Free Music: Response to Reddit

On December 28^th, 2009 Music Without Labels & Beat-Play asked the public (using reddit), “What needs to happen in order for music to become free and the artist still get paid?” This is a very controversial topic right now seeing as piracy is one of the leading issues in the music industry today. Here is what some of the social media world and redditters had to say about this topic:

-Jigsus States:

“Musicans should make money in one way only; Concerts! If a musician writes a song, then he is entitled to be paid if some other band plays it in a concert.”

Musicians will continually reach out for money in other areas rather than limiting their income to shows alone. The artist is always deserving of profit based on the quality and popularity of the music, along with making money from merchandise sales. The artists do not have enough promotion to stay alive without being under a major label. This system can be beaten through modern technology online, where new music is heard at all times based on the interests you have in the music world. The music will be pumped out to new listeners at all times, doing exactly what any musician could ever want to promote their music, while giving them the percentage on music sales that is rightfully deserved.

-Guitarbuddy states:

“Most musicians supplement their music income with teaching and other non-music jobs. I am surprised by how often the ‘music should be free’ crowds rely on corporate products such as cigarettes, junk food, and mass produced beer.”

Artists today do not have an engine or any other outlet that allows them to produce the large amount of publicity found with the record labels. These promotional advantages found with the labels are greatly paid out with a large majority of the income back to the label. Therefore, most independent artists do not really excel on sites such as iTunes, barring in mind that they also lack in the fan base to produce a livable income.

-jmnugent states

“We have to break away from this ‘MTV cribs’ culture… The music industry is a victim of the same ‘cancer’ that is affecting lots of other parts of modern culture. We’ve developed this insanely resource-hungry ‘middle-structure’ that is greedy and unnecessary.”

The lavish life-styles expected are still foreseeable in a business model such as the one discussed above. The only difference is that the fans themselves finally determine the outcome of the artists’ success, rather than who is under the best label with the largest contracts. This way we won’t be forced to see the same musicians all the time, when there is always an influx of extremely talented artists out there at all times waiting to be heard.

-beefjerkier states:

“There needs to be an increase in the cost of online advertising.”

I believe the cost will go up with perceived value of a product (artist popularity). There also needs to be a system set up where artists have multiple ad streams set up, for example; they can track the visits to their profile, video plays, radio plays, blog views, ect… These all can be tied to a specific ad model, while being factored in with shows (which artists can begin to charge for tickets to online streams) and merchandise.

The push to create a model for music to become free and the artists to continue to make money is very popular right now. Here at Music Without Labels & Beat-Play LLC, we have the answers to the Music Industry problems today, and we are coming to you with the first online engine for independent musicians of its kind.

Written By: Mark G. Valente | Director of Operations | Music Without Labels & Beat-Play LLC