The Merry Thieves United in Beat (yeah, the topic of this kind of pleased me;)) are an independent label that began this last year. It’s a collaborative/community oriented endeavor. We are aiming for 501(c)6 non-profit status. (a group of business people within the same industry/region who’s main goal is to strengthen and expand the industry/business for all members of their community)

We would like to provide to the members of our community/ies some positive promotional opportunities without involving the traditional ‘big bad label’.

This endeavor is still so new, and it’s evolving constantly. I’m sitting admist a pile of revisions that need considered and orchestrated, although I think we are on the right track.

This info has been very thought provoking…and will most definitely be taken into consideration in our revisions, evolution, and development.

Thank you sincerely for the insight.

Deanna Marie Towne
Founder/CEO/Promotional Coordinator/and whatever else needs done;)
Merry Thieves United in Beat, Inc.

Phone contact: 503-752-2102 (local to Portland) Or 1-877-I-THIEVE (toll free!)
E-mail contact: thief8@merrythieves.net
Website: www.merrythieves.net
For demos and correspondence:
515 NW Saltzman Rd., #777
Portland, OR 97229

brad sucks and many other magnatune recording artists are definitely making money on music that is freely available. Plus almost half of magnatune’s (and therefore their artists) income is from licensing, not album sales.

We’ve been trained to think that being treated fairly means loss of income. I’m not convinced of that (yet) —

here’s the theory: if the music is irresistable and really speaks to an audience, if the artist treats that audience with respect (not like criminals) and if enough people hear it because it’s all free to share, then people seem willing to pay for it.

I’m only a marginal talent and I’ve sold lots of albums to strangers around the world, all of whom could download the entire albums(s) for free.

Based on the sampling I took of your site, you guys are really great — if you guys cleaned up your samples to only used legal stuff you could go “above board” and see what happens.

The RIAA *wants* you to give up on album sales and convinced all of us there’s only one way to do it. Like I said, I’m not sure about that.

peace,
Freeman

When the Seattle Chamber Players plays a piece by Frisell he gets a nice handsome commision. When he does 100 (?) tour dates a year he gets 100 nice paydays. When he does a session on an Elvis record or movie soundtrack he on hire and gets paid at least scale.

They might eak out a few pennies from album sales. These guys have very tight recording bugets with tiny groups (trios mainly) and *very* predictable recording practices, cost structures and expected sales. I’m only guessing at all this but it wouldn’t surprise me if *he* absorbs the recording costs (self funded by other gigs) so that by the time Nonesuch sees the record it’s already paid for and royalty money is funnelled quicker to the band. Plus he doesn’t make videos, no radio payola, etc. etc.

Any insights on how that small percentage of artists who don’t sell millions of records but at least seem to be making a living actually do it? Examples that come to mind include Fred Frith, Bill Frisell, and Henry Kaiser. I’ve met all three and while they don’t seem to be getting filthy rich, they do appear to be paying their bills and supporting themselves and their families writing and playing music.

Regarding smaller label artists: the numbers are smaller (advances, expenses, sales) but the business model is essentially the same. If they stop touring they *literally* go hungry even if they sell 100,000s of records.

I should have included it the main text (I still might) but here is the famous Albini chart.

http://www.negativland.com/albini.html

It’s gruesome.

I’ve always been very careful to make sure all the music I have was legally acquired in hopes that at least some small part of the purchase price might make it to the artists. It looks like that was wishful thinking. At least many of the artists I like are so off the beaten path that no major label would ever think of signing them, so maybe there’s a chance they actually will get some of the money I spend on their CDs.

I was very surprised and impressed by Courtney’s docs. I’d only been exposed to the sensational self-destructive stuff the media focuses on, so my perception of her wasn’t that great. Looks like I need to be even more careful about letting the media shape my opinons.

better? I don’t know, it won’t be the first time I hold on to a futile dream.

What’s a little ironic about the whole thing is that (except for bootleg mashups) I don’t think I have a single bit of illegal RIAA music anywhere. Not a note. In the last year I bought two Elvis, a coupla NinjaTune CDs and everything else I got used from Rasputin in Berkeley.

So I guess I’m not even as hypocritical as others had hoped. Sigh.

Unfortunately, you may have already ruined your chances at the FNE desk. It appears you actually read all of both articles you referenced. This makes you extremely over-qualified for that position and, worse yet, likely to have well considered opinions of your own. You were showing such promise.

How am I doing?

not to mention all those folks in the mailroom have a demo tape. If god forbid their “dreams come true” they’ll get a drop in salary and lose all benefits. At that point you’re not allowed to have compassion for them. And their babies.

Who is the only hurting the mailroom guy? The people that won’t pay $9 for a movie ticket, and the people that download a song because buying whole albums blind are such shitty risks these days? Or the guys making $100 million per year that won’t stop the money-losing policies or at least cut their own insane salaries when profits are down 5%?