tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649796509222053692.comments2010-03-20T05:03:47.332-07:00jim@jimmarkunas.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521250526736761916noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649796509222053692.post-88260660079555269252009-04-27T14:46:00.000-07:002009-04-27T14:46:00.000-07:00Very good points... but you must remember. You can offer music videos for free to consumers, as long as you remember to embed ads in the video. (See any day after television episode on NBC.com). This way, videos are still free to users and in turn they make money for labels and artists.jim@jimmarkunas.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521250526736761916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649796509222053692.post-50218778618996019202009-04-17T00:46:00.000-07:002009-04-17T00:46:00.000-07:00I have to agree with you, even though I'm sure you know that what you are saying is very unpopular even - curiously - within the music biz (see Dustin's comment). There's another major issue: accepting significantly lower performance fees on YouTube considerably weakens PROs' position when negotiating with television and radio. Why should they be asked to stump up real money when YouTube gets a favoured deal?Michaelhttp://www.a-lyric.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6649796509222053692.post-23119761239348207602009-04-10T20:17:00.000-07:002009-04-10T20:17:00.000-07:00Jim:<BR/><BR/>You're forgetting one thing: Music Videos are NOT a product anymore.<BR/><BR/>Nobody buys music videos at Target. They won't even pay extra for a music video when bundled with an album - if they did, iTunes wouldn't be giving them away. And selling them through the iTunes store was a joke.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Yes, YouTube is cheapening video. Just like iTunes and Napster did to the full-length album, like Wal-Mart is doing to live ticket sales, and Myspace is doing to music in general. But all these things are doing something very substantial: making music more accessible by making it easier to distribute and easier to find. Which helps artists find an audience, something that must be done before they ever hope to solicit sales from those people.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Sure YouTube is losing money. It went bankrupt long ago. But even though it was and still is losing money, the most powerful company of the 21st century thought it was still worth buying. Why? Because it offers something more than money. <BR/><BR/>Community. Exposure. Interactivity. And for artists, new fans. Marie Digby can sing a song on her iMac and land a record deal while Linkin Park keeps you updated on their Tokyo tour between albums.<BR/><BR/>Bottom line: MTV doesn't play videos anymore, and VH1's playlist is dwindling. Videos have become extras for CD's and digital downloads, legitimizers, and fodder for placement on the high-def TV's in the Home Entertainment section at Best Buy.<BR/><BR/>But definitely not to make money. It's another form of marketing. And nobody is complaining because they aren't getting paid by the advertisers for their highway billboard. Marketing pays off in time, with sales.Dustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06378246195332657059noreply@blogger.com