Guitar Gear Forum

Record labels are going to have to up their game... on many levels.
30 years of focusing on rap and stale pop isn't helping. Time for a new, new wave.
Time to look at what the current generation is up to. ... and I am not talking about Japanese Breakfast. Time to stop playing it safe.

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ ... e-service/

I can't say that I feel even a little bad for them.

LOL!!! Me neither... not in the slightest!

But I also understand that any of us can have a pro level studio in our computers. Which inherently dilutes their market share. So I won't assume it is a quality issue but rather quantity. Like that article states, Spotify is flooded with upwards of a 100k new songs a day. That is a long way away from when guys like us were trading mixed tapes.

It's a whole new game that the Major Labels have failed to keep up with.

- They should have pooled their resources to control the streaming market immediately after they shut down Napster. This would kept them in total control, just like they had since vinyl records were invented.

- When they realized that rap music had extremely low production cost, they promoted the heck out of it, making it the number one genre and the most profitable genre ever. Low production costs meant Capitol Records could shut down their recording studio and lay off their staff of engineers, producers and they eventually sold their iconic Hollywood building. (They now rent space in the same building). Over the past 30 years, profits rolled in and the labels didn't want to rock the boat. Unfortunately, rap has become Dad Music and they have no plans, other than to stay the course.

- They cut back on artist support/development and stopped signing poor bands. Rich kid bands don't need to be paid however, they lack drive, motivation and are unreliable.

Great music, takes expert engineers, talented producers and musicians to create. Great music also takes time.
Dark Side of the Moon took 9 months to record at Abby Road Studios.
What label is going to pay that kind of money when they can push cheap music?
I don't think we'll hear another Night at the Opera or Sergeant Pepper again.
The last, high priced album was Guns N Roses, Chinese Democracy which cost $13 million... not going to happen again.

You had me at Major Labes.