians and artist integrity.

[kevin alexander]

I thought it might be fun to open up a discussion about the current musical revolution.  This revoltuon is one that pits the labels, against the independant musician.  Please feel to read my personal thoughts and to chime in with your own.  This forum is not moderated and never will be, You always have the right to your opinion, and to be heard.

 

I have been a musician for 25 years and have suffered the frustrations of navigating the music industry. Sometime during the 80's, the industry moved from finding new and exciting artist, to creating them. Soon we were seeing boy bands that were selling millions of albums with members that just meet a month before. Meanwhile, guys who had been playing for 20 years, starving for their art, couldn't even get a foot in the door. Around the year 2000, To add insult to injury, great musicians had to sit on the side lines as pre pubecent mickey mouse club graduates sold another million albums. I personal was struck by the irony of being able to say "The music industry has turned into a real Mickey Mouse operation". There were some other notable ways that you could get the industries attention, you could always employ shock tactics. You could shave and tattoo your skull, pierce every orafice and crevice of your body, or be a man wearing womens clothing. But there is hope I say. This blog is intended to show that today, in this new decade of 2010 +, there is so much that an independant artist can do to attract, or even bypass the industry. Thanks to ReverbNation and other advicates of the independant artist, we have a chance to change the face of music in the world. Currently, the world hears less than 20% of the worlds great artist through industry labels. But the independant artist revolution just gained some momentum. Let's make sure to utilize the new technologies of digital downloads, huge social networking, widgets and other share technologies. We need to support each other with our shared resources. Please feel free to express yourself here, share your experience, and the resources that you have found to help you be successful. I will be adding some resources myself here very soon. Thank you for participating and good luck to all the artist, signed or not, live true to your art.

 

Let me hear what you think.

 

If you would like ot listen to my music for free, click on the banner below.

 

[kevin alexander]

Good info. I actually grew up in Santa Cruz, Ca. I moved up here to the inland norhwest about 10 years ago. It is fantastic to hear that the independant music scene is thriving in Cali. Santa Cruz was a great hub for music and that is where I did most of my professional performing. Thanks for sharing the information: PureVolume sounds like a good resource, I will be checking into it. 8~) It is mostly the label that i find blocking the independant music revolution still. It is understandable as music is their bread and butter. Recently I attempted to get my music sold at last.fm, amazon, i tunes, etc... With out a label attached to you, these sites and many like them, will not allow an independant artist to sell their music via digital download. The labels do a lot of work for artist, packaging, imagery, distribution, and marketing. They earn every peeny they make from the artist they sign. However, independant musicians, using digital download still have very few main stream options to have their music sold. It is getting better though. The other label contention is integrity of name and art. Their contracts come with a price. They make an investment in the artist and thus, place demands around their artistic expressions. There is not anything wrong with this, just need to understand that it is a matter of musicians beware, read the fine print and know what you are getting into. They can make you global stars, but it does come at a cost. Thanks again for sharing and for the info. You are awesome!

[kevin alexander]

Yes, and the gigging is the rough part. I did that for about 15 years, and I can say it was fun, but it was so much work. I gigged with my own all original band, 4 piece. while also gigging with a blues band doing covers. It was a busy, fast paced life. But the rewards were evident in the shared effections of the fans. It is interesting to read into some of the more famous musicians and their take on the effects that the label has had on both their lifes and their art. Almost all seem to say the same things, their was much they had to compromise, and to tolerate. The label does own an invested right in a signed artist works. As an example, many musicians have been dragged into the middle of legal copyright infringement law suits that they themselves want nothing to do with. The label pursues the legal action in relation to portion of rights that they hold to the artists work. Of course the celebrity is always dragged in, even if they don't want to be. The artist tends to be more concerned about their art being seen and heard, not "necessarily" about the money. We create from nothing, but at much expense of the heart. So having our heart and soul admired, respected, and appreciated, tends to be so much more important. This is just one of the many examples of what an artist may have to surrender to for that label, and that level of fame. Artistic integrity when measured against fame and success, can be a hard thing to reconcile. We want to be respected and appreciated for our contributions and creations. Fame and success in that arena can easily become a misplaced validation of that need. Anyway, just a thought to share and again, I appreciate yours. ty ticktock

[isaah06]

These days anyone thats any good can get their music out there and listened too... with the help of youtube and such...
But so many even though they are good, seem to lack the motivation to take it any further. The producers rarely come to you people.. You have to put the effort in, just like any other job..

Just like you could have your music playing while were reading this. Cause I'm not gonna go and click on ya banner..

[kevin alexander]

That is a very good point! One thing the lable does well, usually anyway, is the marketing and distribution. The foot work to get your works heard by a mass audience. My added comment above talks a little bit about this. I do not want people to perceive the label as an enemy, as much as a road block to the consumer being able to hear the other 80% of the worlds music. The label makes their choices based off of a business decision, what will make money, It is an industry after all and they do not owe any apologies for that. Often times those choices are made from hype rather then substance, but it is what it is. Thanks for sharing your comments isaah, I appreciate it. Oh, and I do not embed music to auto start because I don't want people to feel forced to listen. choice is a good thing in all aspects. Just how I like to roll. 8~) Thanks again Isaah06.