Now you have a point with the labels, but that is the artists fault for signing away their rights to the labels. over the next few years you will see a shift from the current Label model to a Model more like a TuneCore, where the “Label” is just a marketing firm that takes a Cut probably some where around 30%, so you have a 30% Platform/Distribution Fee, 30% Label/Marketing Fee, and then 40% to the Artists.

The tracks sound generic and commercialized. Its like there are one or 2 songs that are distinctive and define a groups style then the rest are just recorded to fill a CD. Here is an example of a true artist that I like. http://www.jjgrey.com/home. He controls most of the production, marketing and other aspects which usually are not allowed by the labels. His label says he is just that good.

He writes most of his songs and puts on a live show that sounds better than his studio recordings. Only performs small venues. A lot of his music is about what he is passionate about. You can understand the lyrics and the songs actually have depth and feeling. Has different guest musicians he performs with.

The first time I saw him live I walked away thinking “now that mutherfucker is bad ass and worth every penny” Theres a sample for most albums on his site. His efforts are mostly focused on live shows.

Listen to Brighter Days, The Sweetest thing,
The Sun Is Shining Down and War off the live CD or Gotta Know off of Georgia Warhorse CD.

Here is another true artist. Very original. Very talented. Made his first album at 16 years old. http://www.jonnylang.com/

And that’s not even touching on the fact that the legal maneuvering in itself eats all the profits from launching the app in a given country.

In 2000 the original Napster offered the record companies a billion dollars if they would allow Napster to provide digital music without having to charge the full retail price for every song. The offer was turned down flat. Still living in the past, the record companies believed they could exterminate digital music off the internet and turn back the clock as if Napster had never happened (and digital music had never existed) and the public would be happy to keep on buying plastic disks forever.

It’s a familiar pattern. First the industry wages all-out war against every new technology that comes out that threatens to challenge the status quo. (many once-cutting-edge technologies, like Digital Audio Tape, were decisively snuffed out) Only when they finally realize that the war is hopelessly lost do they even think about adopting that technology into their business plans. Then it becomes their largest source of profit.