I truly believe, as an institution, most major labels should just die.
A lot of people are coming down on people taking old rock 'n' roll songs and making commercials out of them, but from a songwriter's standpoint, I don't mind because it helps pay my rent.
Translation and UnitedMasters, which is all one company, is my vision and my dream, and I think it's today's reality of the convergence between storytelling, technology, and culture.
There are musicians who want to make a living making music. There are listeners who want to listen to music. Complicating this relationship is a whole bunch of history: some of the music I want to listen to was made a while ago in a different economy. Some of the models of making a living making music are no longer valid but persist.
I really hate it when I see other bands selling their music to commercials.
Make music a service that's easy to consume, and there'll be plenty of money for everyone.
We are passionate about making it so that users enjoy the music that they want to enjoy but at the same time fairly compensates artists. That's not the same as saving the music industry.
The music industry is transforming fairly rapidly.
I get sick when I think about someone going to iTunes and downloading two songs off our album. It's not meant to be listened to that way.
Creativity is much better when it's free. Someone can take it and sell it if that's what it needs, and from that standpoint, you have to have a label. If you could make your music and just give it away and somehow make a living - that would be the best scenario.
I imagine if Spotify becomes something that people are willing to pay for, then I'm sure iTunes will just create their own service, and they're actually fair to artists.
Music as a business is a dirty thing.
I think this whole division between the genres has more to do with marketing than anything else. It's terrible for the culture of music.
I just look at capitalizing on everything that I feel like G.O.O.D. Music brings to the music industry, our following, and the culture. First of all, we have incredible artists. It's definitely about getting those albums out in a very manicured fashion.
Music has changed. You can just throw songs out on iTunes song by song; you don't have to do a whole album.
I think the 360 deals are what stands out to me, first and foremost. I never would have dreamed that record labels would be taking a piece of touring, merchandise, and everything else. The world has changed so dramatically from when we first started.
The Industry's at war. I think it's about control. You can make all of the financial arguments that the industry has been shooting itself in the foot, but it is an industry built on a foundation of ownership and exploitation of intellectual property rights.
I have watched music go from an art form into an industry. And I have watched it stop dead in its tracks because of the digital age.
I don't need my fans to buy my music. My music is free, basically.
After coming from a major label, I realized the entire business has been decimated, and you can't look to labels to try to figure it out because they don't even use the technology, and they're oblivious to how people consume music these days.
I like the music. I love it & live it in fact. But for me the business part of music just plain stinks.
You start to accumulate your library of music. You want that music everywhere - that's the point where we monetize. If you want portability, mobility, and access, then you buy it.
I spent a long time experimenting, saying, 'Here's a record that's free, or $5 if you want a nice version or $250 if you'd like a really nice coffee-table thing.' Everything felt like the right thing to do at the time and then six months later would feel tired. And I would feel tired. So that's one reason for returning to a major label.
Technology is going to play a huge part in tomorrow's music business. And the companies that will win are going to be the most equipped to understand how to use data to further an artist's career.
Too often, the music business allowed third-party companies to innovate for us - and that simply does not work anymore.
