Stewart Copeland Quotes

I don't think piracy is going to kill the music industry. But digital technology and the ability to download will change the packaging from CDs to a single-based business.

That's my dream job, to be able to mail songs out to people who want to hear them. Paste my face on them and not travel all over the world trying to sell them.

Getting a record deal is a meaningless thing now.

I have had the good fortune to experience both the limelight and the traffic light as a musician. I did my first recording on my own and it was available at concerts. The second to seventh were released on small and then large labels. My eighth to 14th were done under my own steam once again, but with the benefit of the Internet.

Recorded music is more a marketing tool than a revenue source.

Sheet music, recording, radio, television, cassettes, CD burners, and file sharing have all invalidated, to some extent, the old model of making a living making music.

You make music to change the radio, not make music for the radio.

I think another thing is that we don't really want exclusivity. We accept that it is in the artist's interest to be on sale in every place where they sell music.

I love music and musicians. And seeing great artists dropped from labels was really frustrating and sad to me.

I know being on a major label is meant to be antiquated, but we're fine with it.

Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going to record stores. But in America, it's all about digital. The game is breaking down. But, look at me, you need to know how to play the game the right way.

The music business is one of a few places where everything you've heard about it seems entirely cliche, but it's true.

I once worked at a record label called London Records. The company was owned by Roger Ames, one of the most successful figures in the British music industry. Roger always placed a value on loafing, on holidays, on not being in the office all the time.

People are doing what they can these days and looking for creative ways to sell music.

I don't even know what words to use to talk about the music industry anymore. But the business has changed a lot - the methods of releasing music.

I think mp3s are great if you are unknown and trying to get started. It's a good way to get your music out and about. But for those who are established, it's not good at all.

The business of making music is changing so radically because of the Internet. It's become a lot more democratic in one respect, but in another respect there's no one left to guide and mentor young bands.

I posted some songs on MySpace, and right away people started asking, 'Where can I get a CD?'

I don't need my fans to buy my music. My music is free, basically.

The more people are listening to music and experiencing it, the more value for both the music companies and the artist, especially when their financial model is built around that. With the music industry, everybody is starting to understand that doesn't begin with a piece of music.

We have to make the physical music a little more valuable instead of just having a download link and a bunch of songs you downloaded from some torrent site. People try to make the music value-less, and I don't think we're going to stop that train, but the one thing that they can't devalue are things that are in the outside world.

As for the music business itself, the key things have not changed that much. It operates like any business and money still keeps things moving.

People are like, 'Wow you started your own record label,' and treat me like I'm some sort of innovative genius, when I'm not at all. You've got the Internet and music - you put them together, and people hear your music.

Mostly I've never let record companies become involved with my music, which was a very smart thing that my first manager Dave Robinson did, to keep them out of it.

It's not like it used to be where everybody has a record company to belong to.