Dispelling the Digital Downloading Myths

I have always been suspicions of claims by the majors labels that downloading is responsible for falling music sales. I think it's more likely to be the fact that a lot of the their music is complete and utter shit. They are sqealing like piglets finally wrenched from their mother's teat. They just don't get the fact that now that people have more online options they are buying their music elsewhere. That's right b-u-y-i-n-g, as in parting with money to acquire digitally distributed tracks. Even little TMet Recordings are proof of that. So I found this article by Moses Avalon (who wrote Confessions of a Record Producer: How to survive the scams and shams of the Music Industry) extremely interesting: Downloads not responsible for dropping sales

His investigations show that "even though actual point-of-purchase sales are up by about 9% in the US - and the industry sold over 13,000,000 more units in 2004 (1st quarter) than in 2003 (1st quarter) - the Industry is still claiming a loss of 7% because RIAA members shipped 7% fewer records than in 2003... here's an oversimplified example: I shipped 1000 units last year and sold 700 of them. This year I sold 770 units but shipped only 930 units. I shipped 10% less units this year. And this is what the RIAA wants the public to accept as "a loss."

He finishes with a bald statement: "My analysis suggests that the number one reason for the loss of jobs in the industry is self-perpetuating major label PR, and that the number one cause of loss of unit sales revenue for artists is STILL record label accounting practices."

This is backed up research by a Harvard professor who found that the file-sharing effect on record sales is "statistically indistinguishable from zero".

We work on a trust basis at TMet Recordings. We really believe that if we release great tracks at a fair price, and pay our artists 50% of the profit, then people will support us and buy our music. And it's starting to work. We may only be getting a trickle of sales right now, but we've only just started spreading the word. Within a weeks of signing to our label young New Zealand artists are selling their tracks globally and realising their dreams. Most musicians just want their music to be heard, enjoyed and to able to make a living from it and more of them can on the digital frontier. Vive la digital revolution!

TMet need your help. If you come across this blog, please take a minute or two and check out our new releases page. All track have a free 1 minute preview so you can try before you buy. There is something for everyone from breaks to chillout and we even have a release by a NZ 8 year old.

So please help us spread the TMet word and tell your friends about tmet.co.nz a groovy little digital dance label at the bottom of the world!