BadSeed Blog

Makin' money in music is not only a product of record sales. It is shows, promotional appearances, and endorsements (if you're reallllly lucky!) etc. But it seems that the Pussycat Dolls are taking it to the next level. Before even releasing their first album, they have a nightclub, a makeup line, and things like a reality show and clothing line in the works. Their record label is an equal partner in all of those ventures.

As recorded-music sales have plummeted in recent years -- due to excessive pricing, weak offerings, lack of consumer interest, and competition from other entertainment -- there has been a search for alternative sources of revenue.

And, its beyond the usual touring and t-shirts. Call it more than Merch:

One of the most relevant words in the music business today is 'ancillary,' " says Jeff Haddad, the Pussycat Dolls' manager. "It's no longer strictly music."

With the slow but certain demise of the Record/Tape/CD business model for major recording labels, it is only a matter of desperation, time, and creativity before most new music is distibuted solely online. Warner, one of the major labels, just announced that they are creating a new music-distribution mechanism that will rely on digital downloads instead of compact discs.

iTunes recently sold their 500 millionth song, and with the enormous (but still new) explosion of iPod sales, this trend will only grow. Personally, as owner of an indy label, I'll be happy when consumers are used to buying music online, and don't look down their noses at indy labels. It is a lot easier to distribute music digitally than in shrink-wrapped jewel cases. The music we make is just as good as anything coming out of major labels, we just don't have million-dollar promotional budgets and payola schemes with the Clear Channels and Viacoms (that's MTV, pal) of the world.

This is the democratization of the commercial music industry, and you are witnessing it live.

From the sometimes-funny website McSweeny's Ombudman:

On a less friendly note, one reader e-mailed us a one-line complaint: "Your headline 'High Roller‚' about the quadriplegic student busted for selling marijuana, was EXTREMELY TASTELESS humor!!!" (Monday, A2). The editor responds: "We apologize to anyone offended by the headline. It was written under a tight deadline and should have been taken out." It is always difficult to know when a joke goes too far, because people have different sensitivities about different areas. As long as an apology is sincere, it should be accepted, and the offender should not be given the cold shoulder for a week simply because his sister-in-law has no sense of humor.

This comes as no shock, but the fact that it is now public knowledge that record label Sony bought radio spins for the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Good Charlotte and others still sickens me. That shit is outlawed, and the artists and execs should face some serious consequences, like being de-listed from Billboard charts, have their 'gold' or 'platinum' status decertified, and humiliated publicly. The incestuous combination of media companies, record labels, and radio & video outlets is disgusting, and it is a disservice to the public. Fucking bastards:

Internal memos from Sony Music, revealed today in the New York state attorney general's investigation of payola at the company, will be mind blowing to those who are not so jaded to think records are played on the radio because they're good. We've all known for a long time that contemporary pop music stinks. We hear "hits" on the radio and wonder, "How can this be?"