SONGTALKER for August 2010
by Mel Glazer
IN THIS CORNER is BARRY WEISS, Group Chairman/Chief Executive of RCA/Jive and in the other corner is ROB STRINGER, chairman of Columbia/Epic. The situation is tense. When business goes down, the organization is prone to downsizing and one of these guys might take a fall. On the other hand, if business starts to go up, one of these guys will be up for promotion Those of you who follow this column know that I’m a fan of BARRY WEISS, as an executive, music producer and human being. I predicted, way before he replaced CLIVE DAVIS as the Chairman of the BMG Label Group, he was on his way up, up, up, and I was right, right, right. But this deal is sticky. HOWARD STRINGER, SONY CORP. chairman/CEO is the brother of ROB STRINGER. The question is does nepotism rule? PREDICTION: ROB STRINGER is dynamite. He has vision and is constantly creating new/increased revenue steams for SONY. I believe his brother, Howard, will restructure, in a cost and revenue constructive way, placement for both giants, not because of nepotism but because HOWARD STRINGER is a genius and too smart to lose either one. The villain in all this might turn out to be the Japanese. They’re not so hot on nepotism.
I recently met MARC BAUMAN who graduated Magna Cum Laude from FIVE TOWNS COLLEGE. He majored in AUDIO ENGINEERING and is now the owner and chief engineer of HOUSE RECORDING STUDIOS in Plainview. His studios were designed by FRANK COMENTALE who is famous for crafting some of the most renowned recording studios in Manhattan. Marc is an all-around music entrepreneur in recording and mixing, songwriting and production services, sound for film and TV, audio post production, DJ Entertainment and live/studio percussion. But that’s enough about him. I heard some of his tracks and thought they were great. But you can check him out for yourself at HouseRecordingStudios.com
I DON’T UNDERSTAND: Why do so many bands insist on merchandising their name or logo on a two color T-shirt? Why don’t they offer something more creative, more unique, more of who and what they are? If one considers themselves an ordinary kind of artist, then go black and white. But if they think they’re special, and they want their fans to feel special, reach for the unusual. Being different can make a big, big, big difference.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND why so many of you who own the Sound Recording rights or perform on digital transmissions have not registered with SoundExchange. They have been entrusted by Copyright Royalty Board to collect and distribute digital performance royalties on behalf of featured recording artists, master rights owners, and independent artists who record and own their own masters. They collect the digital royalties from satellite radio (Sirius XM), internet radio, cable TV music channels and similar platforms for streaming sound recordings.
TICKETMASTER/LIVE NATION: Months ago, before the TICKETMASTER/LIVE NATION corporations merged, I predicted that the combination would, in contrast to what they and some government officials were saying, result in their squeezing every dollar they can from the fans. I forewarned that the fans will have to rely on their favorite artists to place a cap on ticket prices in their contracts in order to accommodate them. Now, all the things I warned against are being widely reported. With the record companies still taking losses, and the major artists looking to their concert work to bring in their major income, Ticketmaster/Live Nation has become, in my mind, the most powerful corporation in the music industry. They are kings who can and will rule over artists, managers and promoters. Watch their billing in the future. Watch to see if they don’t add this new fee, that new fee, fee after fee just like the telephone bill. And who do you think is going to pay for the hundred million plus deals they have been making in order to sign big acts like Jay-Z, Madonna, U2 etc. Me? Not me! You? The only other possibility in my mind, would be if multiple acts cancel their tours, then watch them blame somebody or something and lower their prices.
Tune in next month for more Songtalker.
Copyright 2010
Melvin J.Glazer & Assoc., Inc.
All rights reserved
