JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Gene Simmons blames college kids for ruining music biz

Lyle,

That's because that's all the label/radio system could handle in the most profitable way. Less artists means a benefit to economy of scale. More artists costs way more and have even more unpredictable results. I am not sure how many more small artists are making a living wage now, but certainly the mega profits of the few artists at the top have been hurt.

And to Matt.. illegal filestealing hasn't decreased.. it's continued to not only grow but become the socially accepted and expected norm. The people stealing have been successful in painting those fighting it as the bad and evil guys rather than themselves. That was made easy because in truth the people publicly fighting it WERE fairly evil and bad. (RIAA anyone?). But we're in the weird position of being on the same side as Darth Vader in that I still, no matter what the benefits and potential positive outcome, think no artist/writer should be FORCED to give away their music... ever. I think it may be time to mull over lifting the compulsory license for radio and other uses. By doing that, it would become a completely free market, but then those who play and use music would likely be unable to do so because the cost of paying for the rights to major stars to use their music to make a buck would become cost prohibitive and lawsuits would inevitably be flying in every direction. But while writers must allow radio and others to use their music to make a buck in exchange for a non negotiable license fee and while musicians must GIVE AWAY their music to radio and others to make a buck, mandated by federal law, we may need to burn the system down and rebuild it all from scratch.

It may be happening whether people like it or not.

Brian