Where do you get your music?

First, I apologize for not posting in a while. My company has had me on a grueling travel schedule. For the past few weeks I have often had to ask the people I am working with what city I am in!

So, where do you get your music? It is not something that most people think about. You hear a song on the radio or TV and like it, so you go to a local music store and you purchase it. But most people are not aware that the music sold by the major record labels generates virtually no money for the artists who actually make the music. A typical CD sale in a music store costs you about $12-$15 and the artist in most cases earns less than one dollar. A major-label song sold on iTunes generates only pennies for the artist.

Why? Because when an artist signs with a record label it is at the beginning of their career when their earning potential is unknown and their eagerness high. The contracts they sign require them to pay for just about every aspect of their career and to even repay the record label for investments they've made before they can see any income themselves. So, even if a record label earns tens of millions of dollars on an artist, that artist is still required to repay the record label for recording costs, travel, just about everything. And the record label retains the rights to your songs, sometimes forever. If this doesn't sound all that pleasant an employment agreement, you are correct. This is why most artists signed to major labels make most of their money from touring and merchandising. Unfortunately, the record labels are trying to tap into those sources of revenue as well to try and collect more revenue on top of their failing business model.

Today, an artist can record his own music in his own home with relatively inexpensive tools. He can sign up with online music retailers such as CDBaby, AllIndie or eMusic. Companies like these will sell your music for you online as either a download or shippable CD, take a small commission for the service and give the artist the remaining money from the sale. Under these conditions, and artists can retain up to 80% or more of the revenue generated by the sale of their music. And some of these retailers even have relationships with iTunes, allowing an artist's music to be available to everyone who owns an iPod.

This makes a lot of sense for an artist, who can make 10 times more direct revenue than they would if they were on a label, and their overhead is significantly less. In addition, they control their music and are typically much more responsive to their fans. Finally, independent artists are not directed by record labels and pop-culture trends. Some of the most powerful and moving music that I have found are from artists whom I had never heard of before, and in some cases have never heard of since. It does not matter what type of music you like, there is something for everyone in the independent music world.

The wealth and diversity of music available from independent artists is staggering, and I urge you all to take a look at some of the non-standard music sources. In addition to adding some great music to your collection, you will be supporting a group of people whose love of music has transcended the attempt by the music industry to turn an art into a product.