CNN Thinks Record Labels Still Matter
I’ll save you from having to read the entire article. Basically CNN thinks that because the labels perform the task of aggressive promotion for Matchbox 20 (tv, radio, online, mobile markets) and give away tchtochke USB bracelets and exclusive videos labels are more relevant than ever.
First of all, labels don’t promote all artists this way. They heavily promote what they already know is going to sell and try to parlay that into even more sales. But all the USB bracelets and Walmart bonus tracks in the world are useless, because Matchbox 20 is useless.
I’ll admit I’m a music snob, but this isn’t about my tastes. Matchbox 20 or any mainstream pop music doesn’t cater to music lovers. I don’t doubt that there are plenty of people enjoying the Matchbox 20 and Goo Goo Dolls of the world, but they don’t have a close personal connection to this music. People buying their music in Walmart do not have a close personal connection to music. No one has a close personal connection to something shoved down your throat by way of mobile device. It’s these connections that form a fanbase, and it’s these connections that make us empty our wallets. All the USB bracelets in the world won’t make me like this band.
Record companies make their money from the masses. A hugely popular artist that can get video airplay can sell $40 a seat tickets with $7 Ticketmaster charges. They can probably also sell an overpriced t-shirt. But this does not convert to quality or staying power, because popular music trends will always ebb and flow. Eventually another Coldplay will come along and people will forget their Matchbox 20 CDs. This is a flawed model, and is essentially going after only the low hanging fruit.
Record labels haven’t even begun to tap into the consumer base of real music lovers. Instead they alienate them by tearing down their connections (OiNK was an excellent place to get rare, live, and out of print music) and prosecuting them. Sell me a genuine product. Don’t dilute it’s appeal and honesty with cheesy gimmicks. I want to support the artists I love by buying their music and going to their shows, not by buying a lighter with their logo emblazoned on it.
It’s these tactics that make the labels irrelevant. They turn up the noise to signal ratio forcing me to dig even deeper underneath them for something of substance, and I find it in small independent artists and labels. I find it in a lovingly produced, hand-numbered piece of colored vinyl that I will savor, not a bracelet I’ll never wear and will likely throw away. I don’t care about videos, I don’t care about USB accessories, I don’t care about exclusive interviews, I don’t care about going to three different big box stores to get all the tracks I’m supposed to, I care about the music. Novelties will not save your industry. Give us a quality product and we’ll buy it.
