Why Rocks Biggest Stars Are Selling Away Their Publishing Rights

Boo hoo. And I would like to take back all the money I spent on shitty albums and crappy concerts over the years too.

Before streaming, artists could get away with a shitty album and at least make a decent chunk of change before word got around that the album was a stinker.

Today, we get to taste test. They don’t like that. If it’s a good album, people will stream it over and over and over and others like me, will buy it. I order CD’s and Vinyl LP’s every week.

If it’s bad, you can keep it.


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Mike said:
Boo hoo. And I would like to take back all the money I spent on shitty albums and crappy concerts over the years too.

Before streaming, artists could get away with a shitty album and at least make a decent chunk of change before word got around that the album was a stinker.

Today, we get to taste test. They don’t like that. If it’s a good album, people will stream it over and over and over and others like me, will buy it. I order CD’s and Vinyl LP’s every week.

If it’s bad, you can keep it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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And if one of these artist that is selling off their rights, has to worry about a mortgage, they had mismanaged their money ( or someone mismanaged it for them ) , or used for booze, drugs etc.... Just ordered a few LP's and CD's myself, should be here in a few days.
 
CPP said:
And if one of these artist that is selling off their rights, has to worry about a mortgage, they had mismanaged their money ( or someone mismanaged it for them ) , or used for booze, drugs etc.... Just ordered a few LP's and CD's myself, should be here in a few days.
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Completely. We aren’t talking about a struggling Liz Longley here. That’s why I’m shedding some crocodile tears.


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So far I haven't streamed anything yet, but do buy 2-3 downloads each week from HDTracks. Anyway, from what I have read about streaming on this, and other, sites, very few people who stream buy any music. The common theme is they no longer need to buy music thanks to streaming. I can easily understand how a musician's income has been greatly reduced by streaming.
 
Problem is that everyone wants to make money like a Rock star. To make that kind of money, like a Rock or a Rap star, one has to tour and fill up stadiums everywhere they go, not complain why they get .00002 cents per view on youtube or how a streaming platform rips them off. Complaining about the unpaid mortgage with a few hundred thousand views when the other Rap star got a Billion views on youtube is not anyone else's fault but your own. Everyone wants or thinks they deserve a lot more these days. Go be that Rock, Rap, Pop star and make your millions. Why should I feel bad about streaming? Does anyone care about my mortgage?
 
Mortgage problems? I don't see any mortgage problems here.

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still-one said:
A great number of people die penniless. You cannot expect to get through life living off what you generated years ago.
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Evidently even hundreds of millions can be squandered away. Should we discuss some "poor" Movie Stars? :)
 
Lots of musicians sold their souls to get a recording contract. There are also a lot of leaches who take their share. It often included rights to their music. Jimi Hendrix had $11,000 net worth when he died. I imagine he is not unique especially during that period of time. On the other hand, those that make it big now can amass a huge fortune if they catch on. I am thinking of people like Taylor Swift, Lady Ga Ga, etc. Most don't
 
Mike B. said:
Lots of musicians sold their souls to get a recording contract. There are also a lot of leaches who take their share. It often included rights to their music. Jimi Hendrix had $11,000 net worth when he died. I imagine he is not unique especially during that period of time. On the other hand, those that make it big now can amass a huge fortune if they catch on. I am thinking of people like Taylor Swift, Lady Ga Ga, etc. Most don't
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Many artist have very limited if any business expertise and quite frankly have been taken advantage of. And that include very famous artists (think The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, and many more). You mentioned Taylor Swift, she lost her rights to her early recordings (which recently sold for several hundred million).
Not to mention that many artists opt for an unsustainable level of living even when generating millions of dollars (think Michael Jackson).
 
Mike said:
Completely. We aren’t talking about a struggling Liz Longley here. That’s why I’m shedding some crocodile tears.
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I am not so much concerned about the big names that have been around. Then again I don't think I have seen Roger Waters, and most like him complaining. They realize they have to just live through it.

But people like Liz Longley, Lyn Stanley, etc., are the ones that are getting hurt, badly. They don't make shit from streaming and they independently produce their music. I had to buy Liz's latest album (which I think is excellent) straight from her, even if I could have bought it elsewhere (not sure if I could have). I really enjoyed the nice thank you post card she inserted into the shipping package to me also :). She also said that maybe when she can start touring again she would see us in California!
 
What exactly are these musicians/songwriters being criticized for? Selling rights to their own material they created and that they currently own?
 
Randy Myers said:
I am not so much concerned about the big names that have been around. Then again I don't think I have seen Roger Waters, and most like him complaining. They realize they have to just live through it.

But people like Liz Longley, Lyn Stanley, etc., are the ones that are getting hurt, badly. They don't make shit from streaming and they independently produce their music. I had to buy Liz's latest album (which I think is excellent) straight from her, even if I could have bought it elsewhere (not sure if I could have). I really enjoyed the nice thank you post card she inserted into the shipping package to me also :). She also said that maybe when she can start touring again she would see us in California!
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Like you, I support the small artists and the big ones by buying their music, direct from their website when I can.


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So many people seem to complain about or take issue with stars that make lots of money. I could care less if they make a lot or not, however what I do care about is artist I enjoy continue to make music. If they have to count on what is made from streaming service then most could not even actually pay their mortgage. It is not about anyone caring about my mortgage, etc. It is about this is what these folks do for their living. Only a small percentage actually become wealthy, just like many other professions.

I believe for me to continue enjoying new music these professionals need to be paid. With a small percentage of exceptions very few can actually make a living from streaming services. They make out better from people purchasing their music. Of course touring probably makes the most for them, but that is gone now. During these trying times I believe the streaming companies are making out even more than normal. I also feel that they should up their rates for the artists (personally I would say permanently), but certainly at the very least until things get better.
 
Randy Myers said:
So many people seem to complain about or take issue with stars that make lots of money. I could care less if they make a lot or not, however what I do care about is artist I enjoy continue to make music. If they have to count on what is made from streaming service then most could not even actually pay their mortgage. It is not about anyone caring about my mortgage, etc. It is about this is what these folks do for their living. Only a small percentage actually become wealthy, just like many other professions.

I believe for me to continue enjoying new music these professionals need to be paid. With a small percentage of exceptions very few can actually make a living from streaming services. They make out better from people purchasing their music. Of course touring probably makes the most for them, but that is gone now. During these trying times I believe the streaming companies are making out even more than normal. I also feel that they should up their rates for the artists (personally I would say permanently), but certainly at the very least until things get better.
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You won't hear me complaining or taking issues with any musician making as much money as they possibly can. Good for them. It is how it is supposed to be. I do take issue with musicians complaining about being ripped off. Times change, business models change. The Silent Film pianist found himself out of a job the moment the silent film stopped being silent... Can't make it? Do something else.
 
The reality is that the great majority of artists will most likely not earn enough money to sustain a decent living.

This is not a new thing. That has existed for centuries even before streaming was a word. There is a term “Starving artists” that has been around for centuries. Check this entry from Wikipedia:

Starving artist - Wikipedia

There have always been amazing artists who had to do other things in life to earn a living. Many artists died penniless (Van Gogh depended on his brother during his lifetime, yet today his paintings sell for millions of dollars; Mozart struggled financially at the end of his life he would be a multi-millionaire today from streaming; and Michael Jackson died in debt).

I have a couple of friends who have a band. Before Covid they used to perform (sometimes gratis) but not on a regular basis. They have to pay to make their own recordings which are now being streamed. I buy their CDs and T-shirts and stuff, but they cannot live off that! Good thing that they all have day jobs; they need them!
 
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