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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