Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Part 2 on CD Piracy: More with Adam Bernard of Beyond Race magazine

NB: What would you say to an artist who has had their albums leaked before they are released by journalists in the past?
AB: I’d say that it’s horrible that they had to experience such a lack of professionalism. It’s a sad fact of life that not everyone is equipped with a strong set of morals, but that’s something we have to deal with in every aspect of life. Just because one writer screwed you over, though, don’t take it out on the next one by blowing off your interview days. Remember, it’s not all about the quick sale, it’s about developing a fan base that will support you over the next ten to twenty years that will ensure your livelihood. If you stay professional you will have a much better chance at making that happen.

Artists and publicists need to remember that it’s not just the content of the album that matters, but how that content is being listened to. I interviewed Dru Ha, founder of Duck Down Enterprises, a few years ago and when the subject of how he likes to listen to demos came up he noted:

“…you're in your office, that's your work environment, that's never when I listen to music. A producer will come in and say they want to have a meeting with me and I'm like you want to have a meeting with me for what? The last thing I want to do is sit in front of my computer in the middle of a business day, of business hours, and listen to your beats, because that's not how I would listen to your beats. How I would listen to your beats is after a couple of drinks, laying back, or being in my car, or going somewhere, or being relaxed, and that's also difficult to even have a work environment and try to get into music. You listen to most of your music in your free time as a consumer, as a fan, so that's really what we are, we have to be fans first and I get stressed out during the day so I don't really maybe have time to give something my full attention.”

RapReviews 7/06 - http://www.rapreviews.com/interview/druha06_2.html

Are you an artist? publicist? manager? writer? valued reader of this blog? Please leave you comments on this issue!!!

1 comment:

  1. I have never become a fan of an artist by downloading singles. therefore since downloadable music is here to stay the labels should make all digital downloads albums instead of singles and they should charge $5.00 an album instead of the $10+ for an album. When I downloaded albums it was not because I wanted to screw the artist but because I have been burned by artist putting out crap albums with one good song. Thirty second sound clips are not enough to tell if an album is good or not. So until artist get serious about making good music I will rely on those immoral music journalist to provide me with the means of making an informed purchasing decision.

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