Record Companies

If I am wrong about my opinions about this subject I would like my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who have experiance in this to please educate me.

I have heard some really dirty stories of what record companies have done to artists..I do not understand why record companies gain some much control over intelliquectual property. Why do songs become the ownership of a record company when it is in fact the artist that pens the lyrics and music.

I've heard of rc firing artist because they are too old then turn around and release a best of cd a few times down the road. Then you hear about artists that want to grab the back catalog of their work but the rc ends up charging the artist too much money to obtain their OWN material...Thats just dirty in my opinion.

In my wrong in my opinion, educate me so I can understand this.

Rich

To be honest, the record company rarely owns the rights to the songs. What they own is there own intellectual property--the mix of the songs and the mastering job. The artists can play their songs any time they want to without paying royalties (unless outside songwriters are involved). They just cannot use the mix and masters from the record company. That's what the RC paid to put out and release and the rights to that belong to them. It's part of the whole recoupement deal that most artists sign. So, while it seems dirty on the outside, it is just part of the contract that the artists signed and the record company wants to insure that they can profit from their own work forever.

Many record companies will sell those rights to the masters for a price even if it is exorbitant. The RC realizes that if the band is wanting to purchase the rights that they believe there is another big sale coming. The record company SHOULD be able to make money off of their mix and master. It's not ripping off the artist.

I have never heard of a record company firing a band because of their age. I have heard of them dropping older musicians because their music was no longer selling enough to keep their contract up.

That is why so many bands are doing re-recordings of their classic songs (Stryper, Def Leppard, Dokken....etc.). So they can "regain" control over some of their music and license it for commercial uses (t.v. commercials, movies, tv shows, etc.).

What is the purpose of the Record Company...Do they own the studio? Do they manufacture the jewel cases, liner notes, labeled cd's ?

A lot of artist are starting to form their own record and distribution companies. Then they have total artistic control as well as make all the profit. I was visiting with a big name artist and he told me to stay away from big name labels.

The record company used to front the cost of recording, producing, mastering, manufacturing, marketing, and sometimes even touring. Then they took profits from the sales of cds/albums & tours to recoup those losses (part of the reason many bands seemed to have little or no money).

It seems that it has become more popular in modern times for record labels to only manufacture and market, leaving the band to do much of the rest of it themselves. I think that the marketing aspect (promotion) is what entices a lot of bands to still sign up with record labels

Thanks for starting this thread rich71.
I always have had many questions over artist and record companies.

My question is:
Is there really a difference bewteen secular record companies and the Christian record companies?

So all the releases are only having a commercial purpose?

I would say yes and no. Secular company's usually pay more and do more promotion...so the artist makes more. The business side its self would be the same. Alot of Christian artist say that many involved in the Christian labels are not very Christian. I really think that labels are in it for the money and that most Christian labels could care less about the "ministry" side of anything. I see Christian labels as being "Christian" friendly where secular labels don't care as along as the artist is making money.

Many of your Christian record companies used to care a lot about ministry. But, over the years, most of them are now owned by secular companies. So, the lines blur as to what ministry is when it comes to music.