Quote:
Originally Posted by After Shock Media
So it is ok to use the record labels to build you up and get a fan base, then say fuck you and try to sell your own eh?
Plus do not most established bands not get royalties but actually record advance deals?
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You are absolutely right on both counts.
Sometimes those advance deals will span several albums. It's not unheard of to hear about an act getting $50 million against 5-7 albums up front to do as they please. Madonna just got $60 million against several albums a few weeks ago.
The public at large is all gung ho to say "Fuck the major labels" but they have no clue how much work and investment went into making the majority fo thier favorite acts. That shit wouldn't have happened if it weren't for those same major labels that they demonize. Fucking Led Zepplin would have been a bar band. Radiohead wouldn't be shit either.
The millions that majors spend, and hours that their staffs put in, plays a major role in most major acts. There's no way around that.
Now, whether or not it's fair for acts like radiohead to thumb their nose at the labels after... I dunno. A band is an investment that usually lasts in 7 year cycles. If a band is signed for damn near 14 years then I think the label has gotten all they should have gotten.
But in Radiohead's case all of that is moot. They just licensed their CD version of the album to specific majors this week. See, they know very well that they can sell digital downloads all day, but they can't get the kind of promo that puts asses in seats on tour without the majors promo dollars.
What would you rather have, $5mill in music sales or $200k a night on the road plus another $4 million in advances?