I did some work in 2011 with a number of local bands, one of which has quite a big international following. This band recorded and produced their latest album themselves, yet despite this, still went to the major labels to release the album. I asked why they would do this since they own the copyright to their work and have a large enough following to get the coverage? Because the major labels still have the promotional might to reach more people. This was pretty much the only reason.
It was really interesting having an insight to the process as the band went along. I think I was most shocked at just how behind and locked in tradition the major labels really are. This was most evident in the actual release of the album. As I've mentioned, this band had recorded, produced and had artwork done when talks began. Despite this, the labels wanted to wait 4 months, 4 MONTHS, before releasing the album. Obviously, you can imagined what happend. The album ended up on torrent sites 2 months before it was released.
It's exactly this sort of unwillingness to change and adapt that has been undoing the major labels. The whole point of a digital file is that is can be distributed the second is it ready. If a digital version of the album had have been made available immediately, I sure a lot of fans would have bought it straight out. Instead, they get impatient and use a torrent site resulting in a loss of sales.
The main thing I took away form the whole experience is where we need to focus in order to remove these fools from the game. The music industry no longer has room for three players. Where once it was the band, label and fans, now it's just the bands and the fans. Major labels are only still relevant because they can offer something that the current suite of online tools can't, publicity. Work out a way to crowd source that, and bands will have no desire, or need, to approach a major label.
Just as a farmers market fosters and nurtures the relationship between producer and consumer, so to does the music industry need such a 'market' to foster direct relations between band and fan.
It was really interesting having an insight to the process as the band went along. I think I was most shocked at just how behind and locked in tradition the major labels really are. This was most evident in the actual release of the album. As I've mentioned, this band had recorded, produced and had artwork done when talks began. Despite this, the labels wanted to wait 4 months, 4 MONTHS, before releasing the album. Obviously, you can imagined what happend. The album ended up on torrent sites 2 months before it was released.
It's exactly this sort of unwillingness to change and adapt that has been undoing the major labels. The whole point of a digital file is that is can be distributed the second is it ready. If a digital version of the album had have been made available immediately, I sure a lot of fans would have bought it straight out. Instead, they get impatient and use a torrent site resulting in a loss of sales.
The main thing I took away form the whole experience is where we need to focus in order to remove these fools from the game. The music industry no longer has room for three players. Where once it was the band, label and fans, now it's just the bands and the fans. Major labels are only still relevant because they can offer something that the current suite of online tools can't, publicity. Work out a way to crowd source that, and bands will have no desire, or need, to approach a major label.
Just as a farmers market fosters and nurtures the relationship between producer and consumer, so to does the music industry need such a 'market' to foster direct relations between band and fan.