Two artists managers having dinner and they were discussing whether musicians ought to be able to make a living. I can only imagine the discussion if Matthew Katz had also been at that dinner. Ownership of the band’s name, ownership of the masters, production/writing credits, draconian recoupment agreements with the label, discouragement of audits so as to not harm other management clients might come up. Don’t forget the merch. I’m not sure the rights of musicians would be in the top ten. But hasn’t the industry always be about who gets to eat, and who gets eaten?
Similar things could be said for those who enjoy music - should it be free to enjoy, or should people pay for it. Some enjoy listening (or dancing) alone, others love a shared experience. I had a conversation only yesterday with a friend who worked in teaching, a lady in her 70's who's first ever trip to a 'gig' was about 3 years ago, which I was stunned to learn. Yet she loves and enjoys music.
The tools have changed more than the love, desire or inspiration I think - that "fork-engagement optimisation" isnt far from the truth, but surely its more a managerial thing, and the true chef will still needs to concentrate on the ingredients, taste, colour and presentation in order to firstly satisfy themselves. I do agree that the other end exists, but thats the industry becoming lazy, giving people access to the tools too early, and telling them its their responsibility to monitor the 'FEO' etc - until such a time as the industry can then take over and manipulate them, and there's always a danger of - "fuck that 'steaming rare goat-shit' Enzo - just whack the beans on the toast and keep them coming!"
Exactly - they can play at home - or they can play in the pub (and treat it as at the same level as working behind the bar), or they can join the music business - and that means what it says - "business". Music is just a minor part of it.
My first wife (the one you didn't meet, Simon) used to say, "The only problem with the music business is the business.... What's happened in the last number of years is that it's now the business music. Young people go to uni, get degrees in Artist Management, taught by people who never knew what achieving success entailed.... I was on the phone yesterday with a songwriter I signed back in the 70's. He wrote the first song I signed when I came back to Australia to run ATV Northern Songs. It was the first song he had recorded and went to #1. He was able to quit his job helping people get jobs and become a professional writer. He does songwriter workshops along with writing and told me the question he is always asked is "How do I get a publisher?" and he said his response is, "Why would you want one? The bottom line is that labels and publishers no longer are in the business of investing in developing talent. They are in the business of maximising the value of the copyright assets they own... I met a couple of weeks ago with a very talented arranger/producer/music director who has worked with some very big names. He told me that the deal with his publisher has come to an end and he would need to negotiate a new deal. I asked him whether he'd recouped his advance and how much it was. When he told me, I said to him, "Why would you bother? If I were managing you I would be looking for at least 4 times the amount you got? The amount they gave you first time round shows they don't respect you, don't want to take a risk, and expect you to do all the work." But I have to admit that I had been in the business for at least 15 years before I realised the sheer volume of money to be made... The think that most composers of contemporary pop music don't have an appreciation of is that before radio and TV and records, there was live music and grand rights... Verdi, Handel, Puccini, Mozart, Mascagni... etc. Handel relocated to London from Vienna because the copyright laws in England meant he would get paid. Mascagni became rich beyond his wildest dreams because of one opera - Cavalleria Rusticana. Everything else he wrote was an expensive flop. But then again, he was the Chuck Berry of his age - always figuring out how to get every last bit of juice out of the person who's hired him. Artists have to get smart and realise they need to own responsibility for their careers...
When a young musician would approach me after a show to tell me how great he thought I had played, it took several years just to thank him/her and not say "Have you ever heard Tony Williams!"
As a listener I've been guilty of it myself. Sitting in a hotel bar with a brilliant jazz pianist playing softly in the background, and under the influence of a bit too much whiskey, or too many cocktails, i've found myself at the piano telling them how bloody good they are. Everything I'd hate most if it was me playing the piano.
I started out reading this, thinking “what an entitled prick,” but kept reading & that is not at all the case. A worthwhile read. I cannot think of one professional violinist worth their salt who doesn’t insist upon $1000 to open the case & $1000/minute ten minute minimum. The $30-50,000 and beyond annual instrument insurance bill (not to mention the liability policies!) ALONE requires recompense. I would. Very much have loved to hear those early jazz sessions Simon. Were they good? Any recordings?
I think this piece misses the point Simon. Surely the real debate is why a whole community/tier of professional musicians are struggling to make a living? Last week I interviewed Jesca Hoop. A brilliant singer-songwriter who has made seven albums, the latest one her best yet. And yet she almost couldn’t make it because her bank balance was low. I’ve interviewed Flyte, Broken Social Scene (ok there are too many of them), Ladytron - all very good working bands - but none wrote hits in the last century and so are always struggling even though established, with fan bases and catalogues. These musicians should not be struggling and always on the verge of calling it quits. Surely that is the real point of your conversation here?
No - the point of my conversation is that life is as it is. You do something people want, you make money from it. Nothing wrong with choosing to do something that you feel is your calling but which doesn't earn you much money - but why complain about it? There are people who embroider beautifully, who spend their life tending gardens full of rare flowers, who make exquisite engravings on otherwise ordinary glass tumblers. Masters of their craft all of them. But if their craft, at this moment, is not greatly in demand, they will struggle to make money from it. Most of them accept that and are prepared to regard their art as a calling, or a hobby, rather than demand that the world support or subsidise them. Why should music be any different? There's 'making a living'. And there's 'fulfilling yourself artistically'. You can choose, change or compromise.
Because it’s a function of time. Music is craft, but it’s also a big business that generates $billions. In the last century, if you had a hit song, a best-selling album and a fan base, you could make a living - maybe a very good living. Today, you could have the same creative output - a big song, a great album, a fanbase - but struggle. My feeling is this - music the industry/the business - should be responsible for making sure its source is well looked after. If we take the view that the source has no right to expect to make a decent living, then there should be no big business, as with other crafts.
I agree with you in principle, Keith, but my sense is that artists are the canaries in the coalmine and are pointing to where things are rapidly heading for everyone else in the US, based on this piece detailing the evolution of the economy over the past 50 years and where we stand now - https://garynull.substack.com/p/how-tens-of-millions-of-american
Except for a handful of Taylor Swifts, musicians may all end up being craftspeople playing for one another in living rooms if current trends continue. (It's already happening!)
Wait. Isn’t there a magical place where unicorns exist, & Senator McConnell is alive, where artistic fulfillment & making a living walk hand in hand? As a young artist, that did exist for me. Paid to rehearse, two exceptionally delicious meals a day, duos, quintets, piano quartets, septets, octets, everyone paid to rehearse break rehearse. I brought my Danish, Norwegian, & Japanese new friends (all now principals around Europe nearing retirement). Minneapolis 1986-1991…….i left to pursue graduate work. That proprietor later sued for csa at the children’s theater prior. I never knew. My superstar violist cohort, with whom I flew northwest inaugural flight to Paris for the Winter Olympics while strolling 10 minutes each leg due turbulence🤣. Still my most favorite gig EVER, may he RIP & Love forever. Eric Froze to death. Homeless. Beneath a Minneapolitan bridge, mid February 2013. There WAS a blissfully coordinated time. It is most definitely Not now…..
Yet another message of thanks for a marvelous piece of writing, Simon, and I love your accompanying pictures.
Music painting both I love
1 “Focus first on social media.”
2. “Analyse data and metrics.”
3. “Make sure your brand is cohesive over platforms.”
4 “Buy a decent suit “
5 “Become your own CEO or President”
6 “Let AI write, record and perform the music”
And yes boy/girl you’ll be a plumber soon (there might be a song in there, need to work it out today)
Hope you are well !
Two artists managers having dinner and they were discussing whether musicians ought to be able to make a living. I can only imagine the discussion if Matthew Katz had also been at that dinner. Ownership of the band’s name, ownership of the masters, production/writing credits, draconian recoupment agreements with the label, discouragement of audits so as to not harm other management clients might come up. Don’t forget the merch. I’m not sure the rights of musicians would be in the top ten. But hasn’t the industry always be about who gets to eat, and who gets eaten?
The greatest advice I ever heard for a musician, or for any performer:
"Do something that people will pay to see."
Thanks for this essay, Mr. Napier-Bell.
Brilliant advice as always
Much of this typically excellent Simon-thinking can apply to musical theatre
I think the same pressure exists in all the arts these days - to be professional has the same cachet now as to be amateur had 100 years ago.
As always - spot on!
Similar things could be said for those who enjoy music - should it be free to enjoy, or should people pay for it. Some enjoy listening (or dancing) alone, others love a shared experience. I had a conversation only yesterday with a friend who worked in teaching, a lady in her 70's who's first ever trip to a 'gig' was about 3 years ago, which I was stunned to learn. Yet she loves and enjoys music.
The tools have changed more than the love, desire or inspiration I think - that "fork-engagement optimisation" isnt far from the truth, but surely its more a managerial thing, and the true chef will still needs to concentrate on the ingredients, taste, colour and presentation in order to firstly satisfy themselves. I do agree that the other end exists, but thats the industry becoming lazy, giving people access to the tools too early, and telling them its their responsibility to monitor the 'FEO' etc - until such a time as the industry can then take over and manipulate them, and there's always a danger of - "fuck that 'steaming rare goat-shit' Enzo - just whack the beans on the toast and keep them coming!"
Exactly - they can play at home - or they can play in the pub (and treat it as at the same level as working behind the bar), or they can join the music business - and that means what it says - "business". Music is just a minor part of it.
My first wife (the one you didn't meet, Simon) used to say, "The only problem with the music business is the business.... What's happened in the last number of years is that it's now the business music. Young people go to uni, get degrees in Artist Management, taught by people who never knew what achieving success entailed.... I was on the phone yesterday with a songwriter I signed back in the 70's. He wrote the first song I signed when I came back to Australia to run ATV Northern Songs. It was the first song he had recorded and went to #1. He was able to quit his job helping people get jobs and become a professional writer. He does songwriter workshops along with writing and told me the question he is always asked is "How do I get a publisher?" and he said his response is, "Why would you want one? The bottom line is that labels and publishers no longer are in the business of investing in developing talent. They are in the business of maximising the value of the copyright assets they own... I met a couple of weeks ago with a very talented arranger/producer/music director who has worked with some very big names. He told me that the deal with his publisher has come to an end and he would need to negotiate a new deal. I asked him whether he'd recouped his advance and how much it was. When he told me, I said to him, "Why would you bother? If I were managing you I would be looking for at least 4 times the amount you got? The amount they gave you first time round shows they don't respect you, don't want to take a risk, and expect you to do all the work." But I have to admit that I had been in the business for at least 15 years before I realised the sheer volume of money to be made... The think that most composers of contemporary pop music don't have an appreciation of is that before radio and TV and records, there was live music and grand rights... Verdi, Handel, Puccini, Mozart, Mascagni... etc. Handel relocated to London from Vienna because the copyright laws in England meant he would get paid. Mascagni became rich beyond his wildest dreams because of one opera - Cavalleria Rusticana. Everything else he wrote was an expensive flop. But then again, he was the Chuck Berry of his age - always figuring out how to get every last bit of juice out of the person who's hired him. Artists have to get smart and realise they need to own responsibility for their careers...
Thank you for taking time to write and educate us Simon x
When a young musician would approach me after a show to tell me how great he thought I had played, it took several years just to thank him/her and not say "Have you ever heard Tony Williams!"
As a listener I've been guilty of it myself. Sitting in a hotel bar with a brilliant jazz pianist playing softly in the background, and under the influence of a bit too much whiskey, or too many cocktails, i've found myself at the piano telling them how bloody good they are. Everything I'd hate most if it was me playing the piano.
Post concert... for sure, I agree. During the show, in many instances you both want and sometimes need the adulation.
If you're playing a show for an audience, yes. But if you're playing music for yourself, the audience's intrusion is not so welcome
I started out reading this, thinking “what an entitled prick,” but kept reading & that is not at all the case. A worthwhile read. I cannot think of one professional violinist worth their salt who doesn’t insist upon $1000 to open the case & $1000/minute ten minute minimum. The $30-50,000 and beyond annual instrument insurance bill (not to mention the liability policies!) ALONE requires recompense. I would. Very much have loved to hear those early jazz sessions Simon. Were they good? Any recordings?
I'd like to hear them too - but long ago and long before recording became easy
I think this piece misses the point Simon. Surely the real debate is why a whole community/tier of professional musicians are struggling to make a living? Last week I interviewed Jesca Hoop. A brilliant singer-songwriter who has made seven albums, the latest one her best yet. And yet she almost couldn’t make it because her bank balance was low. I’ve interviewed Flyte, Broken Social Scene (ok there are too many of them), Ladytron - all very good working bands - but none wrote hits in the last century and so are always struggling even though established, with fan bases and catalogues. These musicians should not be struggling and always on the verge of calling it quits. Surely that is the real point of your conversation here?
No - the point of my conversation is that life is as it is. You do something people want, you make money from it. Nothing wrong with choosing to do something that you feel is your calling but which doesn't earn you much money - but why complain about it? There are people who embroider beautifully, who spend their life tending gardens full of rare flowers, who make exquisite engravings on otherwise ordinary glass tumblers. Masters of their craft all of them. But if their craft, at this moment, is not greatly in demand, they will struggle to make money from it. Most of them accept that and are prepared to regard their art as a calling, or a hobby, rather than demand that the world support or subsidise them. Why should music be any different? There's 'making a living'. And there's 'fulfilling yourself artistically'. You can choose, change or compromise.
Because it’s a function of time. Music is craft, but it’s also a big business that generates $billions. In the last century, if you had a hit song, a best-selling album and a fan base, you could make a living - maybe a very good living. Today, you could have the same creative output - a big song, a great album, a fanbase - but struggle. My feeling is this - music the industry/the business - should be responsible for making sure its source is well looked after. If we take the view that the source has no right to expect to make a decent living, then there should be no big business, as with other crafts.
I agree with you in principle, Keith, but my sense is that artists are the canaries in the coalmine and are pointing to where things are rapidly heading for everyone else in the US, based on this piece detailing the evolution of the economy over the past 50 years and where we stand now - https://garynull.substack.com/p/how-tens-of-millions-of-american
Except for a handful of Taylor Swifts, musicians may all end up being craftspeople playing for one another in living rooms if current trends continue. (It's already happening!)
Wait. Isn’t there a magical place where unicorns exist, & Senator McConnell is alive, where artistic fulfillment & making a living walk hand in hand? As a young artist, that did exist for me. Paid to rehearse, two exceptionally delicious meals a day, duos, quintets, piano quartets, septets, octets, everyone paid to rehearse break rehearse. I brought my Danish, Norwegian, & Japanese new friends (all now principals around Europe nearing retirement). Minneapolis 1986-1991…….i left to pursue graduate work. That proprietor later sued for csa at the children’s theater prior. I never knew. My superstar violist cohort, with whom I flew northwest inaugural flight to Paris for the Winter Olympics while strolling 10 minutes each leg due turbulence🤣. Still my most favorite gig EVER, may he RIP & Love forever. Eric Froze to death. Homeless. Beneath a Minneapolitan bridge, mid February 2013. There WAS a blissfully coordinated time. It is most definitely Not now…..