1,000 true fans is the goal

just got this link from a friend and just now starting to read through it, but it has some really interesting ideas and is definitely worth reading.

"1000 True Fans"

more to follow...........

update

       so the article presents a pretty compelling argument. I mean being able to count to 1000 is not that difficult. And three years is certainly not a long time to suffer and toil for one's art.  And certainly if you follow through on the initial math, that is a very modest but sustainable living even in this American Financial Mess we live in today.

1,000 true fans * $100/year their willing to spend = $100,000 per year.

Now let's not get into to many statistics, as I do consider myself a true fan of some artists, and i find it hard to believe that i spend around $100 a year on materials, works, pieces, etc. that they produce. THat being said i would agree that i spend at least $50 per year on multiple artists, and well, multiply that by $1,000 and you still have $50,000 per year. Either way the math is still compelling.

Spotify the new music pirate

I found quick a collection of articles on Spotify and other streaming services available for musicians to get their music heard.  They are all written from different artist views from small and independent artists. Some of them are very good and well worth the read. I will not say i agree with everything that is said, but certainly these are "food for thought"

article 1: Spotify From a Musician’s Perspective
article 2: Should Artists Have to Work a 2nd Job?
article 3: Release day economics
article 4: Zoe Keating On Spotify
article 5: Spotify should give indies a fair deal on royalties

Finally, here is a quote to make you go "ouch"!:

"I am very concerned about the apparent disrespect shown by many in our culture to those who pursue artistic endeavors, One recent survey showed a surprising number of Americans who believe that artists should have a second job to support themselves – as they should not expect to be paid for their art!  We must educate the public and eradicate these extremely destructive beliefs."  --  John Simson

Greed and the Music Industry

Great paper/essay written by a Chicago artists that is becoming more well known these days. This is a re-print of a re-print as the original does not seem to be available these days.

Read it here.

quote:
"They’ve raised prices of CDs to punish us for losses to piracy, while of course; this only punishes honest music customers. RIAA has now stooped to sending out letters at random accusing internet users of sharing files and directing them to a website, where you can make “discount settlements” payable by credit card.

How can they sue you for $750 for downloading a digital song that’s sold to retailers for less than $0.70? I have yet to hear the answer to that question. So naturally, I think to myself: “Hey! I own a record label! How can I get involved in this profit party?”. Oh, RIAA is a private club. Small businesses don’t seem to be allowed.

So does this mean that if I sign with a major label I’ll get my fair share of these lawsuits battling the theft of my material? Nope. Artists are only compensated for post-recoup sales. 0% of this lawsuit money is trickled down to the artist. So basically, if you’re not one of these companies, you can’t win."