That's the thing that bothers me is that they have the funds to do pretty much anything they want. If you get sued you can't exactly afford to fight it.

I don't support piracy in any way, but everything I hear about their business practices just seems underhanded as hell.

No, they're not enablers to the problem. They're artists looking for money. Jesus, what is YOUR problem?

Actually, they are enablers.

If the RIAA is so evil, someone would form some competition for them or get legislation enacted to deal with a monopoly. Or they would go independent.

There's no monopoly because they're not a company that sells things--they regulate (a cartel). Think OPEC. You can say "people would go independent" very easily, but people make next to no money on independent labels because of disjointed and infrequent tours, the inability to publicize their new albums due to underfunded labels, etc etc. People on indie labels need to rely on word of mouth alone to promote their stuff, and while that's a very powerful tool with the internet, it pales in comparison to a 30 second TV spot or a place on TRL etc etc.

I really don't think you know what you're talking about.

If you really wanted to get into semantics, indie labels should be considered more of music distributors than music labels. The big name labels send their bands on tour, pay for their recording sessions, and promote them on television and radio. True, they take most of that money they spend back, but the point is that they can afford to do all this.

Indie labels really don't do much more than print CDs and distribute them either through the internet or local indie record stores. I don't know of any indie label that ever sent their artists touring. The artists usually have to arrange their own shows at small local venues, because the label can't really afford to send them across the nation.

The RIAA can suck my D

I know plenty that do--mainly epitaph and rhymesayers. Minus The Bear's label also sends them touring iirc, but I'm not sure if they're signed indy anymore.

We'll I belive that No Idea helps set up tours (for example Against Me! toured way more once they signed to that label)

And I believe dischord helps with their touring bands, but thats probably through connections and stuff rather than just setting up the tour

(dischord is probably the ideal indie label)

Yeah they do.

http://www.fueledbyramen.com/

Argh., here is the rest of what I was saying. True, they are usually underfunded, but indie labels do send bands on yours.

And Freelancer, people are trying to change the system. But it's not easy.

WTF do these idiots think you're going to do with MP3's? In fact, they pretty much are shooting themselves in the foot, because if copying your own CDs to your MP3 player is "not fair use," there actually promoting illegal downloading. I mean, what reason is there to buy CDs when they're quickly becoming obsolete?

****ing idiots.

They're gonna have to sue Apple for making ipods which do nothing but promote illegal activity.

The RIAA is way to powerful for any good, except the good of the organization's pockets.

Someone should sue the RIAA for making a mockery of the music industry and technology.

I'm pretty sure they know what they're doing. They probably realise their industry is becoming obsolete, and are trying to squeeze it for as much as it's worth before it completely falls apart.

Im sure Apple would beable to stop them if they ever clashed

Hopefully they'll actually try and thereby put one more nail in their coffin.

This may have been true 15 years ago, but most of the bigger indie labels are pretty much mini-Major labels. The indie labels that are like the ones you're talking about are the one's owned by someone's uncle, run out of their grandmother's basement.

The indie label that's courting my band right now would give us a major label recording budget, pay for our tour van, pay for our gas + hotel rooms + per diems on the road, book us a 300 night tour, and do all of our promotions.

I think what you meant to say was... "some indie labels, most of them being run out of someone's grandmother's basement, can't afford to do this."

and I actually met The Academy Is and Panic! last night... I thought they were on a bigger label than that. Their tour buses were HUGE. Adam from Academy does shots like nobody's business.

That's cool dude.

[QUOTE=Dj Yoshi]but people make next to no money on independent labels [/QUOTE]


People make no money on the big labels either. (the reason generally being that, while the major labels may front the money, it's up to the artist to recoup it out of royalties (read: indebted to the label), so in a sense the label isn't paying for s*** when its all said and done. Meanwhile the label gets lots and lots of what is basically free money by exploiting the artist's talent and pocketing the bulk of the proceeds. Every deal with a major label benefits only one party: the label. )

this breaks it down rather nicely: (language)

http://www.arancidamoeba.com/mrr/problemwithmusic.html

Musicians generally make more money touring than they do on studio recordings. As such, a bands popularity plays the largest part of how much income they get.

That's assuming that people make most of their money through CDs...they make it through touring and merchandising. Trust me, the record label doesn't own that.

Is it true that you can download music, but they only go after you if you are "sharing"?

I concede the point.

We're lucky in Britland, because a little corner of our digital media laws states that you're allowed to make one 'backup copy' of ANY digital media you own for your PERSONAL USE.

[QUOTE=Unknown User]Is it true that you can download music, but they only go after you if you are "sharing"?[/QUOTE]
It's a fairly popular rumor. I dunno if it's true or not.

[QUOTE=Dj Yoshi]That's assuming that people make most of their money through CDs...they make it through touring and merchandising. Trust me, the record label doesn't own that.[/QUOTE]

From what I've heard, the RIAA is trying to dip their hands in concert proceeds.

I think thats how it should be. When you like and respect a band, you will pay to go see them, or thei merchandise. That way if bands want to make money, they need to write good songs or put on shows. A lot of these artists put out music that people dont really like and so they along with the RIAA start demanding money when they dont really deserve it.

[QUOTE=Unknown User]Is it true that you can download music, but they only go after you if you are "sharing"?[/QUOTE]

Well I've always been of the opinion that if it's there it's yours to access and download, and it's the responsibility of whoever it concerns to shut the thing down. Freedom of speech and all that. I would have said that works on similar grounds - they'd probably still have you regardless though, although of course if you share they just track you through your share list and nab you twice as quick.

wow that would be ridiclous, they are the RECORDING industry association

whered you hear this? any links?