I use that phrase often... "You can fire your manager...but you can't fire your label." I love that. I was watching Entourage not too long ago, a DVD of it actually, watching power-agent Ari Gold getting fired...and it dawned on me. Actors can fire their agents, managers, etc. But music artist can't fire their label. Now, of course there are a million arguments someone could raise against my thoughts on this, but I think it's an interesting comparison. The cost of creating music is getting cheaper, and artists are only getting more creative...what a great thing. Record labels on the other hand, are not innovating. They are instead hammering their artists (their clients!!!) for even more control and money. Profits from touring, merchandising, product endorsements, and more are now being contractually signed over to the label...leaving the artist with less and less.
What's funny, is watching labels turn more into management companies as distribution becomes electronic. So why not skip the label, and settle on a good management company? You can leave them whenever you want, negotiate the terms as you see fit, and they only get paid when you do. So simple, but it's 'dangerous talk' in this music industry game!! And while you're at it...have your manager handle getting your music on INDISTR as well...I can plug my site on my blog right?!
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3 comments:
I would say that it is kinda weird saying you can fire your manager. Its not often that a working man can fire his manager.
One of the things that is changing along with the shift to using management companies in lieu of labels is that the management deals are becoming harder to break--so it's often not as simple as firing the manager--they're still going to earn off of artists even if they get fired because the contracts cut them in whether they working or not.
As the recording companies scramble to stay afloat, they are putting together "360" deals like the one Madonna has with Live Nation--it's all about capturing the full (360 degree) circle of revenue generated by artists. If you follow the money, albums are becoming more and more like advertising for live shows--especially for an artist like Madonna that does arena tours for long dollars. Live Nation can ignore selling records--the music will get out there somehow-- and just promote the shows. The brass ring is now shifting to signing a deal with a national promoter from landing a record deal---so leave the download biz to the artists and indistr.com.
Keep up the good work.
@ josephvoss@sbcglobal.net
Very insightful. I agree, naturally the mgt deals will just get more 'legal' or strict. It's not like we haven't seen a manager sue an artist for earnings they were entitled to. But...i think for the 'small guys' which is, at the end of the day, our market...I think having managers, perhaps even just promoters, is the direction to take. Signing multi-record contracts with a label just doesn't to make sense.
Again, thanks for your insight - its appreciated.
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