Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for March 11, 2013

Self-production in today’s music business. Bound to make the artist tons of money – NOT !

Either way, the artist is screwed ! People don’t think that they should have to pay for their music. They think downloads and file sharing should be free.

@LInguist – check out Amanda Palmer. Did a kickstarter which was very successful.

The strip has established the girl has real musical talent. Sherm might be in some legal trouble if he’s not telling his clients he can’t produce their albums without additional funding, though.

Luis C.K. is making a lot more money from self-publishing without worrying about piracy than if he went through any labels and DMCA protections. His work is pirated, but he doesn’t worry about it. He’s finding that people are willing to pay more for premiums and better-quality recordings they can’t get through ripoffs.

Mozart is a bad example. He earned a lot of money. And spent it. He had a “pauper burial” only because the emperor at the time legislated against “irrational” spending of resources on funerals.

Some think this cartoon is free.

The Beatles are a bad example too. I would love to have as much $ as a Beatle!

There is a thriving middle-range in the music biz, where artists create and produce the recordings without the help of the music industry (it’s amazing what you can do with a “home” computer), market directly to customers over the internet, and earn a decent living. No, they don’t get rich, or famous enough to be mentioned on TMZ, but they do support themselves and their families in a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. Which may be a lot better than the big-business music scene, where something over 90 percent of the albums recorded never make enough money to cover the record-company expenses (production, promotion, cocaine for the executives, etc.) and therefore never pay any royalties to artists.

I see a conflict brewing on the horizon between a new mom and a babysitter…

Allison Krauss and Yo Yo Ma do a version of Slumber My Darling that will touch you. Have your tissues ready.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xftn_mV7czA

Thats not true. I know a lot of people who are into music, they all pay for it. Including me.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>How old are you ? The age demographic makes a huge difference in the attitudes about free downloading, file sharing, pirating vrs. paying.While not a particular " collector", I often purchase a CD directly from an entertainer that I’ve seen " live" – especially, if I have enjoyed their performance – because I know that the profit is going directly to them.

@dukedougHow many times do I have to buy the White Album before it’s mine?

Am I missing something here or is Leo? It seems to me the people who use the media should be paying something to her. Not her doing odd jobs to get people to listen to her music.Is that not the joke?

You guys think this is a new phenomenon?Read up on Stephen Foster sometime.The guy was one of the most brilliant and productive songwriters of all time, was never rich, and died a pauper at age 37.

I think the song writing and recording industry has changed dramatically since the early to mid 1800s. That is not a reasonable comparison at all.

Rewards for each level are easy. The lowest level merits a song download, the mid tier gets you an album download, and the highest tier gets you tickets to a live performance by the artist. Kickstarter is a great way to crowdsource low levels of funding.

“Most of today’s “artists” are nothing but drug-addled party animals, anyway.”

C’mon, you know better than that. Some are, and some aren’t, and it’s nothing new. Creative artists – musical, visual, literary – have played around with their brain chemistry as long as there have been creative arts. When only alcohol was available, that’s what they used (and it’s still very popular). Whatever genre of music you like, it’s pretty much a given that some of the people who made it were wasted at the time…

The net makes self-publishing possible – Consider Baen Books, old books are free downloads to introduce the readers to the latest titles, which do get paid downloads. Or, look into Cory Doctorow (or, would you donate to the site of a new artist here on Go Comics?)

“Many times you’re not “depriving” the artist of much money at all. Why should I give my hard-earned money to a handful of slimey record co. owners?”

The record company makes more from record sales than the artist, and you use that as an excuse to deprive the artist of what little share they’re entitled to? Yeah, the distribution is inequitable, but still…

Everything is free nowThat’s what they sayEverything I ever doneGonna give it away.Someone hit the big scoreThey figured it outThey were gonna do it anywayEven if doesn’t pay.

I can get a tip jarGas up the carTry to make a little changeDown at the bar.Or I can get a straight jobI’ve done it beforeNever minded working hardIt’s who I’m working for.

Every day I wake upHumming a songBut I don’t need to run aroundI just stay home.Sing a little love songMy love and myselfIf there’s something that you want to hearYou can sing it yourself.

‘Cause everything is free nowThat’s what I saidNo one’s got to listen toThe words in my head.Someone hit the big scoreAnd I figured it outThat I’m gonna do it anywayEven if doesn’t pay.“Everything is Free” © Gillian Welch

Uh oh, Alex better not find out about this working arrangement lest she gets very jealous again.

Why don’t you start a Kickstarter account and try to raise funds to deal with those issues?

“Most of today’s “artists” are nothing but drug-addled party animals, anyway.”As opposed to Elvis Presely, Hank Williams, John Coltrane, Hector Berlioz???

Little late to the party, but I thought of Amanda Palmer, too—I think the character looks a little like her! Now if her husband comes along looking like Neil Gaiman…