And he thinks he’s winning…
You’ve got to read the comments regarding Paul McGuinness’s opinion piece in the "Globe and Mail".
Article here:
Comments here:
Last I checked, artists were nothing without their fans. Seems like there’s nobody on McGuinness’s side. Granted, he’s the manager, not the act, but posters seem to know all about U2’s tax evasion and…
If they weren’t big already, U2 would have a hard time breaking with its contradictory statements today. Do as I say, not as I do? In today’s interconnected world everybody knows what you have to say and do!
I agree with Mr. McGuinness’s basic point, that music should not be free. But if we left it in the hands of the rights holders we’d all still be buying one overpriced CD to hear the one desirable track, which in many cases wasn’t even that desirable!
How come we can’t start with a clean slate? How come we can’t throw out the rulebook?
If the agreement between ISPs and rights holders wasn’t riddled with loopholes, maybe it would work. But to think this toothless agreement will negatively impact piracy and boost revenues is to believe you can force everybody to get off at the same freeway exit, when there are multiple options.
Read this article:
Now I’m not big on surveys, people tend to say one thing and do another, but the indicators are in the right direction. But read the quotes about Spotify royalties from today’s "New York Times":
"Last year, Spotify paid about $60 million in royalties; that made it the second-largest source of digital revenue for European record labels, after iTunes, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.‘Spotify are currently one of our top digital partners globally by revenue, and that is with them only being open in seven European territories,’ said Simon Wheeler, the director of digital for the Beggars Group, an independent label group whose artists include Adele and Vampire Weekend. ‘I expect them to be second or third place this year for us.’"
McGuinness reminds me of nothing so much as the Big Three Detroit car companies, saying it was impossible to meet emission standards, which the Japanese promptly did, ahead of time, and ate their lunch.
Contrary to what McGuinness says, innovation is the way out of this mess. And dragging the ISPs kicking and screaming to the table is akin to suing users, and we see how well that worked out. And how did musicians, all about breaking rules, testing limits, become aligned with the gestapo philosophy of guilty until proven innocent? Democracy came to the Middle East, can it come to the music business?
Yes, we’re living through a wild transition. Old institutions are crumbling, from major labels to radio to acts. And the new landscape is unclear, there are a million wannabes and it’s harder than ever to unearth talent. But it won’t be that way forever. And the fact that more people have access to making music and hearing it is a good thing. What U2, got through the door and wants to shut it on everybody else? That’s what rights holders seem to want, let’s just sign a few lucky acts and everybody else is screwed.
I know McGuinness’s heart is in the right place. Then again, I’m not sure about the tax issue… If Paul McCartney can pay British taxes, can’t U2 pay Irish ones? Isn’t saving your country more important than lifestyle? But if McGuinness wants to win he’s got to see the war as akin to breaking a band as opposed to defending one’s territory. New bands are all about giving, making friends and fans. Reading the comments above you can see McGuinness is doing neither.
He’s just part of the problem. Another rich fat cat trying to preserve his position.
As for the saw that he’s looking out for future players, I cry bullshit. New players are having no problems. Talented entrepreneurs like Amanda Palmer are doing better than they ever did under the old system. But she’s taking chances, too many of the old guard are not. As for the newbies… Does Julia Nunes have a problem?
Anybody can make music. But not anybody can be good.
What we’ve got here is a ton of sour grapes, from the ancient who’ve made it to the second and third rate players of today who think they’d succeed in the old world, ain’t that a laugh.
We’re never going back to black and white television, we’re never even going back to cathode ray television, can we give up the old music business model and get on to the new, for the times they are A-Changin’.
