Quote:
Originally Posted by minipoodle  First off, Trent was disappointed with the results of his experiment with Saul Williams. Unsurprisingly, given the option most people choose free.
Trent and Thom/Radiohead are in a unique position in that they are multi-millionaires with fan bases numbering in the millions. They achieved this through a combination of talent, hustle, and luck, with the help of the label system.
For the rest, bombarding them with free recorded music or "promotional material" as you call it will not turn people on. This material will become no different than any of the other ad material which we've all learned to ignore.
Oh, and all music is not good music. |
You see MP, this is where i think you are missing the key point. And it is the reason i asked you how long you have been in the industry.
Trent founded NIN in 1988. So that's close on 20 years.
And the guys from Radiohead go back to 1986. So close on 22 years.
Those guys worked for years to get where they are. And they worked hard. And the label system at the time was pretty much all that existed.
Your argument is like Neanderthals getting angry at homosapiens for growing bigger because they developed agriculture. "Not Fair!!!"
But you see, i think this is where Trent got his expectations wrong too. He worked on and released an album for an artist he believed in. Many people did not know who Saul Williams was.
And he assumed that
his fans would feel the same way about Saul's material as he does.
And he developed an opinion after conducting the experiment once. I would be keen to hear how he feels in 2 months time about the "Ghosts" experiment.
I'm also pretty sure that had they put out 2,500 copies of a $300 limited edition autographed-by-Saul "Niggy Tardust", that they
wouldn't have sold them all. And that is simply because Saul doesn't have the fanbase. Maybe he will at a point. Maybe Trent's music resonates with more people than Saul's does.
And that is what is happening now: So Many Maybe's.
None of us are sure where this will take us. But you are clinging to a business model that is not working well in the new world.
And who know's, maybe
you will be rich, famous and touring in 8 years time, after you've embraced a new way of working.
Or you might be like me and the many friends i have who have been doing this for 20-40 years: just not lucky, talented or hustling enough to make it.
Lastly, cheaper music does not necessarily mean that it will end up in an elevator.
Just ask Ian, Guy, Brendan and Joe of Fugazi.