A Rant ..

[LanaCrowley02]

The State of the Music industry and what it could mean to us:



Well, with the surety on the horizon of the Big 5 becoming the BIGGER 1, what does this mean for the independent artists community? I think this community of talent has the perfect opportunity to stand up and be noticed it has ever had. With the public opinion of the industry being so low, the anti-industry artists should be able to drop right in and take the world by storm. Many of us see this but have no idea how to go about it. A good friend of mine has a very good idea as to how this can be achieved, and I would like to share this with you. He said we should create newsworthy attention, his idea is this; if we can ban together as a large group (75% to 80% of the community or 12 to 1500 artists) and move to the OMD and demand these companies pay us for our music to be on their sites.



Now, this will surely fail because as we know the OMD cannot even afford their bills much less the thought of paying all of us for the use of our music for their sites. So, with this failure, we create news, we then go to the news agencies with our plight, make a big stink and get exposure, now this is just a start because once we garner the exposure we have to move to something different, where would that be? BMI, and ASCAP, we should by law be paid for the use of our materials through any business, every time someone downloads our music or plays it on an internet radio, we should be making money from that, just as major label acts. The RIAA’s fighting covers all of us as well, we are recording artists, and songwriters, and so we should be able to reap the same rewards as the record labels. Now, the bad side of this is that by making demands of the OMDs out there we will probably put most of them out of business, but I think this is the only way to change the mold and the way things are done. These people have milked us for long enough. If I want a place to house my music, I can buy Internet space and place it there on my own. WE DO NOT NEED THE OMD, PEOPLE, THE OMD NEEDS US!! OPEN YOUR EYES!!



I already see your questions as I sit here and write this, ok yeah right, and how do you expect to do that? It will not be easy, we would need a large team of artists to lead this effort, and to manage it. We would then have to decide if we would move all our music to one OMD, or just make out demand to all of them. Once these things are decided upon, we move forward, the first part of this could be achieved quickly, if a team was formed and they moved on it quickly. Now, the next thing, I am not anti-OMD, but I am anti-milking me for money to use MY material for your content on your site as many of you already know. I guess the next question needs to be what do the artists think of this? Would you be willing to put yourselves on the line and stand together with your peers to make things change? I think it is time for the OMD to get down to business and do what they are supposed to be doing to make things better, I would be willing to offer a donation to the OMD as I am sure many other artists would be if they decide to do what is right by us. I look at the artists/OMD relationship as more of a partnership, I feel all of us are doing MORE than our share of the work, and we are getting nothing in return.



So, in closing I would like to challenge all of you out there reading this to take a hard look at what is going on around you, and make a decision as to where you want to go with your music and how you want to get there. If you agree with me, let me know. If you disagree with me, that is cool too. I am just trying to make things better for all of us, and make our music into what it should be. Thanks for reading!



I know alot of you are sick to death of trying and have no hope that things will change .. but My husband said something to me yesterday that gave me new hope .. you have to keep knocking at the door because eventually something will come along and all those closed door will magically open ... and I believe that .. I will never give up on this community, because I believe there is enough talent here that somehow, someway, we can find that magic to open those doors !!

Lana Crowley



"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage." -Lao-Tzu



LanaCrowley02 is:

Edited by: LanaCrowley02  at: 11/7/03 2:27 am

[Seismic Anamoly]

You Go, Girl!!

Edited by: Seismic Anamoly  at: 11/7/03 5:42 am

[bbchris]

Glad to hear you are so positive Lana!



As far as OMDs go, I like ic-multimedia.com a lot.



I think that any band/artist who is serious about their music, should have their own website with own URL and that their OMD page(s) just be a link from their site.



If you are a live performer (or band), an OMD is pretty useless. Why bore your fans with going to an OMD? They come to see you in the flesh!! The REAL thing!! That's the category I'm in currently.



If you're a home-musician then OMDs are your 'life-blood' and you need to be on EVERY single one of them! Why? Cause you don't gig! So no one will ever hear about you if you don't 'advertise' at an OMD!



And yes sure the OMD is basing their content on the artist but that's kind of a scratch my back situation. Mostly it's wonderful for a musician to build up his ego/self-confidence. not a bad thing.



You know OMDs take anyone and everyone into their site.

Why should they PAY for that? Surely we should be paying them for accepting our music? Just food for thought.



It just frustrates me (as a music publisher) that people 'write' a song - post it on an online site and expect to get paid for it!??!



An OMD is completely different to a record company. They are way more selective. They also pay the artist(s) if they do well for the company and make money for all involved. A music publisher is way more selecive; only choosing 'well-crafted songs'.



In answer to your question "make a decision as to where you want to go with your music and how you want to get there." I want to keep performing and playing gigs and I'M DOING IT! So my next goal is to collaborate with as many different musicians as possible and create more songs. Another goal is to get more of my songwriters published. I'm guessing we don't have the same goals? Or do we? And how can an OMD make it a better place for me?



Actually I've just realised that I don't really know what the point of your posting was Lana

|Blah Blah|Thinking Out Loud|Jane Eliz||Talk Soup |

[LanaCrowley02]

Hi Chris,



The point is this .. I have been a part of this community for 3 years .. and I have listened to artists bitch moan and whine about how mistreated they are for 3 years !! ... and I am tired of listening to the complaining .. I say if you want something done !! DO IT !! ha ha ha ha



just to touch on a few of the things you have said .. I guess I was a litle vague in the rant .. I am not actually saying that we should GET paid ... as much as I am saying that it is time for the OMD to do their part in this big game .. we have ALL done our part .. we have promoted our butts off to bring traffic to these sites .. and the sites are doing dick to keep them their .. I send probably 60 - 100 people to sites a month .. with my monthly artists picks that I send out in email .. but these people ONLY go when I send them there to listen to the artists I have chosen for that month .. they do not stay .. because they get bored .. there is NOTHING to keep them there .. I see it as a 50/50 deal .. if we give our material and PAY them ... they should be giving SOMETHING back .. but they refuse .. no matter how much we gripe or bitch .. so it is time to make a stand .. and FORCE them to do what is right ...



I don't mind paying an omd .. but in return I expect to get SOMETHING in return .. aside from another place to house my music ... that is why I left AMpcast .. and why I am still undecided about IC and DMusic .. I am waiting to see where they are going and see if they are REALLY going to break the mold ... IC seems to cater to certain types of music .. nothing wrong with that .. but it is something I have noticed ..



I disagree about the OMD being useles to a gigging band .. if the OMD played things right it could be quite lucrative for both parties .. IMO ..



An OMD can make a better place for you by giving the public something to look at .. by finding a way to keep the public there so that they find you .. and want to know where youa re playing .. and should bring you fans from all over the world .. that should be their job . we bring the public to them by the thousands, hell prolly millions if you add all of it together ... their job should be to keep them there make it interesting make them WANT to hear more of the music they offer ... so they find you and me ... I hope you can follow .. ha ha ha ..



I am like y ou .. I am a giggin professional .. We play most every weekend .. that is how I make my money and also how I sell CDS... but I also have quite a large internet following too ..



Our goals are not too far off except that I have added to mine that I want to make a difference .. I want to show the public how amazing this commuinty is .. and let them see that what they hear on the radio can't hold a candle to what we have right here in this arena !



So, I hope I cleared this up for you a little .. I guess when I wrote that I was pissy so I didn't make it clear what I was saying !! ha ha ha ..

Lana Crowley



"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage." -Lao-Tzu



LanaCrowley02 is:

[Seismic Anamoly]