What ails EMI

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What ails EMI

Post by @?,*???&? » Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:25 am


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iC
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Post by iC » Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:49 am

From the beginning, Mr. Hands did little to ingratiate himself either to EMI?s own employees or executives within the industry, a famously clubby business wary of outsiders. He acknowledged that he is not a music person, and has turned down invitations to visit the recording studio to watch artists? recording sessions.
oooops! i've lived through studio management that didn't understand the recording process at all... only wanted to kibutz with the artists (and that never went well either - BANNED from session by artist management)... but when it came to making rentals or dealing with "new" prospective jobs...You know its a problem when your studio manager comes asking what a DA88 is in the late 90's...that was brutal.

EMI also instituted a ban on international travel without prior approval and barred employees from attending industry events ?unless these are specific profit delivering activities.?
WOW. got nothin' on that....
"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
R. Buckminster Fuller

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Post by Gentleman Jim » Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:39 pm

An interesting perspective on a possible route for major labels, and in particular, EMI:

http://www.fistfulayen.com/blog/?p=215

Tim Arango of The New York Times wrote:
EMI also instituted a ban on international travel without prior approval and barred employees from attending industry events ?unless these are specific profit delivering activities.?
iC wrote:
WOW. got nothin' on that....
They've lost $300 million a year for the last five years on new music! It's not like asking the employees to have even the most rudimentary concept of business is unreasonable.

I like to tell a story about an A&R guy who was trying to sign a band I was working for on tour. In a tiny nutshell: he was based in NYC, but didn't want to see the band there, so he flew out to the show in St. Louis to talk to them. I figure he spent something like $6,500-$7,000 to take them to IHOP after a gig. And at the IHOP he blew the deal. That money came from somewhere - paid for with the margin between what a label gets paid for a cd and the royalties they pay the artist - but it's a perfect illustration of why I would almost never recommend that someone sign with a major label.

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Post by joel hamilton » Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:10 am

Gentleman Jim wrote:An interesting perspective on a possible route for major labels, and in particular, EMI:

http://www.fistfulayen.com/blog/?p=215

Tim Arango of The New York Times wrote:
EMI also instituted a ban on international travel without prior approval and barred employees from attending industry events ?unless these are specific profit delivering activities.?
iC wrote:
WOW. got nothin' on that....
They've lost $300 million a year for the last five years on new music! It's not like asking the employees to have even the most rudimentary concept of business is unreasonable.

I like to tell a story about an A&R guy who was trying to sign a band I was working for on tour. In a tiny nutshell: he was based in NYC, but didn't want to see the band there, so he flew out to the show in St. Louis to talk to them. I figure he spent something like $6,500-$7,000 to take them to IHOP after a gig. And at the IHOP he blew the deal. That money came from somewhere - paid for with the margin between what a label gets paid for a cd and the royalties they pay the artist - but it's a perfect illustration of why I would almost never recommend that someone sign with a major label.
Jim, That story was amazing. I was glad to hear it in person...
I agree 100% with the idea that a label might possibly want to have a couple of employees with some rudimentary business skills. I would not be that person, but they exist! I have seen them!!

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