Am I a sellout?
Back in August I put up this post on the tartanpodcast.
There was quite a lively response to it, and today another comment was posted;
I've replied, click through to see it.I think that a lot of people are doing this for a lot of different reasons, and that’s cool. Everyone needs to figure out what their reasons are and define their own path based on that. Personally, I agree that PMN has sold out. The argument that they haven’t based on a statistical analysis speaks volumes to me. At the same time, we just had our show removed and that was that.
I am a musician. My show is a communal effort. Every show is hosted by musicians and we have formed a small network that supports each other. It’s not about numbers. And it’s not a copycat model of traditional radio. The show is about music. It’s about how much we all love and care about music. That’s what’s missing in my opinion from traditional radio. It’s all about marketing studies and business models and numbers of people who have played a certain song. (kinda like PMN)
PMN can do their thing though. And they will attract listeners who are into that, and that’s cool. One thing I would like to mention though from the musicians perspective is that PMN has built this whole model based on musicians donating their music. The system is intended to propel individuals who host the shows on the backs of the musicians who donate their music – the sentiment being that publicity generated from podcasting will help the musicians earn income from a secondary unrelated stream (such as a record deal or other music industry related windfall). Well, anyone who knows jack about the music industry would know that that for the most part is a load of crap. In essence, the musicians are being used. However, unlike traditional radio where there is an archaic appearance of a system to payback artists, PMN doesn’t seem to keen on sharing any of the $$ they generated from their business model with the people who made it possible.
The reason why PMN has sold out is because PMN isn’t enabling artists to work outside of the system. This is what podcasting was about initially. It was a way to go around the overhyped, overmarketed, outdated, corrupt system of traditional media. All PMN is doing is prepping people for more of the same – more girls rolling around on the floor half naked with guitars, more i need to sell 500,000 copies of my record to break even, more i need to make some money capitalist crap. and that’s cool.
But my point is that it’s not about music anymore.
But thinking about it afterwards, I think she's implying that we've sold out, i.e. me, Big Mike, CC, Canis, Renamarie, Julien, Marcus, Michael - we've all sold out. And the last bit about it not being about the music anymore, can anything annoy me more?!
Re. advertising (which, let's face it, was what started the discussion; running ads was selling out), there hasn't been an ad on the tartanpodcast since September.
Re. not about the music - I played at least 3 songs per podcast and I put out at least 2 shows per week. What is it about if it isn't the music.
It's a topic guaranteed to get my goat ;-)
posted by mark - tartanstories.com @ 3:02 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
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I'm curious as to why the PMN removed her show ?
As to the profits / money aspect of her post, if you have a look at the News section of the Podshow press room, there's one BusinessWeek article proudly displayed which states:
"Curry’s grand ambition? Grab at least part of the $30 billion spent annually on audio advertising."
That would give Joe Public the misconception that the PMN is using the free work of musicians to make some very big money for itself indeed !!
But as you and I as podcasters know (you PMN, me not), there ARE bands that are getting huge attention and selling more self-produced CDs than they ever dreamed they could. The PMN does work - the music is there to be found by the world of podcasters, PMN or not.
Yes, the PMN is a business, but it has to be to do what it does for podcasters and listeners. You can't get the staff, systems and publicity paid for by thin air, can you ?
That's my take on her comment; I'm curious as what others though the gist of it was.
I agree with you. However, you are missing the point. Which is that PMN is essentially a pyramid scheme which pays a lot of money to a few people at the top.
In the traditional system, BMI/ASCAP has a system in place to payback artists for number of plays. Granted it's an extremely politicized inefficient system. But there is an effort there.
Again, I have no problem with do it yourself anything. But the issue (to me) is that this is something else. It is a very corporate model which is generating large sums of money to certain people.
I think it's great that so many people have gotten involved and are trying to make a difference. My hats go off to you. Truly.
I just think people should recognize that there is a larger machinery in place here.
That's all.
The evidence as far as I'm concerned is that I don't believe the bill for storage, infrastructure and all the other stuff comes to $30 billion.
My question is where the rest of the money goes. And yes I absolutely agree with you about BMI/ASCAP.
Again, I have no problem with do it yourself anything. And I am in my own way trying to support indie artists. It's just a different path.
Why do you care so much about my opinion that you are getting defensive. If you feel good about the path you've chosen, why do you care?
The great thing about the US as far as I'm concerned is that we have the luxury of choosing our own paths.
Anyway, I'd love to hang out and argue the finer points of minutia with you on this issue. Unfortunately, I'd rather spend more time on music.
Cheers (as best of luck)
$30billion? What on earth are you talking about?
As for getting defensive, it's not defensive; if you're opinion was based on fact that somehow showed up my choice as being a poor one (quite what that choice is isn't clear from your comments) I'd perhaps feel defensive.
Your closing comments...don't make me laugh.
Hey, just wanted to say I'm sorry my message yesterday was posted multiple times-- it seemed to have been deleted. I didn't bring up creotradio to "spam" it, but only as an example of an alternative model. It's by musicians, for musicians, has no ads, and is ALL independent music, recorded by the musicians themselves. Nobody's getting paid, and if we collectively decide at some point to have advertising, we'd find a way to share the profits in a fair way. I strongly believe this is the right way to do things... there shouldn't be this sense of "we're doing these bands a favor by playing their music, so we're entitled to make money off it and not share it with them". Musicians need to cut out the middleman on all fronts-- recording, distribution and exposure. Podcasting is a great way to achieve the exposure side of this, but musicians need to take the reins and cut out the middleman. PMN is a middleman.
--ubertar
Mark.
You mentioned late last year that PMN requires you to do 3 podcasts a week in return for advertising revenue which never eventuated. You developed the tartanpodcast yourself, it was your idea, your own effort yet you are now merely an 'affiliate' to a larger network with the obligation to churn out three shows a week. Have you done any analysis on whether PMN is generating the majority of your new listenership? Both you and I are currently featured in the iTunes Music Podcast section. This is currently generating about 250 new subscribers a day forme and it's more exposure than PMN ever could offer.
What are your overall objectives though? Revenue or listenership? The two are not complementary as yet.
MK
PMN doesn't require me to do anything; PMN is the Podsafe Music Network. My contract is with Podshow. My podshow contract requires me to do 3 shows a week, a requirement I've had them rescind. So the number of podcasts I put out a week is entirely up to me and is based, not on any contractual obligations, but on what I'm able to do after taking into consideration that I haven't 'Given Up My Day Job'...
250 new subscribers per day is an incredible amount; my subscriber base, as far as I can tell, as remained on a plateau for about 4 months.
I take issue with the tartanpodcast, and I presume, myself being described as 'merely' and 'affiliate'. I think the tartanpodcast stands up in its own right as a music podcast and I stand up in my own right as a producer. Scour my site and listen carefully to my podcast for any reference to any network in either.
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