Now THIS could be REAL trouble...

Posts: 244
From: L.A. CA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 03-30-2000 03:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for STILL        Edit/Delete Message

quote:

---

The Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes single ''What Is and What Should Never Be''--available only by download or mail-order--has entered three rock charts, making it the first hit single distributed exclusively by an online music retailer.

The track, which is on Musicmaker.com’s double-CD “Live at the Greek,” is in the top 10 on the Radio & Records rock chart. It is also No. 6 on FMQB's Mainstream Rock Chart and No. 15 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Some brick-and-mortar retailers have complained that they aren’t able to sell the album in stores,
while radio stations which promote the album on the air have been able to take a cut of sales revenue by linking to the Musicmaker.com website.

Jimmy Page’s manager Bill Curbishley told Billboard that he didn’t want to release a physical CD at the same time Atlantic was releasing “Latter Days, Best of Led Zeppelin 2,” which came out on March 21.

---

This might be obvious but here goes.....

Radio has already been getting a large chunk of revenue from the the renaming of "Payola" to "Promotion" - wherein a label agrees to pay "X" number of dollars to a radio station or radio conglomerate (more common now) to play a song, but now it's called "Promoting" the song, so it takes on the same status as an advertisement.

This is one of the reasons its getting harder and harder for us indies to get our stuff out there, cause we can't bring the dollars to the table.

Now we're gonna have radio stations getting a piece of what they play as well as getting the dollars on the front end? Youch....what would YOU do if you were them? Can't hardly blame 'em , it's free money.......

Maybe we should buy big P.A.'s and mount them on flatbeds - go driving around neighborhoods at 15mph hawking our wares like traveling salesmen.........

This ain't getting any easier, that's for sure........

------------------
www.stillmusic.com

Posts: 940
From: Union City, CA. USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 03-30-2000 03:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for PFmgmt        Edit/Delete Message

That's been done and received a citation for disturbing the Peace. A special licence must be obtained. Most places will not issue one.

------------------

Posts: 803
From: Bowling Green, KY, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 03-30-2000 03:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for KennyLee        Edit/Delete Message

A CD program is in the works here, is it not?

Certain segments of the radio station market would probably jump at a chance to make money for playing music, as opposed to paying money for playing music.

Indie payola, anyone?

www.mp3.com/KennyLee

------------------

Posts: 262
From: PA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 03-30-2000 04:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for loren        Edit/Delete Message

--Loren

------------------
www.listensmart.com/loren
www.lorendigiorgi.com
The Other Side

www.musicbuilder.com/Loren_DiGiorgi

Posts: 803
From: Bowling Green, KY, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 03-30-2000 06:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for KennyLee        Edit/Delete Message

MusicMaker.com has a lot of brand name artists.

MusicBuilder seems to be mainly independent artists, like most of us.

But I see this as a MAJOR breakthrough in marketing music. I mean, radio has been the key element in the major labels stronghold on the music business.

This is basically legalized payola.

I can see why the JimmyPage/Black Crowes thing is jumping up the charts. If I owned a radio station I'd be all over this!

But anybody can do it that has a CD sales website. Betcha dollars to doughnuts mp3.com gets in on this, too.

listensmart.com should definitely check this out.

------------------

All times are ET (US)