tim hall wrote: >On Thursday 08 September 2005 23:54, Russell Hanaghan wrote: > > >>My statement "muddying the waters" was >>actually more a chilidish jab at Tim for the same statement he made >>toward me for some twisted diatribe I used in a previous thread >> >> > >Heh :) > >I'm going to attempt to get back on-topic for a moment. > >The issues with making music for a living are not specific to Linux. Only a >very small percentage of performers and writers become rich through their >music. It's possible to have a number one hit and still be living on the >equivalent of welfare. Many people who get signed to major record labels >discover that all their money has been spent and mysteriously ended up in the >hands of some lawyers. For many musicians 'success' lasts a couple of years >and then they go back to the day job, being nobody special. > >There are other ways to make money from music, you can slog your way around >the pubs and clubs playing covers. You will notice that the engineers always >get paid. You could run a studio, write film music, teach guitar, lead stress >management workshops for corporate businesses. Linux doesn't really change >any of this. > >What we do have is a potential solution. It is possible, using Open Source >software to record an album for minimal outlay. A couple of hundred quid on >hardware. Using Creative Commons we also have a potential free distribution >network. So you can easily give your music away. > >How does this help us earn a living? I'm not talking about being a breadhead >here, I'm talking food, rent and bills. This must be the quandary faced by >most free software writers too. The software is free, music is free, what's >the problem? The problem I'm most acutely aware of is that in order to get >_good_ at anything you have to make certain life choices, you have to do that >thing every day, often to the exclusion of other activities that could be >making you stinking rich, well, maybe. > >Singles, remember them? Who ever made any money releasing singles? We have the >ability to release singles for free now, so release 2 or 3 singles on CC >licenses and if they want more they can buy the album. You can dramatically >save on the cost of producing demos this way too. We still charge for live >performances, although it has to be said, I still do a lot of that for free - >running a local folk club, benefit gigs, etc. And not forgetting, we can >charge people for setting up and providing support for their computer music >systems. > >At the end of the day, I write music and I want that music to be heard by >anyone who wants to hear it. I would dearly love not to have to do all the >other boring stuff that I have to do to survive and be able to concentrate >one-pointedly on my creativity. Wouldn't we all? > >The reality starts right here, right now. :) > > Some more reality here: http://ilx.p3r.net/thread.php?msgid=5444983 c.
