Rick Rubin and Sony

[chrispick]

Check this NYT article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/magaz ... f=magazine

Thoughts? Opinions?

[wheever]

Dude needs a good barber.

[chrispick]

It's interesting. I think the article reveals a lot about the tumult the record industry's suffering. That it's even an article is likely the result of Sony P.R., and that conveys a lot in itself.

No takers on the topic?

[jgest]

I really enjoyed this article.
It would be wonderful to have a person in this position like rubin, to take more interest and have the corporate backing in long term creative musical growth and resuscitating the industry as a whole, compared to the current formula.

[kelldammit]

as precarious a picture as it seems to paint...they seem to reference him "saving the industry"...which would really make you realize that they know they're in trouble...bad trouble.
i do like his approach as illustrated in his listening sessions...and the comment to the effect of "right now we may as well be selling anything...we need to be selling art".
so as desolate as the picture seems to be...there's hope.

[Matcher]

"While Kusatsu cues up the next sampling, Rubin texts an assistant on his BlackBerry. Within minutes, a chocolate protein drink is brought to him"

Good service.

"You'd pay, say, $19.95 a month, and the music will come anywhere you'd like. In this new world, there will be a virtual library that will be accessible from your car, from your cellphone, from your computer, from your television. Anywhere. The iPod will be obsolete, but there would be a Walkman-like device you could plug into speakers at home"

IMO this issue is a bit more complex. What would be the proper format for the streaming music, 256kbps mp3? I think not, but maybe a few alternatives would work for different needs. Will this technology work so well, that it doesn't restrict enjoying music in any way?

"The "word of mouth" department will function as a publicity-promotional arm of the company, spreading commissioned buzz through chat rooms across the planet and through old-fashioned human interaction. "They tell all their friends about a band," Barnett explained. "Their job is to create interest."

So there'll be no place to hide from advertising and commercialism. They could create bots for this kind of stuff..somehow I'd prefer the natural model of "word of mouth"

[James Steele]

"While Kusatsu cues up the next sampling, Rubin texts an assistant on his BlackBerry. Within minutes, a chocolate protein drink is brought to him"

Good service.

"You'd pay, say, $19.95 a month, and the music will come anywhere you'd like. In this new world, there will be a virtual library that will be accessible from your car, from your cellphone, from your computer, from your television. Anywhere. The iPod will be obsolete, but there would be a Walkman-like device you could plug into speakers at home"

IMO this issue is a bit more complex. What would be the proper format for the streaming music, 256kbps mp3? I think not, but maybe a few alternatives would work for different needs. Will this technology work so well, that it doesn't restrict enjoying music in any way?

"The "word of mouth" department will function as a publicity-promotional arm of the company, spreading commissioned buzz through chat rooms across the planet and through old-fashioned human interaction. "They tell all their friends about a band," Barnett explained. "Their job is to create interest."

So there'll be no place to hide from advertising and commercialism. They could create bots for this kind of stuff..somehow I'd prefer the natural model of "word of mouth"

There already are bots for that and it's not hard to purchase these programs over the net and run them. But how insidious is that? It's also still pretty easy to spot a bot... Artificial Intelligence just can't keep up. And how embarassing to have it become known that you're resorting to chatroom bots to promote your music... seems pretty pathetic. As for their e-Team/Street Team, whatever, it may perhaps be effective, but it seems kind gross. "Let's pay kids to log onto chatrooms and tell other kids that this band is cool."

What sucks even more is you're liable to get a resonse like "Cool! I'll go download their songs on Gnutella, etc!"

Some kid wrote to me at my MySpace page and told me that he's such a big fan of the Scorpions that his friend burned him pretty much the entire Scorpions catalog onto CD-Rs. He was excited and sharing this with me and telling me it was because he LOVED the band. You could tell he just had a total disconnect from the reality/morality of the issue, telling me, a musician, this with enthusiasm like I should be happy for him! It's apparent that few of these kids' parents are explaining the issue to them... in fact most of their parents are stealing music as well I'd wager.

I gently explained the situation to him and suggested that if he really did LOVE the Scorpions, that didn't he think they deserved to earn a living and that when he does that they don't make money and can't make more records? I didn't jump on him too hard, but planted the seed and explained how it's really not the right thing to do.

On a related note, there was a story on the news the other day that in New York they have trained a few "DVD sniffing" dogs. From what I gather, there is some sort of chemical in DVD-Rs that are not in replicated DVDs that dogs can sniff out. They walked these dogs around some areas in New York notorious for street vendors selling bootlegs and made a bunch of arrests. It's about time there was some enforcement on this. Although, seems like the move industry has more clout than the music industry and they have the political muscle to get something done.

Oh... back to that article, I loved the part about Columbia putting spyware on Neil Diamond's CD without Neil knowing about it and totally screwing his sales. Can you just imagine how pissed off Neil must have been and rightfully so!

[Matcher]

There already are bots for that and it's not hard to purchase these programs over the net and run them.

OK, that's news to me. I bet using bots is criminalized, but when a teen types the adds and is getting paid for it, it's perfectly fine. Still, I don't like either one of them. If these kind of advertising methods become profitable and popular, these Mr. Smiths, men or machines, could cause some serious corruption in communication over the internet.

I gently explained the situation to him and suggested that if he really did LOVE the Scorpions, that didn't he think they deserved to earn a living and that when he does that they don't make money and can't make more records?

That's a good way to put it. The problem at least here in Finland is partly due to the high price of a cd. The new releases cost generally about 23•‚¬, which is about 31,50 dollars. That's too much for too many.

[kassonica]

That's a good way to put it. The problem at least here in Finland is partly due to the high price of a cd. The new releases cost generally about 23•‚¬, which is about 31,50 dollars. That's too much for too many.

Same in australia as well and what does the artist get out of that 2percent or less and where does the rest go..... no wonder the corporations are up in arms and people in the street have to steal music.

[madboy]

Jackson Browne fought against the removal of CMOS protection in the mid-eighties. He saw it coming. People like water will seek the lowest level if left alone.
Pop culture may have dumbed-down an entire generation. Fortunately there are enough punks out here to take a good shot at the lawyers and accountants that run the music business. We were an anarchist nation to begin with, I hope we stay that way.
Music/lyrics is a strong voice due to the first amendment to our constitution.
Remember what Patrick Henry said...

[James Steele]

We were an anarchist nation to begin with, I hope we stay that way. Music/lyrics is a strong voice due to the first amendment to our constitution. Remember what Patrick Henry said...

Boy... could I debate this. But I can't. NO POLITICS ON THIS BOARD!! Thanks.

[chrispick]

We were an anarchist nation to begin with, I hope we stay that way. Music/lyrics is a strong voice due to the first amendment to our constitution. Remember what Patrick Henry said...

Boy... could I debate this. But I can't. NO POLITICS ON THIS BOARD!! Thanks.

Yeah, anarchists are exactly what we weren't. Talking straight history here.

Anyway, back to topic:

I like Rubin's perspective of selling product, but the product is art.

In my opinion, music needs to be recommodified and packaged in an exclusive manner if people hope to earn money making it. Like fine art: it's a product, but since it's rare and unique, it commands high dollar for the creator and the distributor. Right now, music's treated as ephemeral and disposable. Psychologically, it makes sense why people want it for free. Economically too -- supply and demand in the broadest sense.

So, how to make it art in the people's eyes again? I don't know. I have a hunch that making it a pop song Rick Rubin prefers isn't going to get us far enough.

I wonder how long-form works may play into this?

Or mixed media (like the return of the musical -- High School Musical 2 anyone)?

Or live simulcasting?

Oh, one aspect of that story that rubbed me the wrong way: The idea of the labels demanding higher cuts from artists' ancillary product sales (i.e., shirts, other merchandising). F that. Unfortunately, some short-sighting artists are going to agree to it, thinking they'll get major marketing behind them, and the box will be open.

[Talcott]

Subscriptions will never fly, far.

Has anyone checked out allofmp3.com.

It just won it's legal suit in russia.

They had(will have again) files priced based on bandwidth of your choice.

Up to cd quality, no drm.

So I would usaully buy mp3's at 192 a 5 min song was about a quarter.

[JadeLatrell]

Im not so sure that subscriptions wont work. I wasnt a fan of the concept until I tried it.

I bought a Sansa Rhapsody for some research I was doing. I used the Real Rhapsody subscription model that it recommende. It is $14.99 a month.

What I am finding now, is that I never download music, where before I was tempted to. AND, I BUY more music. I can listen to the new releases in entirity and then if I like it, I go buy it at Target or something where they generally sell new releases cheaper in the first week of release.

I think Rick is right on this too. People just need to experience it, and that is the hurdle.

The other hurdle is how those artists get compensated in a subscription model. What constitutes a "sale" now?

[JadeLatrell]

Actually the MAIN hurdle will be the fact that people dont care about art or album. Pop music is certainly not about good art. In order for Rick Rubin's vision of music as art to be successful, there has to be a change in the public.

Thats a tall order indeed.