Tune in Saturday October 18th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
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Saturday, 18 October 2025
Exposure/Remuneration
It's not about money, but getting people to even listen to your music.
To think of your business as just records and shows is to think too small. The twentieth century paradigm is dead, but people don't stop expecting it to deliver for them. They want to be tapped by a label, get a deep investment and have the agent build them on the road with the promoter's support, as if nothing has changed. But EVERYTHING has changed.
Be glad for streaming services, people can hear your music on demand. It's all in one place, they just have to be incentivized. How does this happen?
Terrestrial radio has never meant less. Radio groups are downsizing. After protesting that kids were still listening to the radio they finally had to admit it, they weren't.
But that was the number one avenue of exposure of music, and now it's gone.
As is late night TV. CBS "Sunday Morning" still means something, but it skews old... I mean who watches appointment television anymore, not youngsters! As for SNL... It's become a clip show. There's no reason to watch it in real time, just wait a minute and all the good stuff will be on TikTok. Why wait for the musical act? But even worse, the show is about comedy, not music, so a performance may not even get any traction on TikTok. I mean how special is a live clip of an artist these days? Not very!
So where does that leave you?
Having a conference with yourself in the mirror, figuring out your marketing plan, figuring out how you're going to make it and support yourself, also knowing that just like an internet company, it's about getting users, adoption of the platform, before figuring out how to charge. Think of all the sites that started sans business model, like Facebook. But once it had a zillion users, there were many ways to make money.
How are you going to get a zillion fans?
Well, you don't need that many. But you need some. And they are your street team, although these days it happens on the internet. Do your fans want to spread the word on you and your music? If not, you're doing it wrong. That's the nature of the game, that's how everybody finds out things these days, from their friends, not even music websites. You trust your friends, and there are not so many that you're bombarded with input.
So the number one thing is you have to be available online. You MUST post videos on YouTube, where live performance is best. And you must post on TikTok regularly, hopefully once a day, but at least every other day, evidencing not only your music, but your personality. Something that will intrigue people so you can make new fans. The odds of a musical clip alone breaking your are slim. You need more.
And never be afraid of overloading the system, NEVER! How are you going to get lucky if you're not available?
I hear this from musicians all the time. They're not ready to post online. They've got to get it perfect. No, you've just got to start!
And covers can gain notice, but are ultimately meaningless unless followed by originals. The hard part is songwriting, much more than performing.
So the landscape is broad and the offerings are plentiful and where does this leave you?
With too many saying they put in their 10,000 hours complaining about the system... There is no system anymore, YOU'RE THE SYSTEM!
Don't dun gatekeepers, they have no power. You've got to go direct to consumer. But too many are scared of getting it wrong, but once again, if you don't play you cannot win. As for virality, no one can predict it, NO ONE! The major labels have been trying for decades now and they're still unable to create virality. Because what goes viral...isn't usually perfect, but evidences humanity. It's not a campaign, it's the person themselves.
It's more than filming your day.
I'd love to see a classic rocker doing some dance steps, like the influencers do online. You've got to have a sense of humor about yourself. Geddy Lee? Even Van Morrison! Stop trying to protect your image, that no longer works.
Build your fan base. And when it gets big enough, you can monetize it. And it doesn't have to be a gig at a Live Nation building, Ticketmaster doesn't have to be involved. You can start with house concerts, where you get all the money. That's where you make hard core fans, where people connect with you intimately.
And have cheap, innovative merch.
This is a business of creativity. I could come up with a plethora of ideas, but that's not how this works, you need to use YOUR ideas.
Don't sit around lamenting your cheese has been moved, the mouse is never bringing it back. This is the new world we live in. Yes, acts who made it in the old system, as late as Coldplay and the Dave Matthews Band on VH1, can shrug their shoulders and say they can make up for recording income on the road, but if you're starting from zero...
No one knows your name.
And look at YouTube...the platform only starts to pay with a certain number of views. How do you get there? Instead of complaining you can't get paid, figure out how to get enough views to get paid.
And it's not only Taylor Swift who can have a nationwide scavenger hunt. Start in your hometown. Make it fun.
Just think outside the box, the sky is the limit.
And just know no one is going to do it for you. And the slower it builds, the longer it lasts.
Sure, talent is important, great music is important, but that at most is fifty percent.
How come tech platforms can pivot, but musicians can't? Instagram went from stills to video. In tech, you innovate or die. Just being able to play and stand on stage and perform is rarely enough these days.
You're selling yourself.
Look at Jesse Welles. None of his songs have double-digit millions of streams on Spotify. But that's not where he lives. His message is sold in video, wherever video is streamed online. And this engenders word of mouth. Did you hear about Jesse Welles from the radio, or print or..? No, you stumbled on to one of his videos or someone sent you one of his videos and this is how he can now sell tickets. And since he's an underdog, people love to believe in him and spread the word on him.
This is a new business. And it demands a new approach.
Otherwise you'll be hanging with the rest of the sour grapes crowd stating the system is holding them down. NOT AT ALL! They're holding THEMSELVES DOWN!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
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Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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To think of your business as just records and shows is to think too small. The twentieth century paradigm is dead, but people don't stop expecting it to deliver for them. They want to be tapped by a label, get a deep investment and have the agent build them on the road with the promoter's support, as if nothing has changed. But EVERYTHING has changed.
Be glad for streaming services, people can hear your music on demand. It's all in one place, they just have to be incentivized. How does this happen?
Terrestrial radio has never meant less. Radio groups are downsizing. After protesting that kids were still listening to the radio they finally had to admit it, they weren't.
But that was the number one avenue of exposure of music, and now it's gone.
As is late night TV. CBS "Sunday Morning" still means something, but it skews old... I mean who watches appointment television anymore, not youngsters! As for SNL... It's become a clip show. There's no reason to watch it in real time, just wait a minute and all the good stuff will be on TikTok. Why wait for the musical act? But even worse, the show is about comedy, not music, so a performance may not even get any traction on TikTok. I mean how special is a live clip of an artist these days? Not very!
So where does that leave you?
Having a conference with yourself in the mirror, figuring out your marketing plan, figuring out how you're going to make it and support yourself, also knowing that just like an internet company, it's about getting users, adoption of the platform, before figuring out how to charge. Think of all the sites that started sans business model, like Facebook. But once it had a zillion users, there were many ways to make money.
How are you going to get a zillion fans?
Well, you don't need that many. But you need some. And they are your street team, although these days it happens on the internet. Do your fans want to spread the word on you and your music? If not, you're doing it wrong. That's the nature of the game, that's how everybody finds out things these days, from their friends, not even music websites. You trust your friends, and there are not so many that you're bombarded with input.
So the number one thing is you have to be available online. You MUST post videos on YouTube, where live performance is best. And you must post on TikTok regularly, hopefully once a day, but at least every other day, evidencing not only your music, but your personality. Something that will intrigue people so you can make new fans. The odds of a musical clip alone breaking your are slim. You need more.
And never be afraid of overloading the system, NEVER! How are you going to get lucky if you're not available?
I hear this from musicians all the time. They're not ready to post online. They've got to get it perfect. No, you've just got to start!
And covers can gain notice, but are ultimately meaningless unless followed by originals. The hard part is songwriting, much more than performing.
So the landscape is broad and the offerings are plentiful and where does this leave you?
With too many saying they put in their 10,000 hours complaining about the system... There is no system anymore, YOU'RE THE SYSTEM!
Don't dun gatekeepers, they have no power. You've got to go direct to consumer. But too many are scared of getting it wrong, but once again, if you don't play you cannot win. As for virality, no one can predict it, NO ONE! The major labels have been trying for decades now and they're still unable to create virality. Because what goes viral...isn't usually perfect, but evidences humanity. It's not a campaign, it's the person themselves.
It's more than filming your day.
I'd love to see a classic rocker doing some dance steps, like the influencers do online. You've got to have a sense of humor about yourself. Geddy Lee? Even Van Morrison! Stop trying to protect your image, that no longer works.
Build your fan base. And when it gets big enough, you can monetize it. And it doesn't have to be a gig at a Live Nation building, Ticketmaster doesn't have to be involved. You can start with house concerts, where you get all the money. That's where you make hard core fans, where people connect with you intimately.
And have cheap, innovative merch.
This is a business of creativity. I could come up with a plethora of ideas, but that's not how this works, you need to use YOUR ideas.
Don't sit around lamenting your cheese has been moved, the mouse is never bringing it back. This is the new world we live in. Yes, acts who made it in the old system, as late as Coldplay and the Dave Matthews Band on VH1, can shrug their shoulders and say they can make up for recording income on the road, but if you're starting from zero...
No one knows your name.
And look at YouTube...the platform only starts to pay with a certain number of views. How do you get there? Instead of complaining you can't get paid, figure out how to get enough views to get paid.
And it's not only Taylor Swift who can have a nationwide scavenger hunt. Start in your hometown. Make it fun.
Just think outside the box, the sky is the limit.
And just know no one is going to do it for you. And the slower it builds, the longer it lasts.
Sure, talent is important, great music is important, but that at most is fifty percent.
How come tech platforms can pivot, but musicians can't? Instagram went from stills to video. In tech, you innovate or die. Just being able to play and stand on stage and perform is rarely enough these days.
You're selling yourself.
Look at Jesse Welles. None of his songs have double-digit millions of streams on Spotify. But that's not where he lives. His message is sold in video, wherever video is streamed online. And this engenders word of mouth. Did you hear about Jesse Welles from the radio, or print or..? No, you stumbled on to one of his videos or someone sent you one of his videos and this is how he can now sell tickets. And since he's an underdog, people love to believe in him and spread the word on him.
This is a new business. And it demands a new approach.
Otherwise you'll be hanging with the rest of the sour grapes crowd stating the system is holding them down. NOT AT ALL! They're holding THEMSELVES DOWN!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Friday, 17 October 2025
E-Mail Of The Day
Re: Shirley Manson/Jack Antonoff
Could you imagine if any other hobby had such delusions of grandeur? Lots of people golf as a hobby, they spend a lot of money on it, a lot of time, and they don't think that they're supposed to get a professional career out of it. Why do musicians think their hobby is different?
Aaron Harris
Nashville
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Could you imagine if any other hobby had such delusions of grandeur? Lots of people golf as a hobby, they spend a lot of money on it, a lot of time, and they don't think that they're supposed to get a professional career out of it. Why do musicians think their hobby is different?
Aaron Harris
Nashville
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Thursday, 16 October 2025
Steve Potash-This Week's Podcast
Steve Potash is President and CEO of OverDrive, which provides books for libraries via its Libby app and video content via Kanopy and...
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-potash/id1316200737?i=1000732123706
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0CVxGi7cqedFbSCZl3ASkl?si=A-AcfoIbSVm_VZi5vY4cdQ
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/steve-potash-300850935/
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/7fe00277-a2a2-47a6-990b-6d0de0c76fe3/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-steve-potash
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-potash/id1316200737?i=1000732123706
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0CVxGi7cqedFbSCZl3ASkl?si=A-AcfoIbSVm_VZi5vY4cdQ
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/steve-potash-300850935/
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/7fe00277-a2a2-47a6-990b-6d0de0c76fe3/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-steve-potash
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Shirley Manson/Jack Antonoff
Shirley Manson: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1814846209174938
Jack Antonoff: https://apple.news/AEBDDG5UqRASf8PpV38uQ2w
This is the deal you make. You enter the arena, you try and become rich and famous, and if you succeed...you can trade on your name forever.
Whereas, if you work in the industry...you're time-stamped. Most people can't stay in it, only a thin layer survive, the rest are squeezed out, but when you're done you're done... I expected more fanfare when Mo Ostin died, he was the greatest executive in the history of the modern music business. He ended up rich, as a result of stock grants if nothing else, but look at Ace Frehley, whose obituary is all over the internet today. He probably died without the wealth of Mo, but even when he went to the grocery store, people recognized him. Which is one of the reasons you become an artist, right? Never mind being able to make money as a result of his success until his death.
I sympathize with the artist. But I don't want to be a Mamdani who tells the people what they want to hear, disconnected from reality. A free bus system would be great, but can society afford it, do the economics work?
As for developing artists... The entire structure of the world has changed. There just aren't as many places to develop, to hone your act live. And this is a societal change, not a music business change. Used to be people had to go out to bars to meet others...now they can do that at home, via the internet...never mind a plethora of great choices on their TV screen. Used to be if you wanted to see the act, you had to go to the show...now YouTube can give you more than a glimpse, never mind the rest of the information available online.
As for going on the road... Costs have gone into the stratosphere. Transportation/fuel...the list goes on and on. Before you even sell a ticket your fixed costs are through the roof.
As for demand... With the greatest at everybody's fingertips, that's where they gravitate. Used to be you knew what your local radio station played and a certain number of acts toured your market. Now the business is international, you may be a fan of an act from another country that has never stepped foot in America. When looking at the end problem, which is struggling musicians...you cannot divorce yourself from reality.
Does anybody need a me-too artist when the original is right at their fingertips? If you're not different, unique, and you don't have great talent...vocally, being able to play your instrument in a skilled fashion...people are going to gravitate to those who fill this desire. You're competing against the greatest acts of all time, which are at people's fingertips, and now the barrier to entry is nonexistent. So more people are auguring for pieces of the pie and the pie is only so big... So, people gravitate to greatness.
As for being ripped-off by the industry...
I wish venues did not take a percentage of merch.
As for ticket fees... If a venue takes an advance, there have to be fees. There are ticketing outlets that charge less and venues that use them, but they tend to be small operations, because...ticketing is a profit center.
As for small rooms... The economics were NEVER good. But the difference was that the labels provided tour support, you could go out on the road and lose money in pursuit of success. This does not happen anymore. You've got to make the numbers work yourself, sans support. I'd say that the labels no longer believe in artist development, and this is true, but it is also true that the labels are completely lost and you can do it all yourself. It's not like the majors can break an act, and they've got all the money and connections. No, that's up to you. And if you do break, you can take the bucks the label offers or continue to go it alone and take essentially all the money.
And if you have success, and can sell a lot of tickets... The acts are in control. There is always someone who will pay them. You don't have to work with Live Nation, you can play the casino.
Then again, how many acts are at this level?
There's this yearning for the days of yore, but the days of yore are not returning in a world where you have a computer in your hand and cars can drive themselves and...
Everything is subscription, even television, and you think you can return to a sales model? That's like wanting the days of the horse and buggy to return.
As for Spotify/streaming payments... Should acts that don't get streamed much make a living wage? Then who gets to decide who these acts are? In other countries, the government supports developing acts. We can debate whether this would be a good thing, but it was never the case in America...where you had to pay dues for years before you made it. And when you did...you still might not make any money, the business ripped you off much worse in the old days. You could be a household name, yet broke. The accounting you get from Spotify is more accurate and more transparent than the labels ever delivered, never mind the company paying out more frequently.
You gain and lose in every advance forward. Like I always say, vent windows in cars were great, but when there was a/c in all automobiles it seemed redundant, and they were excised in the name of cost control.
Airline travel is a cramped hassle. But in the pre-deregulation days, tickets were much more expensive, and no one flew on a whim, never mind going to see a concert.
This is an independent contractor business. The acts could organize, but the nature of being an act is to be independent, you think for yourself. All acts could refuse to work until merch fees are gone, but good luck finding a plethora of acts who'd sign up for this...they can't afford not to work and they don't want to sit on the sidelines and they don't want to be a member of your organization to boot.
This is a business of leverage, always has been, always will be. The goal is to gain it. Don't expect a good record deal if you've got few listeners and don't expect a huge guarantee if you've got no record of selling tickets.
Do I sympathize with Shirley Manson that it's hard for developing acts... Absolutely! But the key is to find new ways to develop...in a world where you can create and distribute your music for FREE! If only the acts of yore had the advantage of the internet.
But let's not forget what is at the heart of the matter, income inequality, and it not only touches music, but every walk of life. Should executives, whether in the music industry or not, be paid these wages? And if so, should the taxes be higher?
As for raw demand... I just don't get how both the acts and the government can't understand this. People will pay extreme amounts to see their favorite acts. Even those without much money are willing to spend four figures for a concert by their favorite. Either the acts have to charge what the tickets are worth, or the uplift goes to scalpers. But the acts are afraid of charging high prices and they don't want all-in ticket pricing because they want to blame the fees on the promoter...without whom there is no show!
The acts want it both ways...they want the money, but they don't want to reveal how their fees are paid. And the margin for concert promotion is incredibly thin, INCREDIBLY thin. There is only so much money in a show.
So Live Nation buys venues to lower costs and builds an advertising business and that's how their revenue goes up.
Live concerts are a mature business. And when a business matures, there is consolidation and a lowering of costs. That's the way it is.
However, artist development/growth/exploitation is still not mature. What is the driver...TikTok or Spotify, et al? And the avenues of compensation keep increasing. And if you figure out ways to get your message across/grow your audience, then people come out of the woodwork to give you money.
Not everybody can be an artist.
Not everybody can be a doctor!
But somehow, with the barrier to entry so low, delusional people believe they're entitled to make a living making music.
Let me be very clear... If you're truly that great, and you've got the perseverance, you'll make it. The path to success is slower than ever, but the hunger for greatness has never subsided...people are dying for something new and different of quality that they can enjoy and tell others about. Is that what you are delivering?
I sympathize with the developing musician, who is having a hard time making it. Then again, in the old days almost no one succeeded/could get a record deal and so many people gave up. And even great people gave up and still do!
It's a business of stars. Period. Are you a star? It's a weird amalgamation of talent and personality, charisma...and a willingness to starve to make it. Very few people are willing to do this.
Don't blame me for telling the truth. I could be like Shirley Manson and Jack Antonoff and rage against the machine, but that's a worthless effort...because those who run the machine know the score, and the machine is subject to disruption, i.e. Napster, but economics rule... And the economics of music have always been hard.
I'll stop here, I've already made you angry enough.
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Listen to the podcast:
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Jack Antonoff: https://apple.news/AEBDDG5UqRASf8PpV38uQ2w
This is the deal you make. You enter the arena, you try and become rich and famous, and if you succeed...you can trade on your name forever.
Whereas, if you work in the industry...you're time-stamped. Most people can't stay in it, only a thin layer survive, the rest are squeezed out, but when you're done you're done... I expected more fanfare when Mo Ostin died, he was the greatest executive in the history of the modern music business. He ended up rich, as a result of stock grants if nothing else, but look at Ace Frehley, whose obituary is all over the internet today. He probably died without the wealth of Mo, but even when he went to the grocery store, people recognized him. Which is one of the reasons you become an artist, right? Never mind being able to make money as a result of his success until his death.
I sympathize with the artist. But I don't want to be a Mamdani who tells the people what they want to hear, disconnected from reality. A free bus system would be great, but can society afford it, do the economics work?
As for developing artists... The entire structure of the world has changed. There just aren't as many places to develop, to hone your act live. And this is a societal change, not a music business change. Used to be people had to go out to bars to meet others...now they can do that at home, via the internet...never mind a plethora of great choices on their TV screen. Used to be if you wanted to see the act, you had to go to the show...now YouTube can give you more than a glimpse, never mind the rest of the information available online.
As for going on the road... Costs have gone into the stratosphere. Transportation/fuel...the list goes on and on. Before you even sell a ticket your fixed costs are through the roof.
As for demand... With the greatest at everybody's fingertips, that's where they gravitate. Used to be you knew what your local radio station played and a certain number of acts toured your market. Now the business is international, you may be a fan of an act from another country that has never stepped foot in America. When looking at the end problem, which is struggling musicians...you cannot divorce yourself from reality.
Does anybody need a me-too artist when the original is right at their fingertips? If you're not different, unique, and you don't have great talent...vocally, being able to play your instrument in a skilled fashion...people are going to gravitate to those who fill this desire. You're competing against the greatest acts of all time, which are at people's fingertips, and now the barrier to entry is nonexistent. So more people are auguring for pieces of the pie and the pie is only so big... So, people gravitate to greatness.
As for being ripped-off by the industry...
I wish venues did not take a percentage of merch.
As for ticket fees... If a venue takes an advance, there have to be fees. There are ticketing outlets that charge less and venues that use them, but they tend to be small operations, because...ticketing is a profit center.
As for small rooms... The economics were NEVER good. But the difference was that the labels provided tour support, you could go out on the road and lose money in pursuit of success. This does not happen anymore. You've got to make the numbers work yourself, sans support. I'd say that the labels no longer believe in artist development, and this is true, but it is also true that the labels are completely lost and you can do it all yourself. It's not like the majors can break an act, and they've got all the money and connections. No, that's up to you. And if you do break, you can take the bucks the label offers or continue to go it alone and take essentially all the money.
And if you have success, and can sell a lot of tickets... The acts are in control. There is always someone who will pay them. You don't have to work with Live Nation, you can play the casino.
Then again, how many acts are at this level?
There's this yearning for the days of yore, but the days of yore are not returning in a world where you have a computer in your hand and cars can drive themselves and...
Everything is subscription, even television, and you think you can return to a sales model? That's like wanting the days of the horse and buggy to return.
As for Spotify/streaming payments... Should acts that don't get streamed much make a living wage? Then who gets to decide who these acts are? In other countries, the government supports developing acts. We can debate whether this would be a good thing, but it was never the case in America...where you had to pay dues for years before you made it. And when you did...you still might not make any money, the business ripped you off much worse in the old days. You could be a household name, yet broke. The accounting you get from Spotify is more accurate and more transparent than the labels ever delivered, never mind the company paying out more frequently.
You gain and lose in every advance forward. Like I always say, vent windows in cars were great, but when there was a/c in all automobiles it seemed redundant, and they were excised in the name of cost control.
Airline travel is a cramped hassle. But in the pre-deregulation days, tickets were much more expensive, and no one flew on a whim, never mind going to see a concert.
This is an independent contractor business. The acts could organize, but the nature of being an act is to be independent, you think for yourself. All acts could refuse to work until merch fees are gone, but good luck finding a plethora of acts who'd sign up for this...they can't afford not to work and they don't want to sit on the sidelines and they don't want to be a member of your organization to boot.
This is a business of leverage, always has been, always will be. The goal is to gain it. Don't expect a good record deal if you've got few listeners and don't expect a huge guarantee if you've got no record of selling tickets.
Do I sympathize with Shirley Manson that it's hard for developing acts... Absolutely! But the key is to find new ways to develop...in a world where you can create and distribute your music for FREE! If only the acts of yore had the advantage of the internet.
But let's not forget what is at the heart of the matter, income inequality, and it not only touches music, but every walk of life. Should executives, whether in the music industry or not, be paid these wages? And if so, should the taxes be higher?
As for raw demand... I just don't get how both the acts and the government can't understand this. People will pay extreme amounts to see their favorite acts. Even those without much money are willing to spend four figures for a concert by their favorite. Either the acts have to charge what the tickets are worth, or the uplift goes to scalpers. But the acts are afraid of charging high prices and they don't want all-in ticket pricing because they want to blame the fees on the promoter...without whom there is no show!
The acts want it both ways...they want the money, but they don't want to reveal how their fees are paid. And the margin for concert promotion is incredibly thin, INCREDIBLY thin. There is only so much money in a show.
So Live Nation buys venues to lower costs and builds an advertising business and that's how their revenue goes up.
Live concerts are a mature business. And when a business matures, there is consolidation and a lowering of costs. That's the way it is.
However, artist development/growth/exploitation is still not mature. What is the driver...TikTok or Spotify, et al? And the avenues of compensation keep increasing. And if you figure out ways to get your message across/grow your audience, then people come out of the woodwork to give you money.
Not everybody can be an artist.
Not everybody can be a doctor!
But somehow, with the barrier to entry so low, delusional people believe they're entitled to make a living making music.
Let me be very clear... If you're truly that great, and you've got the perseverance, you'll make it. The path to success is slower than ever, but the hunger for greatness has never subsided...people are dying for something new and different of quality that they can enjoy and tell others about. Is that what you are delivering?
I sympathize with the developing musician, who is having a hard time making it. Then again, in the old days almost no one succeeded/could get a record deal and so many people gave up. And even great people gave up and still do!
It's a business of stars. Period. Are you a star? It's a weird amalgamation of talent and personality, charisma...and a willingness to starve to make it. Very few people are willing to do this.
Don't blame me for telling the truth. I could be like Shirley Manson and Jack Antonoff and rage against the machine, but that's a worthless effort...because those who run the machine know the score, and the machine is subject to disruption, i.e. Napster, but economics rule... And the economics of music have always been hard.
I'll stop here, I've already made you angry enough.
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