The King Of Christmas: Josh Groban 2007’s album ‘Noel’ could be this year’s best Christmas seller. USA Today wrote: ‘Noel, released Oct. 9, is No. 1 for the third week straight, tying a record for holiday albums set by Elvis Presley’s Elvis’ Christmas Album in 1957. Last week, he sold 581,000 copies, a gain of 8% over the previous week’s haul of 539,000. Noel could reach 3 million.
Major Music Companies Pass On Extra Costs To Artists: Touring and merchandise sales are the main sources of income for an artist to get from one city to the next. Gas prices are soaring close to $4 a gallon making it extremely difficult for touring artists. As if it weren’t hard enough, it just got a little harder.
Once again, major music companies are finding new ways to find money, in this case labels have increased the prices for venue CD’s (CD’s that artists buy back from their label to sell at their live performances). Sources have told KOAR that the major labels are now treating their own acts as a ‘retailer’ and selling CD’s at whole sale prices to their OWN artists.
For instance, some labels have increased the CD price from $6.00 to $6.50 and Roadrunner charges artists $12.00. If an artist buys back their CD for $12.00 that means they need to sell the CD for $15.00 to make a profit. What kid who attends a live show is going to buy a CD for $15.00? Isn’t it true that CD’s are becoming an artifact? Products like the CD with a shelf life about to end don’t go up in prices. Lets get real, artists need a break.
Passings: Dan Fogelberg Died at age 56 from a battle with prostate cancer. Fox Column, Roger Friedman said it nicely: ‘No one, I mean no one, in pop today is capable of these kinds of sublime recordings. They’re too interested in fashion. Dan Fogelberg, with many hits and no place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will be sorely missed’.
[...] Thanks KOAR [...]
Jesus… if I’d be signed to Roadrunner, I’d probably just buy my CDs at Best Buy or Amazon. WTF! Didnt they make enough with those Nickelback records? Do they now have to ass fuck their own artists with a giant dildo?
How many times can we reiterate that “these f**king labels just don’t get it”?
Hopefully more of them will lose their jobs. Karma is a mothef…..
Alex –
You are exactly right. Its cheaper for artists to purchase their own CD’s at Best Buy, Target, Walmart than to buy back their CD’s from RoadRunner. There should be a CALL FOR ACTION among managers and artists. This is inhumane!
Road Runner Records is straight up buttfucking their Artist @ $12…. Thats totally absurd!
If this starts a trend among labels, consider it one of the many nails in the coffin of bands that tour for labels. Bands WILL move to a “no label” mentality and eventually will be unable to afford their own touring support, and will no longer be able to play in front of their fans. Guess who loses out: Everyone. For those that are fortunate enough to start out with some extra money in their pockets: play your cards right and you’ll be able to succeed without the need for a label. Those that move away from a label and continue to tour on their own, the same rule applies… play your cards right.. you only have so much money in the back to make it work.
All of it is really disheartening as a musician.
If I want to get my music out there, I cannot and will not rely on a label to do so.
just because your a band signed to a label as an outside contracter doesn’t mean you get discounts on cd’s that the label payed for.buisness is buiness,besides someone got to pay for the bands that were signed and never made it out of the box.
after opening for major acts here in Chicago the rule here is national sets prices on merch.and i have seen a hundred times fans pay big time prices on cd’s and t- shirts.a fan paying 15 or 20 bucks at a show for a cd from a national act don’t seem a problem.
RoadRunner Records is a great label. and would not have grown if they were not doing buisness right.
Monte Connor is a solid buisness man and RoadRunner wouldn’t be the label it is.
This infuriates me.
And Larry Anderson is an ignorant douchebag, whoever he is.
“…besides someone got to pay for the bands that were signed and never made it out of the box.”
Are you fucking KIDDING me?
Let Monte Conner speak for himself — I’d LOVE to hear his rationale.
I swear to God if I managed an act on Roadrunner I’d kindly tell them to go fuck themselves, put the music on P2P sites MYSELF and sell ONLY merch at shows.
Re-fucking-diculous.
I managed some bands on major labels and this is true. The labels spiked the prices of venue CD’s. We couldn’t afford to buy back CD’s to sell on the road. How can we promote the product when it costs to much to buy back? You guys are cannibalizing you’re own business. C’mon, lets get real!
We put in email to RoadRunner..waiting for a response.
Also, this is THE system. I wouldn’t point fingers to any specific person at RoadRunner – thats not fair, especially not knowing the facts. Again, This is a company policy and people follow out orders! Again, this insane to punish artists when business is down. Find money elsewhere.
“…business is business.”
Yes, that’s a true cliche, but what is happening is that the business owner is scuttling the ship. In Business Practices 101, you never do something that will harm the internal/external growth of your business.
Making the artists pay those high prices is only driving a wedge in between the label and the artist, and literally putting the artist in the consumer’s area. What happened to being a team with the label, with both parties striving to do what’s best for the common good? Sounds like that’s long gone.
“Making the artists pay those high prices is only driving a wedge in between the label and the artist, and literally putting the artist in the consumer’s area”.
Exactly!!! Could not have said it better myself,many artist know the true cost of a single cd…its far from $12!
The Labels would have tons of $$$ if they would scrap the whole image gig and sign actual talented songwriters & musicians.
Why should the artist that are burning the road up pay for the losses of the labels studio artist?
Response from Roadrunner yet?
[...] reported at Kings of A&R, major music companies are finding new ways to find money, and in this case labels have increased [...]
i know hating labels is in fashion, but
name a band that’s hit it big without a label
“i know hating labels is in fashion”, Barrym….
only by those who have been “turned down”
Alex,come on, when your bands hit the stage thats promoting cd’s.you know bands sell merch to build a fan base and to pay a few bills.no label owe’s a band anything. a band is a buisness, a label is a buisness and both are in a “contract agreement” to sell product.
Name a band that has made it on a Major Label in the last 6 yrs? When i say made it i mean sales of 5 mill plus.The bands of the 80’s were expected to sell 4 million coming out…in the 90’s music was still goin strong!!! By todays standards do you think for one minute a “Major” Label would even consider signing Pearl Jam?
I mean come on,the flannel shirts and all…i don’t think so!! Theres really good bands out there,there just not being sought after,and after all isn’t that the “Majors”job?I don’t think for one minute my disgust for the labels is in anyway trend motivated…lol i’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions.