MP3s and tee shirts

["L. Bird" <pkeets@hotmail.com>]

There an article in the July ROLLING STONE magazine that relates to the 
recent discussions of MP3s and whether The Who is selling out (or not).  The 
author seems to think that selling out is the only way to survive in today's 
music industry.  Here's a quote:

"Most bands hardly reach the break-even point until they sell a half-million 
records," says an agent at one of the music business's top agencies.  
Instead, they make most of their money selling tickets to shows, t-shirts 
and other merchandise.

"A band will make more money by giving away 500,000 copies of an album--if 
that helps them sell more forty-dollar concert tickets and twenty-five 
dollar t-shirts--than it would by not giving away a single album and selling 
only 200,000 copies," says an agent at a high-powered talent agency.  Which 
helps explain why you don't hear about many artists speaking out against 
MP3s--the more widely their music is distributed, the larger their fan base 
grows.  This is also why the labels are in a panic about establishing 
standards for secure music delivery.  Who wants to be in the business of 
selling intellectual property when everybody else is giving it away?


There's more, including brief discussion of how some bands are "marketing 
the shit out of themselves," while others prefer the "soft sell," and how 
some bands have leaped right into internet business and some are unsure how 
it's going to affect their eventual success.

keets


_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com