The Music Biz

[BUK]

I don't know who this guy is and perhaps this is old news (no I didn't do a site search for it), but it is well written summation/rant about the demise of a torrent site called "oink" ad the music biz in general. I am unfamiliar with it, but it sounded pretty cool. It's very long but worth the read.

http://www.demonbaby.com/blog/2007/10/when...k-birth-of.html

I cannot condone stealing, but the tide IS turning in the music business.

Many artists will and have lost their market in the process, but a business model will shake out..

I say we go back to the "patronage" model of the past. The king/nobleman (rich family like the Medici family in Italy) had the money and called the tune. The artist/musician was beholding to his patron and created on demand. For that he was compensated with housing, food and wealth. I know it's a simple-minded view of a much more complex relationship, just go with it.

Today WE are kings and noblemen. We, through incredible leaps of technology, have the ability to form an "interest based" collective that is not bound by geography or finance. The turning point will be when promotional vehicles like Pandora and distribution veins like Oink combine.

This will only happen over time as the model is refined and people change their habits and expectations. People only seem to change after catastrophe or structural collapse. After the fall, like minded collections of people will network and exchange favorites and artist will be supported. Its just the nature of people to organize based on desire.

As most of you know, I am an insufferable Ian Thornley supporter. I pump/pimp others(Earl Greyhound, Alter Bridge, Army of Anyone), as well, with the thought that if you all like Zep, then you probably will like THIS. I enjoy the shared recognition of a piece of art. It's kinda the general reason we all are here. At times it's tough to break through what I perceive as musical myopia, but that goes to my "expectations' not the fault of the community.

I will always support Ian Thornley in both financial ways and promotional ways. His music is worthy. Others will support others for the same. When organizing like-minded people becomes more affordable (ie. a website/message board/music download/commerce is truly "one-click"), and it WILL BE, a fanbase will become a patronage base. We will pay to keep our favorites alive and creating, grow more fans and lessen our cost in the process. This model has it's own Orwellian problems, but problems comes with any human venture.

Believe me if there were enough people who "appreciated" another drawing of mine around the world and would pay a nickel each in great enough quantity, and it became a pipeline I could affordable plug into, I'd do more drawings.

It's not greedy to be a capitalist. Art is motivated by the soul; capital is necessary to feed the body which houses it.

What do you all think?