In today's CNN/Money site there's an article on how Madonna is rumored to have left Warner Music for a ten year contract with Live Nation, worth $120 million. Of course, in the extremities of paycheck ka-ching, A-Rod is currently in a ten year $242 million dollar contract that many expect he will opt out of in order to bump it up to $300 million. I mean, just to keep her $120 million in perspective...Live Nation is the worlds biggest and baddest concert promoter, raking in notable NYC venues; Roseland, Hammerstein, Irving Plaza, Jones Beach, the Nokia in Times Square, and the McCarren Pool in Williamsburgh. This aint no CBGB town anymore, it's Live Nation vs. Bowery Presents (the local upstarts giving goliath a run for its money with Bowery Ballroom, Mercury Lounge, Webster Hall, and Music Hall in Williamsburgh). To me, that seems like a lot of money for a blond ambition in the waning years of her vocal career, but thank god she does more dancing than singing.
The article is interesting because it also mentions the altering landscape of music distribution. Paul McCartney goes latte factor, releasing his latest CD on Starbucks' label, and Radiohead eschewed labels altogether by going straight to download- off of its own website. It's like CDs will inevitably go the way of 8 track, and my guess is the iPod revolution has only begun.
- “The music business is changing and there are different ways of making money but the labels are sticking with this white whale called the CD. The Internet could be the salvation of the labels if they do a better job of adapting to it instead of fighting it,” said Phil Leigh, senior analyst with Inside Digital Media, an independent research firm based in Tampa, Fla.
In a BBC article on Radiohead's release and what it means for the music industry, NME reviews editor Julian Marshall says,
- "I think it's actually a really exciting time. People have been talking for years about how the internet was going to change the way people approach releasing their records."
Now if only we can find a way to bring back album cover art.
1 comment:
Man. I do love the smaller, more intimate venues. There's a good place here in DC, the 9:30 club, that still gets great performers and is small and fun. Just fyi--NPR streams live concerts from 9:30 a lot.
It's nice to have greater variety and access to music online, though. I guess I've got to take the good with the bad. I wonder if online access makes payola better or worse...I would think it'd make it better.
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