Know your value as a professional

[Thonex]

Check out this video... finally an accurate portrayal of what it's like to be an artist in Los Angeles. This was brought up in another forum... and found it so appropriate... I'm sharing it here.

This guy is my new hero:

http://www.8164.org/pay-the-designer/

[MattiasNYC]

He makes very good points. It's a struggle for many of us I think.

[kdm]

Thanks for the link Thonex. I've seen that one before, and he is exactly right.

But this isn't just Los Angeles. And it isn't isolated to reuse of work, but original work as well. The attitudes of many directors here is very troubling. The current 20-30 something crop places little or no value on music as a creative work.

Creative work is becoming a commodity. Artists need to take a stand, and professionals need to educate clients about the dangers of going with a cheap/free amateur. Too many people are playing on that "I'll get discovered" mentality. You might as well play the lottery.

"Sorry joe musician, your song/photo/artwork isn't going to make $100k selling at $25/blanket use on a royalty/license free library, and Steven Speilberg or Disney aren't going to hear/see it, ever, much less call you..."

[D]

This is a major problem with music.

Watching threads like "Generous Radiohead" over at cnet used to make my blood boil. It's easy to take the free music gamble when you're already rich and famous. Does it help the little guy? Not in any way, shape or form. I could literally make more money busking in the city than trying to promote my own music by giving it away online. In NYC you can probably make a few hundred bucks a day if you have a good location.

People are always asking you to share, but they share nothing with you. Yeah, that is a sustainable economic model and a model for personally satisfying living. And monkeys might fly out of my hidden crevice...

[Manolo Camp]

Hehe good stuff he's talking about. I feel for all of you 'artists that make a living out of it'.
As some of you know, i release my stuff on CreativeCommons License. That's another cup of tea. But i had some questions about using my music in a commercial way, i ask for money as those balls receive money too for using my work. Some of them did pay a fair quantity, some of them repeated theyr like and need for nothing, then disappeard forever as i denied again :icon_eek3: :icon_lol:

Well ... i play on another league but had same experience.

[TerryG]

In 1988 I signed a deal with Capitol Records/Metal Blade.
In summer 1989 the first album of that contract was released.
I got a phone call from a friend living 300 miles away, he'd found it at Tower Records.
I had to drive around town to buy my own copies of the CD, vinyl, and cassette.

In 2000 I digitally remastered a 1987 cassette tape of "live in studio" performances to release on CD because bootleggers were cheating fans by selling horrible fourth generation tape copies burned on CD-R for $20 each...

Also in 2000, the Greek version of Metal Hammer Magazine manufactured 16,000 copies of my first album (originally released in 1986) to give away as a FREE promotional tool inside to launch their magazine in Greece.
They never asked for permission, or paid me a dime.

Bloodsuckers on top, leeches below. I've seen it all.

Promoters ask us to come to Europe to play their festivals all the time... and most offer us $1500 and expect us to be thrilled.
It's barely roundtrip airfare for one... pathetic.
I don't have a problem playing three shows in Europe for free during a one week trip, as long as the promoters cover all expenses for the band (roundtrip travel/hotel/food/transportation), because that usually runs about $10,000 on their end and I figure it's a reasonably fair exchange as a vacation with a couple days of leisure inbetween. Still, we're all missing a week of work to be there, so it's a combined net loss of thousands in wages and preparation expenses for us to get that "free" trip with "promotion"... They sell out the concerts 6 months in advance and we hope the tickets are sitting at Will Call...
Three months later a live concert DVD shows up for sale... manufactured by the promoter, and we never get paid.

I've made other people a lot of money in this business.

[D]

In 1988 I signed a deal with Capitol Records/Metal Blade.

Signing with a major label is the last decision many bands make. I've seen it happen, so I have no doubt there are many more stories like this out there.

Then there are the teaming millions with barely an ounce of real talent, that haven't poured their entire lives into their art, that will sell their souls to be part of the circus, money or no money. They ruin it for the people who do have real talent.

[TAFKAT]

Check out this video... finally an accurate portrayal of what it's like to be an artist in Los Angeles.

That was great.., I loved how he kept shifting and changing characters , while barely taking a breath..

It doesn't only happen in the creative arts , it happens anywhere there is intellectual property involved. I have lost count how many times people expect me to drop my pants on technical details on my DAW's, while in the same breath being dismissed as a charlatan for even daring to offer something called a PC DAW, and not sharing the minute details. After all, anyone can slap one together from parts from their favourite supplier..

In the end , I always come back to the same motto - "How Much Is Your Time Worth " , for those that understand and respect that its a 2 way street, then there is nothing else to explain, for those that don't get it , there is no point trying to explain it.. :icon_no: