On my travels around the world wide web I encountered a site called Sellaband. In the same week that EMI announced another 2000 job cuts and displayed a contempt of their long tradition of finding, signing and DEVELOPING new music, the opportunity to join SAB seemed a refreshing alternative. Even as a former EMI artist I have little sympathy for the major labels and their self-inflicted demise. Their greed and self-interest which was more than evident in the debacle known as the fight against downloading (and many moons ago, taping) “piracy” comes back to haunt them. A pity for the ex-employees. If they had used the squandered millions to develop new technology and new artists the story may have ended differently. To say they were protecting copyrights is only half of the truth. Shareholder value need not be the enemy of creativity.
The way SAB lets the buyer and listener decide which music he or she wants seems like an idea plugged into the mood of the times we live in. It would be naïve to t think that they don´t want to see profit, of course they do and already are; the interest accruing on the invested capital of the fans grows daily but is transparent.
Check out the SAB site and tell me what you think. In the name of my own self-interest I would also be extremely curious to know what you think of my own current rocknroll. You can hear it here.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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