Day and Date

I think the main problem is that the industry is simply working with an outdated model.

Here is a classic example – three new bands have released records in the UK on major labels in the past week. LaRoux, Little Boots and Filthy Dukes. All three are electronic (the 80s are back.. again) bands, not the kind you would like I guess, but I enjoy them. One can see plenty of videos on You Tube for these bands; hear their music (you know, like you used to hear new songs on the radio!)

So they have released records over the past two weeks in the UK, even charted. Under the old model (last updated mid 90s) the majors let the artist build in the UK and then a few months later (or many months later) they sub-license the record out to one of their US sister labels. Meanwhile if you really like the music you buy the import CD single for $10.

Well, that was the old model. Trouble is now with this new fangled intetynet I don’t have to wait 9 months for the US release or shell out a tenspot for the import single- I can do a quick blog search on Hypem and find people who have posted the songs in their blogs.

That’s right Bob, I stole! Look, I went to iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, trying to find the file to purchase, but it simply was not there. So I guess I stole it. For the record I will probably buy some of these guys on CD when it does come out here, but not everything.

If the movie industry has figured out that day and date release is a good way to get ahead of piracy why hasn’t the music industry? I know that Madonna or similar big bands get day and date, but whey not the smaller bands? I am guessing it has to do with the focus on first week sales. If say Little Boots was released here right now it would probably not sell well the first week – too little time for set up, etc. But you would get sales. And I think you could also get bigger sales down the road. There is still room for artists who build (just ask Adele).

the old model of doing it territory by territory is dead, imho.