I started typing a reply but realised it would seem like a rant and people would tune out half way through. I'll summarise instead and chip in if any of them pique interest !
1) In this day and age a physical CD should not cost more than it did a few years ago. MP3 albums shouldn't be nearly as dear as physical albums are. 70p for one mp3 track is verging on the ridiculous - once it's made it doesn't need duplication, shipping or any of that. Even the bandwidth used to d/l it from an online shop is the buyers to provide !
2) In the old days an artist or band would release a number of singles and EP's and gradually build a following. The album would then come out and, on the whole, contain 10 or 11 tracks of strong material built up over time. The label would have faith in an artist to do this and know that it won't be an instant return. These days I've seen a first single released one week and the album
two weeks later, trading purely off the back of one quick hit. This leads to rushed filler-laden albums with some obviously low grade extras tacked on. People won't go back after being stung.
3) Labels have no quality control, seemingly. While the record industry continue to throw megabucks at boys in suits doing covers on TV panto-talent shows, or the 37 latest newcomers of the current sound "in" with "the kids", they will have a large number of failed and dropped artists. They seem to employ a scattergun rather than sniper approach. I find myself somewhat angered by being made to feel that a label peddling such things doing badly is somehow my fault even though they'd have nothing anybody with half an ear of taste would want.
4) I download albums and, scarily for my bank balance, I buy more music now than ever. There are bands I would never have chanced on buying a cd by but having heard a few first I've been happy to grab some and build a collection. I have a personal approach such that if I download something and like it I'll put it on a list to buy. If I d/l something and it's trash then I delete it and not even store it anywhere - this is
my quality control buffer. To think I could have paid £n for that is insulting.
These are all common sense, to me. If labels rush out artists before they're ready and sign up reams of bands without a longsight scheme in place they
will have artists fall by the wayside and
will have poor sales on their investment. This isn't due to the demon of downloading but due to short sighted chasing of the English Zlot and not the love of the artist they're pushing. Can you imagine a label these days letting a band put four or five singles out before the album like they used to, even if the first few only caught a few peoples attention ? No, thought not.
{climbs down from soap-box AND high horse}
Phew, I feel better for that...
