The big players are defeated by the new playing field. There is no "their advantage," there's just a major change in how we produce content.
It's away from exploitation of artists and the control of artistic message.
It's away from exploitation of artists and the control of artistic message.
Oh, it can be controlled alright. SOPA, PIPA today, tomorrow FIPA, DIPA and FuckInternetPA. One of them will pass, then more and more.
And then you're sitting on cable tv. Clicked that link? Invoice has been mailed to you. Clicked that link? House search. Clicked that link? Prison cell prepared. Thank you and good bye.
Oh, you will watch what you do online, you will not click on links without knowing before hand what is behind it. Good luck with that. You will not read just about anything, you will not write whatever you want, certainly not where ever. You will censor yourself before they come to censor you. They will produce and you will consume.
As it stands, the old-fashioned fogies are simply in denial and doing their best to prevent the marketplace from changing because they don't know how to use the new technology and they don't know how to succeed in the new marketplace. That doesn't mean that there's no future for the industry as a whole, it's simply the way entrenched players eventually die.
Who does, in your opinion?
Take for example Radiohead or Louis CK. Their previous successes allowed them to produce, release and distribute independently of big entertainment — but I don't think we're at the point where a small independent artist can effectively take their own music to market in a manner comparable to using a label. I don't have data to back this opinion, but high profile successes in independent distribution have been biased toward artists who were well-known and previously successful.
Bands have been self releasing (outside of "big entertainment") since well before digital distribution, because signing to a label isn't always feasible (financially or creatively). Digital distribution makes just makes this even easier.
You only know about Louis CK & Radiohead because that is that the media covering. Digital distribution & artists self releasing material is happening and has been for a while, but no one knows because unless they are already into these lesser known bands & record labels. You have to think of it like this: "Lesser known artists can be more successful by releasing their own material digitally than they would by signing with a label." Or "This independent record label can lower their overhead and make things easier for their bands by embracing digital distribution."