United States

The music industry of course.
Go ahead and name more if you please
let's compare problems and possibly find solutions

My dislike: The complications of a record deal.
What i mean is all of the legal jargon and possibility of not being able to do exactly what I would like to musically, or tour, or endorsements.
I only wish we could take the Dream Theater approach to record labels, but that wont work for nobodies.

the upside of liking music no one else likes,
is being universally ignored.
so consider your self lucky.


"you can get what you want, but you can't want what you want"
T.E.Lawrence

the upside of liking music no one else likes,
is being universally ignored.
so consider your self lucky.


"you can get what you want, but you can't want what you want"
T.E.Lawrence

Really not sure what you mean by this

well, you seem to imply that you have a record deal and that it is inhibiting your creativity,
I would surmise that you got where you are because a record deal was the priority, not your particular taste in music.
so if you are being paid to be entertaining, be entertaining.
why fool with a good thing?
if it is not a good thing, why do it?

We turned down the record deal though, talked to our friends who are better than us about why they haven't signed after 3 deal offers yet. They claim something similar, but not 100% to what I said. They aren't worried about endorsements like I am, they want to be better, etc. same as what I would like, but that doesn't quite make companies money.

"Catchy" isn't the same thing as good. There are good musicians who do catchy things, or don't apply their full potential, but your standard radio song usually isn't a "wow I wish I could play that!"

To be fair, I don't think all labels are looking to water us down, we are just waiting for the right one. The one who will market our material where it will sell so we can both profit, not us changing what we do to fit a market.

I hope you understand what I mean, I'm not being some hipster or wishy-washy punk. I just know that out of the thousands of labels there is one that will fit us, we just haven't contacted them, or they haven't found us.

Well I understand that online self promotion is all the rage these days
and that middle men are going to be a thing of the past,
"well, we sell less records, but we make more money"
radiohead to the wall street journal

so now what will be left is 2 things (either could involve some form of compromise)
you can be a salesman,
or you can be actually appealing to a broad cross section of the music buying audience.
unfortunately I am neither.

Well what's something you don't like?
Don't hold back, it could be something like the weight of gear, how some people in the audience clap off time, I mean ANYTHING.

This was supposed to be humorous.

sorry didn't mean to bring the room down

I guess I'm not qualified to judge the industry, having never had any contact with it.

Presentation of perversion as a normal or desirable behavior.

The music industry of course.
Go ahead and name more if you please
let's compare problems and possibly find solutions

My dislike: The complications of a record deal.
What i mean is all of the legal jargon and possibility of not being able to do exactly what I would like to musically, or tour, or endorsements.
I only wish we could take the Dream Theater approach to record labels, but that wont work for nobodies.

I don't like that every swinging dick and their mother already has a record deal, replete with fortune and fame, while the really true song-writers have to eat sh*t and sit at the back of the bus...

Having said that. If one is a decent musician, and I don't see his/her name listed in the top 500 , I'm at loss to understand why that person would turn down any offer for a record deal.

If I put myself in the shoes of these people:

1) I as the the paying promoter, don't really care what your tastes and preferences are... The question is, can you satisfy my audiences?
2) I, as the audience don't really care what your tastes and preferences are... Can you satisfy our musical, social, esoteric party groove?
3) I as the Other Musician in your band... DO care about your tastes and preferences...as long as our work convinces others to pull money out of their pockets and pay us for it.
4)I, as the Critic, do not really care what your tastes and preferences are... If I can't get a good story or testimonial about you...as told by 1,2, or 3, then you got nothing I need.

I could go on./.. But you can see how personal tastes and preferences start to border on irrelevant... in this industry.

At the end of the day, there a a gazillion so-called musical participants in the music industry, who, in my humble opinion have devaluated the industry. So, I guess that's what i don't like about it (Knowing I could be one of those guys who devaluates it)

1) I as the the paying promoter, don't really care what your tastes and preferences are... The question is, can you satisfy my audiences?
2) I, as the audience don't really care what your tastes and preferences are... Can you satisfy our musical, social, esoteric party groove?
3) I as the Other Musician in your band... DO care about your tastes and preferences...as long as our work convinces others to pull money out of their pockets and pay us for it.
4)I, as the Critic, do not really care what your tastes and preferences are... If I can't get a good story or testimonial about you...as told by 1,2, or 3, then you got nothing I need.

See this is what I have never understood about labels. Why even try to promote a band that you don't like their original material anyways? You can easily find another band that DOES play the stuff you would like done, or that would more easily bend to your will.

We were just just a punk/alternative fusion band (about a dime a dozen right? ) we aren't looking to play stained or puddle of mudd kind of songs, why even approach us with that? That like going to the chevy dealer for a jeep. If we don't have anything in common with the label other than money, then I don't see much business happening. I've also read some nightmare situations where a bad deal can really set you back.

1) I as the the paying promoter, don't really care what your tastes and preferences are... The question is, can you satisfy my audiences?
2) I, as the audience don't really care what your tastes and preferences are... Can you satisfy our musical, social, esoteric party groove?
3) I as the Other Musician in your band... DO care about your tastes and preferences...as long as our work convinces others to pull money out of their pockets and pay us for it.
4)I, as the Critic, do not really care what your tastes and preferences are... If I can't get a good story or testimonial about you...as told by 1,2, or 3, then you got nothing I need.

See this is what I have never understood about labels. Why even try to promote a band that you don't like their original material anyways? You can easily find another band that DOES play the stuff you would like done, or that would more easily bend to your will.

We were just just a punk/alternative fusion band (about a dime a dozen right? ) we aren't looking to play stained or puddle of mudd kind of songs, why even approach us with that? That like going to the chevy dealer for a jeep. If we don't have anything in common with the label other than money, then I don't see much business happening. I've also read some nightmare situations where a bad deal can really set you back.

Air, I don't think its a matter of liking or disliking original material...
Most original material, (written by most bands without labels) does not meet the bar of professional, mass appeal.
Since the whole point of the "industry " is to make money. If the original material does not meet the standards, it wont make the money.

Let's look at that promoter again... His salary is based on a percentage of the draw/revenue that his band generates. If the band doesn't work, or doesn't produce solid professional material, he's got no source of revenue... (But you already knew that... ) Every single decision about a band is centered on the money...bottom line...

Finally, Like models competing for the runway... bands also have to compete for 'their' runway...In any given town, what separates a good band from the bad ones? ...Out of the good ones, which of those are distinctly profound and generate a following.... and so on. I don't know the statistics, But I'm willing to bet that maybe one band out every 50 counties in America, actually has the magic, revenue-generating touch.

So, for a promoter to make a windfall, he's got to find, recognize and sign that 'one' distinct band. In the meantime, he'll take substandard acts and book them in local venues to keep some coin rolling in his way... And hell most likely not allow those bands to argue or negotiate the allowable material. He's totally slave to the needs of the venue... and Its how he survives until his "mother-load" shows up...

I understand all of that, my point was/is that if your looking for something in specific, why not build it or get something close? Not try to shape something that already has momentum.

As I scan the airwaves FM / AM TV ... I see absolutely nothing outside the studio overproduction of popular music that would lend itself to the term professional.


The term mindless drivel seem to be quite more accurate.


I on occasion surf the radio waves or the TV channels seeking something of an entertaining quality.

% 99 of what I see / hear is utter garbage.

I understand all of that, my point was/is that if your looking for something in specific, why not build it or get something close? Not try to shape something that already has momentum.

why does the real estate investor buy that house at the end of the block when there are 3 nicer houses on the street?


Answer: Because it's a better situation and less risk to make money on.

Labels are looking for the right combination of factors and "professionalism" isn't necessarily at the top though dependability might be.

They would really like to tie a recording artist up for at least 10 years, so they are looking for someone young enough who doesn't have a mortgage already (hopefully not married either) who would see touring as an adventure instead of a hassle.


The purpose is selling records so they want someone that is (hopefully) easy to look at and has a radio voice. So finding the combination of talent, looks, & availability is important...but someone willing to give up their rights of publishing in a trade to have their records put in stores is what they really want.

Everyone thinks they know what a "hit" is and how to spot it, and record execs are no different. They all got into the music biz because they think they are experts on what people like, but it doesn't take long before they go the path of least resistance and sign an artist based on how they've seen audiences respond more than what they think the potential could be.

Really, for about the last 10 or 15 years, labels are mostly taking bands who already have a recorded album and an established audience with touring systems in place....and just remixing their album, signing away their publishing, and then distributing the results.

The reason there are so many one-hit wonders is because bands/artists don't realize that the label isn't going to help them with anything after that. It's up to the band to take advantage of having their product everywhere. They have to figure out how to capitalize on that pretty quick and work it hard while they have the limelight. Otherwise, they will be forgotten before the season is over.


If I had to pick ONE thing in the "industry" that I don't like it's musicians who want to be paid an equal share of gig revenue but won't commit to the overall vision of the artist that is paying them. It is a reality that everyone has to deal with sooner or later.