Jerry Moss of A&M Records on How to Succeed in the Music Bus
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Jerry Moss of A&M Records on How to Succeed in the Music Bus
I've developed great habit of only taking music biz advice from top music biz folk...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vh9cgwTJFI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vh9cgwTJFI
Music is like oxygen, you can live without it but not for very long...
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Re: Jerry Moss of A&M Records on How to Succeed in the Music
Excellent advice. I don't know if I agree about being young. I mean I am young(29) and I realize it's a slight advantage, I don't buy into that you must be younger absolutely all the time. Be an outlier.
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Re: Jerry Moss of A&M Records on How to Succeed in the Music
I took down my old comment and have modified it to make it less wordy, etc. I saw that plenty of people were reading it, but no one had a comment - probably a bad sign.
My point was not that Moss’ advice is not good. I admire both him and Herb Alpert - they stand out in a crowded field for many reasons. My point was that he can’t very well give you the following advice: “Start a record company in 1957 just a few years before the American record business explodes’. He and Herb were talented, had guts, and cared about music AND money. But they also caught a gigantic wave. That they rode that wave with uncommon grace is all to their credit, but they didn’t create it, and it’s not replicated today.
His advice to be careful about who you work with, and to work as hard as you can, is unarguably right. But the most pertinent thing he said, IMHO, is ‘we haven’t caught up with the technology yet’. Indeed, how we value music, in a retail sense, is up in the air right now. I was just saying, particularly to younger people, that making real money from your own music is something you deserve as much (or as little) as anybody else ever did, and that your attitude towards your own catalog will make a difference in how it’s valued (assuming it has good stuff in it). Arrangements like at Spotify are not inevitable. We all have a role in deciding how our material is valued. If we treat it like it’s worth squat, it *will* be worth squat - at least to us.
That being said, we do live in a more democratized situation now, compared to the and 70s, 80s, etc. Many more people are each going to earn less - it’s just inevitable. Instead of a few dozen artists earning millions, several thousand will earn 5 or 6 figures. That’s a *good* thing (and TAXI is a major part of that - Michael L. was WAY ahead of his time). But there is a trend afoot - the so-called ‘sharing economy’? - in which people who actually create music, art, and other ‘content’ etc. don’t get paid at all, or so little that such creation can only be a hobby. THAT isn’t inevitable.
My point was not that Moss’ advice is not good. I admire both him and Herb Alpert - they stand out in a crowded field for many reasons. My point was that he can’t very well give you the following advice: “Start a record company in 1957 just a few years before the American record business explodes’. He and Herb were talented, had guts, and cared about music AND money. But they also caught a gigantic wave. That they rode that wave with uncommon grace is all to their credit, but they didn’t create it, and it’s not replicated today.
His advice to be careful about who you work with, and to work as hard as you can, is unarguably right. But the most pertinent thing he said, IMHO, is ‘we haven’t caught up with the technology yet’. Indeed, how we value music, in a retail sense, is up in the air right now. I was just saying, particularly to younger people, that making real money from your own music is something you deserve as much (or as little) as anybody else ever did, and that your attitude towards your own catalog will make a difference in how it’s valued (assuming it has good stuff in it). Arrangements like at Spotify are not inevitable. We all have a role in deciding how our material is valued. If we treat it like it’s worth squat, it *will* be worth squat - at least to us.
That being said, we do live in a more democratized situation now, compared to the and 70s, 80s, etc. Many more people are each going to earn less - it’s just inevitable. Instead of a few dozen artists earning millions, several thousand will earn 5 or 6 figures. That’s a *good* thing (and TAXI is a major part of that - Michael L. was WAY ahead of his time). But there is a trend afoot - the so-called ‘sharing economy’? - in which people who actually create music, art, and other ‘content’ etc. don’t get paid at all, or so little that such creation can only be a hobby. THAT isn’t inevitable.
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Re: Jerry Moss of A&M Records on How to Succeed in the Music
That was cool.
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Re: Jerry Moss of A&M Records on How to Succeed in the Music
Yeah, earning a living solely from creating and selling music is a little more than a dream for most.That being said, we do live in a more democratized situation now, compared to the and 70s, 80s, etc. Many more people are each going to earn less - it’s just inevitable. Instead of a few dozen artists earning millions, several thousand will earn 5 or 6 figures. That’s a *good* thing (and TAXI is a major part of that - Michael L. was WAY ahead of his time). But there is a trend afoot - the so-called ‘sharing economy’? - in which people who actually create music, art, and other ‘content’ etc. don’t get paid at all, or so little that such creation can only be a hobby. THAT isn’t inevitable.
But nothing to get sad over. There are plenty of other avenues to make money. And making music itself is a gift.
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Re: Jerry Moss of A&M Records on How to Succeed in the Music
Best quote.. "people don't even need companies anymore"!
Ceo of my own life
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Re: Jerry Moss of A&M Records on How to Succeed in the Music
I think democratization means that many more people today make a living from producing music (not playing it live) than ever before. In the recent past a few people made a lot of money, and now many more make less, but still a living. (Taxi was ahead of *everybody* on this tip, afaik.) It may still be a dream for *most* to make a living at recording music, but lots more people do it nowadays than even 20 years ago. I don't have a link, but I remember a Forbes article from the last 18 months or so listing the top ten growth-jobs, and 'music producer' was on the list!earning a living solely from creating and selling music is a little more than a dream for most.
I think most people would settle for making a living.
I disagree with the implication that making music is strictly 'its own reward'. Whoever said that you should only be paid if you hate your job? Does that mean that the more you hate it, the more you get paid?? If someone tells you you shouldn't get paid because you are 'being compensated by your own enjoyment', think twice: it's an excuse to rip you off, IMHO.
Doing music strictly as a hobby means no Beatles, no Mozart, no fill-in-the-blank-with-someone-you-think-is-great. No back catalogues worth billions (like A&M, for example).
There are plenty of other avenues to make money.
I'm glad for you that you can say that!
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Re: Jerry Moss of A&M Records on How to Succeed in the Music
I guess that I don't understand musicians sometimes. The mindset of the struggling musician never, ever, ever, ever made sense to me. I understand doing what you love. But if doing what you love doesn't pay the bills, you continue to do what you love and work another job to pay the bills. Why is that so hard for people to understand?
I have gotten into countless arguments and ramblings about this subject. I hear all of the responses and criticisms and gripes. But then I ask "what are you going to do to pay your bills?". No one ever states a clear answer. There is always some talk about sparking a revolution or going against the grain. Why not just do music and have a day job until your music pays more than your day job?
Anyway, Jerry Moss is awesome. More awesome than me. People more awesome than me are the people I plan on following.
I have gotten into countless arguments and ramblings about this subject. I hear all of the responses and criticisms and gripes. But then I ask "what are you going to do to pay your bills?". No one ever states a clear answer. There is always some talk about sparking a revolution or going against the grain. Why not just do music and have a day job until your music pays more than your day job?
Anyway, Jerry Moss is awesome. More awesome than me. People more awesome than me are the people I plan on following.
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