"How To Make Money With Free Music"
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Music Publishers |
While it may sound contradictory, giving music away for free may be one of the best ways to make money when you are an independent artist. The availability of music files online is causing some artists to change the way that they look at providing their art to the masses and how they can use it to turn a profit. Here is a look at the implications of the current market.
It is next to impossible to deliver music online and have it be completely protected. Almost all encryptions can be cracked, and there is no way to guarantee that the source or the recipient is secure. This situation can become "sink or swim" for musicians -- either they learn to work it into their creative control or fail to make a living.
The Internet has caused an uproar in the recording industry. In the 1990s, music labels could expect to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in the first year of a new act to cover advances, recording costs, and promotional expenses. However, these companies suffered in a sales slump, and labels started to look for independent artists for new talent. It is hard to predict how well music will sell on the internet, because of the security measurements needed to keep it from being given away for free. Free music distribution is incredibly popular, and allows users to swap music files without paying royalties. This has caused some legal issues regarding copyright infringement.
Anything that can be stored on a computer has the capacity to be copied and changed, and many people feel that it is well within their rights to do so. The artists, however, are not inclined to agree.
Internet-only radio stations also put a new spin on the music industry. This can be an unrealized source of revenue if artists and advertisers are willing to work at it, and would be subject to similar rules that traditional radio stations must follow.
Those in the music business want more creative control, but at the same time need the benefits of the record companies. Creative control is important to artists, but the labels have tried to take this away. Some of them may even control minor details like what the artist wears.
The labels on the Internet strive to be different. However, many are unable to live up to expectations.
The way musicians get paid remains relatively unchanged for three decades. Album revenue is a major component, as are songwriting royalties. Marketing on the web with digital record labels can allow artists to keep more of these royalties. At the same time, control of artist's websites has generated friction with these newer labels. While there are new options for musicians, the choice is not any easier.
The internet does have several uses. Musicians can record their music online and have it critiqued and edited. They can also use the internet for distribution, marketing, and other services that they need to grow their fan base.
While the traditional formats of music will remain, independent musicians will still have to work hard to make it big on the internet. By offering music for free, they can gain complete control and success. There will never be a foolproof digital media rights system, so musicians will have to learn that piracy is par for the course and learn to work around it. Some bands have even found success by encouraging the copying of their songs.
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Brian Cook is a freelance writer whose articles on music and songwriting have appeared on many websites.
You can find more of these at SongwritersGuide.com.
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