"To promote the Progress of useful Arts"

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:45 pm

Today I read about some exciting news, on more independent artists in the USA standing up against traditional labels. Joining our Canadian leads, I believe the music industry is at a point of no return in an age where producing music on computers is now independently affordable, and distributing music has far great reach than was ever possible before the internet. As I wrote before, the record labels can either find some common ground in marketing and selling to the internet generation, or be left behind. Artists will continue to make music, it's what they do, and we will always have a demand for new and great music.

To any interested artists, join the FAC! Tell them we sent you Wink

For more independent content, check out a video production by guys in Austria which features various indie artists. Here's what they have to say:

Quote:

Hello world. This is the first BitTorrent release of 'They Shoot Music - Don't They?'. We shoot music videos featuring artists we like at places we like. On the one hand having a strong cosmopolitic agenda, on the other hand being in love with the city we live in, we combine both: we glance across the borders and observe the microcosmos of a breathing city in the center of Europe. We don't care about the glamorous illusions and technical perfection that coat the typical music video productions these days. 'They Shoot Music - Don't They' is all about sharing those pure and intensive moments that make you feel what the essence of culture really is about.

Asking the folks at isohunt.com (thanks!) who made this spotlight possible had a specific reason. As one can imagine we produce and promote our videos with the approval of the artists. If you want to see it that way then we are a promotion tool of the music industry (we don't get paid though ^^). Every artist involved gave us a clearance for this Isohunt.com release. We strongly believe that there is a peaceful way of sharing and that technology such as search engines shouldn't be doomed for enabling people to share digital content. But ... as we in Austria like to say: There will be a lot of water running down the danube before a proper way is discovered.

Even if you can get free media quite easily these days please remember that the majority of artists are having a hard time paying their bills. We work together with quite a few of them and see most of them struggling. So if you like their work take an effort and spend a few bucks on their media, drop by at their shows and give them constructive feedback somewhere in the social network jungle. They deserve it.

Their debut video is posted here on isoHunt. Check it out, and expect more from thshmu in the future.

Another interesting development for video distribution is the legal dilemma with Moore's Slacker Uprising. Interesting and real problems many producers are facing. Since Moore's production company don't allow him from distributing his film outside N. America, I won't link to torrents which were originally posted on Moore's site itself, and I forbid you from searching for them here if you are not in N. America. The lawyers said so.

PS. title of this post is a paraphrase of part of the US constitution, summing up the essential purpose of IP in one sentence. The timelessness and elegance of language used in this document is admirable, and we forget the reason for copyright in the first place and how far it's been twisted.

UPDATE: thshmu noted that their videos can be directly previewed on http://theyshootmusic.com/ and his posted torrent is an archive of 54 of his videos rather than just one debut video.

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:59 am

Great writeup.

I especially like the whole forbid part.. Wink

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:04 pm

Very true, I agree with you a 110%.

I don't understand why artists are so against using the internet for their music. If you think about it they can make more money by making fans online and informing them of upcoming concerts they are having. Making money on ticket sales and band wear such as shirt's and CD's.

And let's face it, if you don't advertise your band in some way, people won't even know you exist.

Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 1:43 am

Mr.X wrote:

Very true, I agree with you a 110%.

I don't understand why artists are so against using the internet for their music. If you think about it they can make more money by making fans online and informing them of upcoming concerts they are having. Making money on ticket sales and band wear such as shirt's and CD's.

And let's face it, if you don't advertise your band in some way, people won't even know you exist.

I think ultimately they have also to make money and if their music is distributed online than how r they gonna do it. Or I think they should release it properly on their own sites with payments involved.

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:16 am

didn't rough trade start out as an independent label?

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:48 am

The internet is a bitter-sweet source for everything. I believe that it can somehow reduce the artists' earnings because it is far more convenient to download their music for free instead of buying their CD or some sort. You have just downloaded the exact good sound quality like the original with no a pain in the pocket. Pitiful for the artist to have his fans listen to their work free over the net, but it sure increases their popularity because people get to here their music for free... And when there is free there is more people.