Quote:
Originally Posted by NBC
The music industry is a complex and cruel mistress. You have all sorts of bands/artists starting out that are all about 'the music'. After playing in crapholes to 30 people a night and sleeping in a van for 3 years their priorities change. Given the chance to sign a 3 record deal with a big label the overwhelming majority of them would. Once that happens you give up creative control, you work off of someone else's schedule and you write music that someone else suggests. All with the purpose of selling albums, with making money. Is this to be ridiculed? Artists are all too willing to give up creative control in order to make money. It is then later in their careers, after the successful world tours and platinum albums, that they can make music that they want to.
I'm a huge Neil Young fan and he is one of the only artists I can think of that has been able to write and record whatever he wants to - with the exception of his contract squabble with David Geffen. Most artists don't have the ability to record what they want while still selling albums and selling out concert venues. And I'd bet that a lot of Indie bands that claim they are in it 'for the music' would trade living in their parents' basement for a record deal, international tours and merchandise rights.
But maybe I'm wrong.
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The internet has changed everything. Artists don't need record companies now.