[Dixielandjazz] EMI to cut One Third of its employees.

[BillSargentDrums at aol.com]

Steve said:

<<Because their  main product, recorded music, is so cheap to make that the
ultimate consumers  actually make it themselves.>>

I think this is the point. The  major label WERE needed for financing 
recording, production, distribution, and  marketing.

Due to technological advances, the playing field has  been leveled and this 
is no longer the case.

Any musician or band  can produce good recordings with minimal investment.

We can produce  product in some cases, for less than the cost of a couple of 
concert  tickets.

We can distribute for almost nothing, or even  free.

And we can market for free or minimal  cost.

Finally, this all goes to a worldwide audience. I sold 3 hard  copy CD 
yesterday alone - one in Michigan and two in California. I live in  Wisconsin and I 
didn't leave my desk except to take them to the  mailbox.

The cost to market them was free, or should I say it was  included in the 
price I pay for my two websites that I already have to promote  my bands and my 
personal drumming services.

The cost for one CD was  standard production costs (OasisCD), and the other 
two were homemade discs that  cost me less than a buck a piece. In both cases 
PayPal processed the orders and  charged 60-70 cents for credit card processing.

Who needs to give  up a piece of themselves to a major label?

Yes, numbers make a  difference, but the numbers you perform live for is a 
different topic and takes  into consideration other factors, like talent, and 
marketing . . . which  frankly, bands can do a great deal of themselves too, and 
still own what they do  and keep control.

Frankly, these big guys can't go fast enough for  me. It's their fault our 
society has to put up with such garbage as they  continue to produce and 
promote. They've been deciding what is best for us for  far too long.

As you see independents find a voice, you'll find all  different kinds of 
music and production surface. Not all good, but at least it  won't be everybody 
sounding the same . . . and frankly, real talent with shine  through and rise 
to the top.

I visited a "Dixieland" mp3 page  yesterday . . . and you'd be amazed at how 
bad 99% of this stuff is. It should  be real easy for a truly good band to cut 
through and be  heard.

Just rambling . .  .

Bill
414-777-0100
BillSargentBands.com

Just  released: "The Best Of Bill Sargent Bands - Volume 1"

Available at:  http://billsargentbands.com/recordings.htm  




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