This is why there needs to be GarageBand to iTMS.
Apple, the iTMS, and artists seem to be doing well together. Why not give relative unknowns and real GarageBands a chance to prove themselves in the market? Just because these people dont have the management, money, or connections to make it big-time in the music industry doesnt mean they arent good musicians...of course.
You may say that this would be bad, competing with record labels or whatever. How would Apple be competing with record labels if they are hosting the music of people that other labels wouldnt ever even know about? It is in Apple's DNA to empower people and provide creative outlets for them to express themselves, even create lively-hoods out of theyre trade. Apple is the perfect company, with the perfect tools in place to forge such a venture between distribution and the GarageBand artist.
Now I am not saying that anyone and everyone should be allowed to host their music on a GarageBand section of the iTMS. I think Apple could definately just review some material, get it rated, have set terms and contractual deals in place for anyone that wants to have their music distributed by Apple, then get it out there. Why the hell not?
Here is an example of talent that probably wont ever be heard mainstream, I recorded it at the High School talent show last night. This kid has a professional quality voice and is truly talented, but hes a normal kid and has no way of getting his material distributed. Just take a listen, maybe you'll hear the music; music to your ears that should be heard by everyone's.
Just some GarageBand type kid and his folk music.
You may say that this would be bad, competing with record labels or whatever. How would Apple be competing with record labels if they are hosting the music of people that other labels wouldnt ever even know about? It is in Apple's DNA to empower people and provide creative outlets for them to express themselves, even create lively-hoods out of theyre trade. Apple is the perfect company, with the perfect tools in place to forge such a venture between distribution and the GarageBand artist.
Now I am not saying that anyone and everyone should be allowed to host their music on a GarageBand section of the iTMS. I think Apple could definately just review some material, get it rated, have set terms and contractual deals in place for anyone that wants to have their music distributed by Apple, then get it out there. Why the hell not?
Here is an example of talent that probably wont ever be heard mainstream, I recorded it at the High School talent show last night. This kid has a professional quality voice and is truly talented, but hes a normal kid and has no way of getting his material distributed. Just take a listen, maybe you'll hear the music; music to your ears that should be heard by everyone's.
Just some GarageBand type kid and his folk music.
Comments
As far as the rest goes, there are labels of every imaginable size. You don't have to "make it big" to be signed to a label. You just have to be serious, willing to commit some time and effort, and able to fit into a given label's roster. The indie labels are much, much better about treating their artists fairly than the big 5, so it would only hurt the industry for Apple to compete with them (which they would be, if they became a resource for smaller-scale artists).
The problem spots are the big 5 labels represented by the RIAA, and big radio. Your proposal addresses these problems only indirectly, and hurts the good guys (the smaller labels) in the process.
Sort of a flea market for music producers and labels to meet.
I mean, it'd be interesting for a label rep to be able to fire up iTunes, point it at GBS, and get a playlist of all the latest uploads since their last visit, to scan through. "Nope." *next* "Nope." *next* "No....heeeyyyyy...." *taps fingers* *signs band* *makes profit*
We went through CD Baby, so clearly the indies are appearing in earnest.
I'm going to have to figure out why you can't buy the whole album at once, but it's a start.
Just to keep this from being pure spam, this proves that you can get self-produced, self-released material out onto iTMS, without a label intervening, and whether or not the material was created in GarageBand.
Originally posted by Amorph
Woohoo!! My band's album is on iTMS!
We went through CD Baby, so clearly the indies are appearing in earnest.
Sweet. If I win any Pepsi songs, I hearby pledge to use them on Amorph's band. Anyone else here have songs out, or suggestions on worthy donations of my free 99 cents?
Perhaps if I were more than Adequate, but ah well.
Originally posted by Amorph
Woohoo!! My band's album is on iTMS!
That is AWSOME Amorph
edit: i have another question... if you have gband loops, etc in the background, is that legal to submit without any paperwork from apple?
Originally posted by ipodandimac
i thought steve made some bad refernce about how other download services had any band that had 40 bucks to put their songs up, but itunes had "quality songs." amorph, i love your songs, so this isnt directed at you in any way, but i was jsut under the assumption that itunes wouldnt let just anybody put their music in iTMS.
I think that, like most of what Steve says, that's generally rather than absolutely true. In other words, Apple didn't ask the labels to dump whatever they had around in order to bulk up the number of songs. The great majority of the material on iTMS comes - and will always come - from labels.
Even if every single CD on CD Baby did end up on iTMS (and they don't all) that would be a relative drop in the bucket and his statement would be true enough even if everything on CD Baby was crap. Fortunately, though, there's a lot of good stuff there, and I'm not just saying that because there are two CDs there that I'm on.
edit: i have another question... if you have gband loops, etc in the background, is that legal to submit without any paperwork from apple?
Yes. That's the whole point of the "royalty free" claim: You can use everything provided in GB for whatever you want, whether it's personal or commercial use, without asking anyone for permission or paying anyone for the rights.
[edit: Hey, thanks for the support, guys! I appreciate it!