Questions About Free Music Downloads

My good friend Tonet, a music fan herself popped me a series of questions about The Charlatans' move to having their music downloaded for free. Thanks bai for approving my request to post this.



Here goes:

pinayangel899: bai question
ian_zafra00: go :)
pinayangel899: the charlatans released their new album...
pinayangel899: and you can download it for free
pinayangel899: what do they get out of it?
ian_zafra00: based on ur question, nothing
ian_zafra00: better and larger fanbase i guess
pinayangel899: eh diba malaki ren ang gastos ng recording
ian_zafra00: good question
ian_zafra00: well nowadays recording really comes cheaper everyday
ian_zafra00: if the band has their own equipment already and if they have a good software, PC, professional speakers and microphones... they can do the recording anywhere
ian_zafra00: i guess that solves their problem on the cost of recording
ian_zafra00: so now they can afford to give it away for free
ian_zafra00: that's just my guess bai
ian_zafra00: based sa questions mo
pinayangel899: another thing...if its a really good album, sayang naman if they're just giving it away.
pinayangel899: honestly, nasabi ko "what were they thinking?!"
pinayangel899: weird lang. ikaw, would you do something like that? full album? curious lang.
ian_zafra00: i dont have the exact answer to that question but this is my guess
ian_zafra00: perhaps the band isn't aiming for albums sales anymore
ian_zafra00: they're sort of "pirating" their own music in the hope of translating it to ticket sales instead of CDs
ian_zafra00: because the truth is that even when the artist sold 4 million copies, the label would still claim that they had to recoup the cost
ian_zafra00: so what's the point of sale?
ian_zafra00: bands go for live performances these days i suppose
ian_zafra00: and they can sell CDs there for the CD collectors
ian_zafra00: i suppose that's the new music business model every band and their management is adapting
pinayangel899: sabagay. pero parang here in pinas, it's hard to do that. or siguro hindi pa ready ang pinas for that.
ian_zafra00: i wouldn't know... nobody tried
ian_zafra00: or maybe nobody wanted to at least risk the possibility of bankruptcy
ian_zafra00: because finding a good band can be difficult too
pinayangel899: madaming reasons. madami din factors.
pinayangel899: yeah isa pa yan
ian_zafra00: surprisingly A&R's don't sign up bands that had been in the music scene for a long time
ian_zafra00: A&R's may think that it's either the band has no market value or there really is something wrong with them because they haven't succeed in any way
ian_zafra00: that's why many bands would opt for indie
ian_zafra00: unlike before na limited lang talaga ang mga A&R's ngayon, andami na bai
ian_zafra00: and they compete between labels too
ian_zafra00: unlike before when A&R's would just go to bars to look for fresh talents, ngayon they sign up bands because of their already established fanbase
pinayangel899: easier for them
ian_zafra00: yes
pinayangel899: less work for promotion
ian_zafra00: yes
pinayangel899: napansin ko ren yun
ian_zafra00: but then technology has been good to all of us
ian_zafra00: so hence the recording comes cheaper
pinayangel899: si clem owns a macbook
pinayangel899: he does his demos dun
ian_zafra00: bands don't need advanced royalties anymore to record
pinayangel899: i asked him if he plugs his guitar sa computer
pinayangel899: hindi na daw pero ang ganda ng tunog pa din
pinayangel899: pero pwede nga yung sinasabi mo with his computer
ian_zafra00: yes
ian_zafra00: record labels are basically entities that grant loans to artists (that is if they qualify) in the form of advanced royalties
pinayangel899: ang hirap din pala if you're signed up
pinayangel899: kasi parang mas madami yung hati hati tapos mas mahal ata ang tax.
pinayangel899: tama ba?
ian_zafra00: uh... maybe
ian_zafra00: the money is supposed to be used for recording
ian_zafra00: kasi before (and because of this system)... bands believe that the major record companies are the only ones who can do the record for them
ian_zafra00: not anymore
ian_zafra00: because everything else comes cheap
ian_zafra00: the charlatans is a relatively established band with a good following and i think that's where the band is investing themselves into
ian_zafra00: they want to satisfy their fans
ian_zafra00: because one of these days, they want to go them and play
ian_zafra00: and that's probably where thay can earn later on
ian_zafra00: just my guess
ian_zafra00: bai question
pinayangel899: sabagay yeah
pinayangel899: ano yun?
ian_zafra00: would you mind if i post this in my blog?
pinayangel899: which one?
pinayangel899: ah
pinayangel899: no
pinayangel899: ok lang
ian_zafra00: this entire talk
ian_zafra00: what no? hahaha
ian_zafra00: or ok lang?
pinayangel899: ok lang
pinayangel899: i dont mind
ian_zafra00: sige sige thanks bai
pinayangel899: http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2008/download-charlatans-new-album-for-free
pinayangel899: may interview ren kasi
ian_zafra00: sige sige thank you talaga :)
ian_zafra00: this is gonna be a big help to some bands