/ Cory Doctorow / 10:01 pm Tue Dec 18, 2007

MTV declares music industry "broken" -- and backs it up

MTV has a three part series on 2007, the Year that the Record Industry Broke, about the incredible missteps, boners, and idiocies that the recording industry scored in 2007, and the losses they suffered as a result. When MTV declares the record industry dead, you know there's something going on.
October 16: Madonna finalizes a massive 10-year deal with Live Nation, believed to be worth $120 million. It's the largest so-called "360 deal" in history, involving not only Madge's future studio albums but her tours, merchandising, film and TV projects, DVD releases and music-licensing agreements. "For the first time in my career, the way that my music can reach my fans is unlimited," Madonna says in a statement. "The possibilities are endless. Who knows how my albums will be distributed in the future?" The deal brings to an end the singer's 25-year relationship with Warner Music Group, which has released all of her albums to date.
Notice that Madonna's now being brought to you by a concert promoter that makes most of its money by getting bums in seats. Every time a Madonna song is copied, it increases the market for her concerts. Talk about a 21st Century business model. Link

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  1. “What the hell does Madonna think she’s doing?”

    (At least that’s what she wanted to know the last time I downloaded one of her songs from pre-RIAA-sanctioned Napster.)

  2. So, does this mean that if we live somewhere an artist is never going to appear, that we are STEALING MUSIC?

  3. “Madge”?

    I guess I just don’t keep up. I still associate Madonna with that ridiculous conical bra (I know, that was at least 4 or 5 makeovers ago). But…is she now encouraging people to soak their hands in dishwashing liquid?

  5. “Getting bums in seats”?
    To my English ears that sounds like she’s trying to attract tramps to her concerts. This may well be true of course.

  7. If MTV declared the reality show dead, I might be prone to hearing them out. Music…not so much.

  8. The music industry is in flames, and it’s only going to get far, far more entertaining in 2008. If this is the year the music industry “broke,” then 2008 will see its collapse.

  9. The music industry is broken? I sure hope so! Maybe that means actual musicians will get record deals, rather than “pop personalities.”

  10. I think it’s great that concert promoters are finally addressing the problem of the housing-challenged not being able to see Madonna in concert. Bravo Madonna! I just wished they weren’t referred to as “bums.”

  11. I have worked in the music industry for 15 years, and to misquote Samuel Clemens, “the reports of the death of the music industry are greatly exaggerated.”

    The problem is the phrase “music industry”, there is not one model for the music industry, there are several levels and variations on the music industry, and always have been. To say “the music industry is dead” is a vast generalization. Yes, the upper levels, the major labels, have made huge missteps and/or shot themselves in the feet, but many smaller labels and distributors are still going strong. This is like the “death of vinyl” stories I always heard in the 90’s– to this day when a truck driver shows up at our warehouse with a pallet of boxes marked “phonograph records” he always asks (if he’s new) “that’s not what’s really in there is it? They don’t make those anymore!”

    Yes, they still make records.

    As for the death of the record industry: Kanye West sold 800,000 units of his new album in the first week. Explain to me how that proves the record industry is dead. There are massive changes going on in the music industry, but it ain’t dead yet by a long shot.

  14. Hmm, MTV made a sensationalist statement about the top labels… is Viacom trying to lower the prices on some future takeovers?

    Not dead or dieing (well, maybe the CEOs and VPs), but definitely changing.

  17. >vry tm Mdnn sng s cpd, t ncrss th mrkt fr hr cncrts.

    Mr hyprbl frm Cry bsd n nprvn ssmptns.

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