The High Price of Music Downloads

[ClaudeTucker]

With all this attention paid to the AIG bonuses and the exhorbitant salaries of CEOs and Wall Street tycoons I decided to focus my attention on the little guy. Things are really tough right now.

With the inflated 99 cent price of an Amazon download being equal to a value meal something needs to be done. Music should be less expensive than food, not more.

In the spirit of the proposed "Pay for Performance Act of 2009" I looked at what could be done salary wise in the music business that could significantly lower the cost of music downloads.

I identified several key areas for cost-reduction.

1) Musician costs. These guys are overpaid.
2) Performance royalties/songwriter compensation. Needs to be eliminated.
3) Production costs.
  a) Eliminate excessive studio rental rates.
  b) Cut engineering salaries.
  c) Mastering fees. Too high. Hire ex-GM punch press operators for final sweetening.
4) Training costs. Eliminate government funding of recording schools. These turn interns into more highly paid interns.

With you guys being large consumers of music I thought I would run these ideas by the forum to see what you thought.

Peace, Claudelle.

 

[MikoKensington]

But continue to pay the producer that gets paid three times more than the band members, songwriters and musicians combined.  I mean c'mon, he needs to buy his girlfriend new tits every week. 

 

[owel]

1) Musician costs. These guys are overpaid.

Without you showing numbers, we may be talking about different things.

2) Performance royalties/songwriter compensation. Needs to be eliminated.

Are you just trolling?

3) Production costs.
  a) Eliminate excessive studio rental rates.
  b) Cut engineering salaries.
  c) Mastering fees. Too high. Hire ex-GM punch press operators for final sweetening.

Now you're sounding like the current government dictating what private businesses should do.


4) Training costs. Eliminate government funding of recording schools. These turn interns into more highly paid interns.

Yup, you're the government in disguise coming here.

With the inflated 99 cent price of an Amazon download being equal to a value meal something needs to be done. Music should be less expensive than food, not more.

Food is important. So I suggest buy food if you need it.

But stop whining about $0.99 downloads.  Order some cheese with your value meal.  You have too much whine but not enough cheese.

PS: $0.99 music is not one of life's necessity.  If you can't afford it, turn on your AM/FM radio.



Okay seriously... it's the label that makes all the money.  While the studio, musicians, songwriters, producers get a few cents (or pennies).... the bulk of the money/income goes to the LABEL COMPANY. 

 

[keefaz]

For me, music downloads are virtual products so it is hard to determine their values,
I mean what do you get with a mp3 ? A stripped down version of the original song, like a sample
I understand the needs to support the artists though, so I think the customer should have the right
to fix the price himself, like a donate forum button, just my opinion anyway

Now if you set up a complete musical production chain just to produce mp3s,
I think something is wrong

 

[MikoKensington]

Oldie but a goodie. 

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

 

[MartyMart]

Claude - I'm going to forgive everything you have said ONLY because it's the 1st of April ......

APRIL FOOLS !!!!!!!


If you were serious ( and I somehow can't even begin to believe it ) then I'm never ever going
to respond to another thread of yours ...... EVER !!!!!!!!

MM.

( BTW - I make my living from writing/ performing and producing Music )

 

[ClaudeTucker]

Claude - I'm going to forgive everything you have said ONLY because it's the 1st of April ......

APRIL FOOLS !!!!!!!

 

[MartyMart]

Claude - I'm going to forgive everything you have said ONLY because it's the 1st of April ......

APRIL FOOLS !!!!!!!

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D  ..... OK I win .... so what do I win ?
Perhaps a 99c Itunes download Claude ?? 

MM.

I'm SO pleased that I didn't "rise" to that one too much .....

 

[MikoKensington]

( BTW - I make my living from writing/ performing and producing Music )

How many chicks have you bought tits for?  If you've answered none, you may continue to produce music, but calling yourself a producer is quite out of the question.

 

[MartyMart]

( BTW - I make my living from writing/ performing and producing Music )

How many chicks have you bought tits for?  If you've answered none, you may continue to produce music, but calling yourself a producer is quite out of the question.

;D ;D  .... I like that one LOL

MM.

 

[okgb]

mostly need to encourage people to buy music and not simply take it

 

[Svart]

These turn interns into more highly paid interns.

That's what clued me in to the April fools joke..

Since when has an intern ever been paid?  ???

 

[ClaudeTucker]

How many chicks have you bought tits for?

My answer is 1/2.

I bought a pair with borrowed money then divorced her before the loan was paid off. Since she didn't want to give back one headlamp, the court ordered her to pay the remaining debt.

Sometimes the scales of justice hang evenly.

 

[JohnRoberts]

These turn interns into more highly paid interns.

That's what clued me in to the April fools joke..

Since when has an intern ever been paid?   ???

Trying to connect the dots between Bonus outrage, Congress, and Interns.. I just saw an article about how congressmen give bonuses to their staff (interns?) at the end of each year. Apparently any left over budget at the end of the year would have to be returned to the treasury but then they might not get as much for next year's budget if they didn't spend all of this years, so they simply take all that's left over from the budget and bonus it out to their staff..  From WSJ article, 4th qtr pay was some 17% larger that other quarters so these bonuses were not AIG grade, but amusing in how congress decides to balance their accounts by giving excess away. 

JR

 

[Svart]

I like how they figure that making sure that they get at least as much money next year as they did this year, is called "balancing".  :

Whatever happened to finding the cheapest and best solution to things and then making due with what you have until you actually need to spend money again? You know, like normal people do..

Every politician/council needs to have requisition sheets they have to fill out and have signed by everyone in their constituency. Since they technically work for the community, they should have to answer to the community.

 

[MartyMart]

How many chicks have you bought tits for?

My answer is 1/2.

According to Miko 1 "Tit" doesn't make you a producer but I've met some who are a "Right Tit" !!!

MM.

 

[ClaudeTucker]

For the record Mr. and Mrs Tucker (both of them) purchase several songs a month from amazon.com

We find it provides tremendous value.

 

[Mbira]

I would like to formally agree with Claude on something here. ;D

I too think that Amazon has really done it right with the downloads.  It is literally one click shopping with many songs (at least ones I have looked for-and I tend to go pretty obscure).  Easier that dealing with iTunes and easier than finding a free illegal version a lot of the time. 

 

[sahib]

APRIL FOOLS !!!!!!!

Damn Marty!

You spoilt it for me, I was about to have a go at this guy.

Do you remember the one they did it on of the BBC radio channels couple of years ago? I don't remember exactly whose program it was on but it was about government giving 20 million quid grant toa an environmental arts project in which they would build sculptures out of rubbish (trash). They had Gordon Brown on the program. And all these wooly, retired hippy suckers were barking mad on the phone.  ;D ;D