For years, the mantra of artist development has been preached inside all the major labels and around the music industry in general. In layman terms, it meant that most of the major labels took a more measured approach to artist development and often waited years for certain artists to put out 2-3 albums and tour extensively before those artists ‘broke’ big. To do that took patience, vision, and a fat wallet. But that was in the days when the labels were making alot more money.
Clearly times have changed. Labels are spending less money, signing less artists, and cutting back on staff.
In today’s world there is a perception as reflected in many of the posts on this blog that labels are no longer in the artist development business. Some of the folks here believe that labels are in the business of molding artists in their own vision and that is what is killing off real artists. I discussed this perception with our guest Charlie Walk and here’s what he had to say. Feel free to tell us what you think.
I think that this guy knows what he is talking about, so I can’t really contradict what he has to say. For god sakes, he’s the frickin’ president of epic records. But I think these short-term artists are going to get easier and easier to find, and the long-term artists are going to get harder and harder to find.
Short-term artists are what really keep customers coming back to the labels. In all reality, this is what is probably going to dominate the music industry. Pop artists who come out with a one single and fade out of the picture just as quickly as the came in. Hopefully, they can find a way to keep long-term artists signed and figure out a way to keep them signed.
Renman
You did really buy in! You really must need some extra help for that next Incubus Record… I worked the short term artists at Epic, yes the ones that were about one hit song that they did not write and more than likely did not sing and it was the artists that had all the attention, marketing spend, videos made, it was trying to find an audience that would mass buy the CD…
Guess what that’s gone away, along with Radio and some artists selling 5 to 10 million CD’s Radio is dead, MTV is about reality shows and the true music fans find out discovery from friends, web-sites, and social networks. That’s truly why the major label system is in a mess, they still rely on radio (sorry it’s dead, you don’t see a lot of KROQ stickers on cars these days)
Renman, I went out and bought my wife a new car for her and my 18 month old son, she was keenly interested in safety, then looks and bought a Volvo SUV black with tinted windows, you know the option she required, “where am I plugging my I-Pod into”
One other note, the business is not broken, it’s going through change, a good friend was talking to an owner of a major independent label out of The UK, he told him that this past January was the best month ever in his 30 year history and this label is the home to some great music like Vampire Weekend and The Raconteurs… Remember Jeff Buckley, do you even think the majors today would deal with the changes and evolution of where the Beatles made from “Meet The Beatles” to Sgt. Peppers?
There is great music out there, great new bands and artists and many have found there way to present and have a career, and truly have no problem with the way that they do business, with out compromising anything with their art.
Love Yeah!
Vince
Bought into whatVince ? You’re the one that just bought into buying the wife a very expensive plugin to her Ipod. Ahh, but don’t get me started about ‘tree huggin’ wives who buy Volvos and Suburbans while they comtemplate saving the world. No win there for sure.
Every body who ever worked at a label had to work some pop driven act that consumed alot of time, energy, and money but somehow managed to sell more than you could imagine. For every Peral Jam, RATM, or Keb Mo record we got to work you’d get a Taylor Dayne or 10. Nothing’s changed there.
Your point about radio is well taken. It just ain’t what it used to be. It seems to me that TV has a much wider reach than radio and more impact on the high side of record sales. American Idol sells records bigtime. In today’s LA Times business section there is a piece on the Jonas Brothers. It is exactly what we are talking about here. A combination of massive TV, internet, and then radio on top. Read the story and you’ll get the picture.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nudisney1apr01,0,3664286.story
I’ll also agree with you on your view of the opportunities that lie ahead. At the moment I think the whole business is out of whack in many ways on the detail level, but, at the big picture level it looks very bright. More people are listening and talking about music than ever. That just can’t be a bad thing. Figuring out how to speak to these consumers in new ways is part of the excitement. The fact that you and I can share a conversation about music with folks around the world and get their opinions as well is pretty amazing in itself .
Finally, I think our friend Mr Walk made some interesting points at our breakfast. We talked about Jeff Buckley and I asked him could/would a label sign a guy like that today and he would, if he could find one. He doesn’t see it right now. Fair comment. Long before this ‘new world’ the music business went thru lulls in between the birth of transcending artists that got everybody talking. If the next one of those artist truly rises up from the street through all the new channels the God bless em. That’s the one I want to see.
I’m sure there are some great artists out there and I can’t wait to hear them.
Okay Renman, I do hear you on The Volvo SUV, however it is my wife’s car and with 2 German Shorthair Pointers, Matty and Slim,one 18 month old son, Shane and hopefully another on the way (Baby) I let my wife have the big car. However my footprint is my Mini, now what does your family drive?
Here’s one more point, is American Idol or The Jonas Brothers really music, or is it selling a souvenir from a hit TV show? Does anyone really care for the artists/entertaineners once either off the show or does not deliver a hit?
You must hear the new Raconteurs, Steve I do know you would love it, it so reminds me of these great rock records from the end of the 60′s, now Jack White, he really is something, I had the pleasure of seeing “The White Stripes” in summer of 2001 on Pier 57 in New York with 4000 other folks when the band was only on the label “kill rock stars” Think about it, this guy is a career artists developed out of the old system.
Yes it is all changing
Here’s something I quite like out of the NY Times yesterday
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/business/media/31carr.html?_r=1&scp=10&sq=business+march+31+2008&st=nyt&oref=slogin
Hopefully the link will work, this is reality BTW Ren, this is where I’m at and where I work it’s all about the delivery of the digital content, we just happen to be the most successful in the B2B space (Providing digital content, film images and music)and we’re very much in the music space.
Loved the story! Everyone should check it out.
And while you read the story grab your Ipod and put on Journey’s “Any Way You Want It” way up loud.
Fantastic article. Really brings to light the issue of technology making our world a lot smaller and how it is affecting event he most arbitrary points of our lives.
I’m still gathering all my thoughts on Mr. Walk’s comments; but in the meantime Ren, just go ahead and send him my way after my band gets our new songs up.
Hehe.
lovelovelove,
-Rh.
brilliant article. very well put.
i enjoyed Mr. Walk’s comments on short term vs. long term artists. it was the first one of these short clips that really got me thinking. my only concern is about his answer to it. according to you renman, Mr. Walk says he would still be willing to nourture a long term artist if he could find one. what does that even mean? does he really not believe he has heard an artist at this point that doesn’t constitute his long term support? i cant possibly begin to believe that that is the case.
i’m curious as to his thoughts if he did find one…say… today. would his label put equal amount of money and time into promoting that artist(s) as they do in supporting a short term band that will sell mass albums?
my concern with the business these days is that i do not believe that a Bob Dylan or a Jeff Buckley would get any attention. i’m curious as to what Mr. Walk would do if he had Jeff Buckley and say Hannah Montana on his label. would he give Buckley his attention and money just as much as Montana?
it just feels to me like i have heard too many stories about artists who are dropped or on the verge of being dropped if they don’t produce a breakout single right NOW. i’m curious if Mr. Walk would be willing to ride out the moderate success of a Jeff Buckley and still be willing to promote and dish out the money that he does for an easy money maker like Montana..
i hope that makes some sense.
renman I grew up in Windsor right across from Detroit and I could not listen to a Journey Song with a gun to my head…and if you had my wife’s Ipod she is listening to Sarkozy’s wife Carla Bruni, Serge Gainbourg, his daughter Charlotte, Goldfrapp or Peter Bjorn and John…my son’s favorite, you see him shake his little touche’
Love the dialogue, it rminds me when Matt Johnson took over your moniker on AOL’s Velvetrope in the very early days of the 90′s…
Ok fair enough on the Journey front. Its funny, when Incubus played South America last Fall, our sound guy played “Don’t Stop Believin’” every night after the show for the blowoff and each night the audience sang the song.
And, did I ever mention how much I love this digital age we live in. This blog which started with me just fuckin around is really starting to be alot of fun. Its nice to hear from the old cronies and all our new friends. Love it!!!
K George,
I’m glad you enjoyed the Charlie Walk excerpt on the LT v ST artist thing. In answer to your question about is it possible Charlie Walk or any other record exec might not hear the next Jeff Buckley, I think the answer is absofuckinlutely yes.
Fact is, the truly great artists don’t grow on trees KG. We’re talking about a handful of greats at any one time.
The problem for the ‘suits’ and artists in the music biz is that only a treasured few artists have the kind of careers, artistically, critically, and commercially that we typically would associate with greatness. Lots of artists come close on one of the counts above but its a rare one that gets all 3.
So the bottom line is that if you are at a label for 10 years and get 1 or 2 “great ones” you’d be a Hall of Fame candidate. And when all is said and done music is still in the ears of the beholder in this case. Somebody signed the Beatles, or Nirvana, or Pearl Jam. And you can bet someone else passed on them.
Now if you were lucky enough to find one of those great ones and develop them while you cash in the chips on Hannah Montana you’d be one lucky bastard and I’m betting your contract gets renewed.
Reese,I got you covered man! For a mere 15%. Just kidding.
Well put renman..
I guess i’m still stuck in that mindset about the “evil suits”.
That’s why i am loving this forum though, it’s great to be able to engage in an open convo with you, Mr. Walk (sort of) and everyone else.
It just scares me thinking there’s the possibility of missing out on such great music. but then again, that is the blessing of the digital age; it’s all at my fingertips.
thanks ren