Open Letter to Rod U. - Re: Your response to the Galbatron petition.
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 Open Letter to Rod U. - Re: Your response to the Galbatron petition.
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| Author | Topic: Open Letter to Rod U. - Re: Your response to the Galbatron petition. |
| #1
DoctorOakroot Guru Posts: 538 |
posted 05-02-2000 09:49 PM
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I'm not sure this "took" on the mp3AABB and I do want mp3.com artists to see it so I'm posting here. Rod got a copy by email. ---------- Rod, What MP3.com is doing is just plain stupid. You should have known the reaction would be intense anger - it's was obvious from discussion on the BB for two weeks before you implemented the public PfP. What were you thinking? There has been no indication of why MP3.com would want to do this... and it's very clear that the artists don't want it and many of us have been clear as to our reasons. I see from your response that you still don't get it, so let me answer some of your specific points.
quote: I know this - probably most mp3.com artists know this. We also know that most of us are making beer money at best from mp3.com - PAY ATTENTION: the money is not the issue.
quote: Shame is also not the issue. The issue is that the FANS DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR FIRST POINT... Almost every artist on the site will be hurt because fans will see the low amount of money and assume the music must suck. This even applies to artists like Ernesto Cortazar, because the fans' idea of what musicians make is ridiculously inflated.
quote: I'm not sure that I want my fans coming to my mp3.com page and seeing that I've only earned $90. THE MONEY IS NOT THE ISSUE - PROMOTION AND EXPOSURE ARE THE ISSUE. I used to think that there's no such thing as bad publicity, but you seem to have invented it. Of course, I've defeated the PfP display on my artist pages for the moment. Your techies can know doubt work around my fix (I actually know exactly how to work around, but I'll keep it to myself, thank you).
quote: I may be the only mp3.com artist who actually believes you on this. My assumption is that you think showing the money you're paying to artists will make you look good to the public. Actually, it mostly makes you look cheap because the amounts are so small. After PfP goes up to $1,000,000 a month, the average artist's number will still look small.
quote: I'm sorry, Rod, that's a load of crap! No one's asking you for a detailed explanation of your business plan (although, as a publicly traded company, I believe you could be required to provide that to stock holders). What I want to see is a single credible statement about why it's important to show PfP to the world in detail. What do you achieve that wouldn't be achieved by adding a little blurb to each artist page saying "MP3.com pays $1,000,000 per month to it's artists for downloads and listens"? Give me a reason to be on your side on this! David Smith -- IP: Logged |
| #2
RhythmStar Guru Posts: 266 |
posted 05-02-2000 10:38 PM
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FWIW, I've been trying to come up with some kind of rationale that could make the display of P4P bucks a win for artists. I have to admit, it ain't easy. <sigh> The only way I can see it as a positive is if MP3c settles with the RIAA and then major label acts get their P4P publically displayed too. Why would that a positive? Couple of points: 1) If you're an unsigned artist who is matching or exceeding the P4P of a more famous artist, in the mind of the public, you have just been elevated. 2) If both you and the famous artist are making chump change, then maybe the "ridiculously inflated" perception of artist incomes in the minds of the fans will be abruptly burst, forcing them to realize that most artists, even the ones they've heard on the radio, are broke. Unfortunately, I'm afraid these notions are long shots at best. Even if they transpired, they hardly seem to override the privacy issues. Of course, I believe the MP3c contract specifically gives them the right to do this, so it's not like a real privacy issue -- all of us (on MP3c) agreed to this usage of the info, even if we did so in ignorance. Oh well... If nothing else, at least this latest MP3c action illustrates just how important an OMD contract can be, as well as how easily (and often) the unexpected can happen to those who don't take contracts seriously enough. RS ------------------ IP: Logged |
| #3
PFmgmt Guru Posts: 1131 |
posted 05-02-2000 11:22 PM
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Rod U. is possibley the worst Spokesperson for any OMD. He usually muddies the issues and mostly pisses people off even more with his wis-ass tripe. Whether this move is contract sanctioned is not the real issue. It's the slap in the Artists' face that is the issue. Yeah, the major artists are gonna let mp3.con post their earnings, just like the Eagles have (NOT) How many times does an OMD have to insult you before you develope some integrity? Uh..never mind, I forgot, money is everything. ------------------ IP: Logged |
| #4
sins tailor Guru Posts: 657 |
posted 05-03-2000 12:35 AM
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don't bother rod.......he's trying to watch cartoons.......... IP: Logged |
| #5
RhythmStar Guru Posts: 266 |
posted 05-03-2000 12:55 AM
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Phil -- I dunno. I guess I just don't feel all that insulted. Disappointed and puzzled is prolly a better description. Throw saddened in for good measure. It's hard to have a little fun these days. <sigh> Or, maybe it's that whatever angst I was gonna feel about MP3c was all used up over the infamous Payola scandal -- that one actually hurt my feelings a little. Or, maybe I'm just too comfortable and distracted by day to day life to give a flying fuck. Who knows? Bottom line -- those who do feel strong negative vibes over MP3c should leave MP3c. While they're at it, if they believe it's worth the effort, they ought to protest in as vocal and organized a fashion as possible. If any of them are MU members, they can get a 20% BusinessWire discount through MU to make a national press release about their disgruntledness. (That's about $280 bucks for the EntertainmentWire 30 major markets, I believe). Whatever. Personally, I'm still waiting for mixes and the advice of my music attorney before I decide what to do next for my music career. IAC, I'm done trying to Know All. From now on, I'll just concentrate on being the best Father, Husband, Bluesman and Engineer (in that order) that I can be. Let the lawyers and student activists figure out the rest. RS ------------------ IP: Logged |
| #6
KennyLee Guru Posts: 1114 |
posted 05-03-2000 01:09 AM
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quote: Hi, Bill. An OMD contract is apparently no contract at all. The amp3.com contract meant nothing. The mp3.com contract means nothing too. The only thing mp3.com did right was getting the IPO money and keeping it. Now they are just playing. Burning the money slowly. If they had real competition they wouldn't make it the rest of the year. The artists problem is mp3.com has no real competition. I am setting up shop on iuma.com and musicbuilder.com right now and looking at others. Linking to those sites from posting on mp3.com and elsewhere. And continuing to expand my offline business. I don't want to send my offline business to my online sites. I did once and it cost me. My customers found they could get my CD for $5.99. Thought I was ripping them off charging $15.00. I will continue to exploit the Luddites. MP3.com is dead for 99% of the artists. Not really because of this "post your earnings". But for what it means. They did not listen to our wishes and they will never listen. The next "thing" they do will be worse. Our future lies elsewhere. We're leaving mp3.com whether we realize it now or not. ------------------ IP: Logged |
| #7
PFmgmt Guru Posts: 1131 |
posted 05-03-2000 01:34 AM
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Bill, Yes you have your priorites in order. Even if we tend to disagree about a few issues, I have respect for you. Not trying to stroke you. I think you know me a little better than that. Kenny, I have said this before because I sincerely mean it. You are savy, bro. I have only been involved on the Net as an artist for a few weeks. This new involvement has changed my perspective. Now it is more personal than when I represented others. I pay even closer attention to the details. I have respect for very few people. I tend to be quite harsh in that regard. Having been on the Net for two years, starting with Indiebiz, I have learned a lot. Although I am quite cynical & somewhat jaded, I still have some hope of success. I do truely believe that Artists could have a measure of power but it's just like the "real world of labor and mgmt. It takes a lot to stand up against the Corp. One thing I do have is controlled fear. I have been through things in my life that would have destroyed others, I know this. I written this speech for a specific reason. I want you Bill and a few others to be allies. I am setting aside a lot of minor little tiffs with others that would stand in the way of a vision. That vision is The Artist Coalition. ------------------ [This message has been edited by PFmgmt (edited 05-03-2000).] IP: Logged |
| #8
Defcon4 Newbie Posts: 18 |
posted 05-03-2000 08:52 AM
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"Our future lies elsewhere. We're leaving mp3.com whether we realize it now or not. Because they have already left 99% of us." Well that sums it up in 25 words or less, its perfect Kenny, I will now repeat 3 times: "Our future lies elsewhere. We're leaving mp3.com whether we realize it now or not. "Our future lies elsewhere. We're leaving mp3.com whether we realize it now or not. "Our future lies elsewhere. We're leaving mp3.com whether we realize it now or not. ------------------ IP: Logged |
| #9
Stefan Koopmanschap Newbie Posts: 85 |
posted 05-03-2000 10:07 AM
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dr. oakroot: Please keep us updated on this! I love the way you handled Rod's response. Please let us know if and how he replies (though I don't think he _will_ reply ... mp3.com standard policy: don't answer emails when you know they are actually right about us fucking up something) />stefan ------------------ Stefan Koopmanschap IP: Logged |
| #10
DoctorOakroot Guru Posts: 538 |
posted 05-03-2000 10:41 AM
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Actually, I've generally found Rod to be responsive and helpful, but his response to this issue was childish and patronizing. I really don't understand mp3c's reluctance to answer the question, "why are you doing this?" Almost any answer would be better than having artists speculating that the purpose is to drive the artists away - unless, of course, that's the real reason. ------------------ IP: Logged |
| #11
Stefan Koopmanschap Newbie Posts: 85 |
posted 05-03-2000 11:59 AM
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well, the whole problem with industrial being moved totally to the metal genre wasn't handled right either ... their response to this was also something similar .. ok, that was somewhat corrected ... but still not how it should be corrected ... so will something similar happen to this too? ------------------ Stefan Koopmanschap IP: Logged |
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