The Indie Alliance

The problem is the major labels have all the leverage, as a result of their catalogs. They wield these in negotiations with each and every distributor, and the indies have little power. This is not like tech, where yesterday's wares are useless, in music, the hits of the past continue to generate revenue at almost no cost, especially in these days of digital distribution. Furthermore, copyright terms have been extended on a regular basis, to make sure Disney characters don't fall into the public domain, got to keep the Mouse House happy.

We saw the power of these catalogs with the negotiation of streaming remuneration. Bottom line, the publishers, and therefore the songwriters, got screwed. The labels cared first and foremost about recordings, and if their publishing arms got less...it all added up to the same at the end of the day, it was just a matter of how the pot was divided before being reunited.

But we no longer live in the past. There are only three major label groups, where there used to be six. And new labels are not popping up on a regular basis like they did in the past. Without a catalog, you can't make it.

But even worse, majors are signing fewer acts in fewer genres, hurting not only musicians, but the culture at large.

So...

The bottom line is some of the greatest acts in history are now independent, they don't have record deals. If they make an album, they might license it to a major, but they are not under the pressure of a regular deal, with delivery timetables.

But it's not only the classic rockers, but Lorde... She finished her Universal deal and is now completely unfettered, and happy to be so.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg, you see...

You may have read the Lorde announcement, but like an iceberg, what really counts is what's beneath the surface, not seen by the naked eye.

Yes, over the last year, while indie clubs have been going out of business in the U.K., when it's harder than ever to break a new act, the titans of the past have quietly banded together with the young 'uns to serve independent artists.

It's a who's-who... First and foremost, Paul McCartney. That's why he did those underplays at the Fonda, he was in Hollywood sealing the deal.

Look at it like Tidal. But much better organized.

We've got McCartney, Elton John, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Ian MacKaye of Fugazi, Chance the Rapper and Lorde on the board. They're going to change the rules of the music business.

First and foremost, if you're a member of the Alliance, you agree to use an indie act as your opener. Whether it's in a theatre or a stadium. Indies need exposure, and the Alliance is going to deliver it. And we all know that everything starts on the road these days.

In addition, Scott Greenstein has agreed to give the Indie Alliance a permanent channel on SiriusXM. Where established acts will give their imprimatur to indies. Introducing them to the public. And when critical mass is hit, there will be a tour, just like with Little Steven's Underground Garage.

And, Spotify has already agreed to put an indie act on its homepage for at least a week a month. The three majors get the other three, righting the balance for the first time in a long time.

Also, there will be an Indie Alliance playlist in every genre.

As for Apple, Amazon and Deezer... They have not put pen to paper yet, but where Spotify goes, the rest follow. As for Tidal...since it was offloaded on to Mr. Square, Jack Dorsey, we've barely heard a peep.

But who is going to run this operation, organize it and make the trains run on time?

Well, Doug Morris is coming out of retirement. Along with Jeff Ayeroff. Morris never wanted to go and Ayeroff has a creative mind absent from today's record world, which will allow the Indie Alliance to triumph.

Let's be clear, this is not a record company. And it's more than a lobbying organization. It's a trade union plus. Whose goal is a fair wage for musicians, but even more, fair marketing and exposure.

And there is an agenda...

Rock has been excised from the frontlines, there will be a concerted effort to bring it back. Melodious stuff, with hooks and changes... Tom Scholz has agreed to mentor acts, the Boston sound continuing to resonate in the culture.

And producers too... The Commander, Mike Chapman, still has his chops. None of the old guys can get gigs, but they're' dying to work. So they're agreeing to mentor indies for free. Consider it a spec deal. They've got upside, but there are no cash down payments.

And Live Nation, always looking to burnish its image, will provide Omar for hands-on advice. And Monday will be indie night at all the amphitheatres. It's a hard night anyway, usually dark. And if Live Nation can sell beer and parking, they're always up for making a deal.

Jimmy Iovine wanted a competition, to see which acts would be pushed, but the success of Beats is overshadowed by his record of failure in innovation...Jimmy & Ted's Farm Club anyone? And having recently dissed streaming outlets, saying they're in their death throes...Spotify said if Jimmy's in, they're out. So Jimmy's on the sidelines.

The Indie Alliance is not a minor league. It's about promoting acts that can sell out arenas if they just get exposure, if people could just see them and hear them.

The goal is to be noticed by Doug and Jeff, or members of the board, to the point where they think you can be bigger. Kind of like a record company of yore. Everybody can't get a deal, everybody can't play, but there are those deserving who need a little push.

Of course there will be lobbying for better terms.

No cuts of merch until the act sells in excess of 5,000 tickets. These acts need every penny to survive.

Elon Musk offered a slew of Tesla driverless trucks for equipment, and some Model 3s for club level acts, but no one wanted to work with him, his karma is too bad.

Not that other companies can't invest, come along. Rumor has it some cannabis companies are about to ink deals to support indie musicians, since they're all running on dope anyway.

And indie values will be promoted. If you want to sell out, be a brand, go with a major. Talk about bringing the value of music back...it's more than money. You can take sponsorship money, but if you're doing brand extensions...perfume, clothing and whiskey...you cannot be promoted by the Indie Alliance.

It's music first. Truly.

That does not mean you can't be flamboyant, wear outfits, have a theatrical act, but the music is paramount. The mission of the Indie Alliance is not only to help the independent musician, but music itself. After all, the majors and the acts they promote are doing a good job of killing it.

There's no lip service involved. If you're an established act, a member, you must let an indie open your show, you must help the indies, otherwise you're out.

As for Jim Dolan's guarantee of an indie residency at the Sphere...

He says he'll do it once the acts are established, when they can sell enough tickets, since the Sphere holds nearly 20,000 people. You can be number one on Spotify, and most people don't know. But if you play the Sphere, everybody knows! So Dolan's offer is blue chip.

It has gone too far, we've got too many cartoon acts, dancing fools mini-corporations, who have dragged down the value of music, made it a sideshow, irrelevant of the number of dollars involved. We need to get back to where we once belonged. That's one of the main reasons the classic acts are involved, because they remember when. Whereas kids today have grown up with vapidity.

Also, this will burnish the image of aged acts, being involved with young 'uns, maybe cowriting with them.

The Indie Alliance is open to all genres, however Nashville is not happy, it doesn't want to give up its stranglehold on country music. And hip-hop already has a thriving independent scene, but a lot of those acts could be bigger.

This is great. Two thumbs up. Kudos!


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