Posted on 02/02/2022 7:03:52 PM PST by texas booster
There are a lot of good reasons for US songwriters to sell their publishing catalogs right now.
There’s the fact that Joe Biden’s tax plans will – if they get through the US legislature – significantly raise capital gains tax for composers whose songs attract a sale price-tag over $1m.
There’s also the fact that streaming continues to grow the record industry, leading to rosy projections from the likes of Goldman Sachs… and, in turn, fuelling a frenetic M&A music rights marketplace.
And, of course, there’s the fact that acquisition multiples have never been higher, as well-funded players like Hipgnosis Songs Fund, Concord and Primary Wave do battle with the major incumbents, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group and Warner Music Group.
We don’t know how many of these factors influenced Bob Dylan’s decision to sell his songwriting catalog (including both publisher and writer’s share) to UMG, for a price-tag that MBW’s sources suggest lay somewhere between $300m and $400m.
But it’s a fair bet they were all given due consideration by the former-Mr.-Zimmerman’s representatives.
Now, one of Dylan’s ’60s contemporaries – David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash – has revealed he’s also in the process of selling his song catalog to the highest bidder.
However, Crosby’s motivation for doing so is rather more deflating, and a stark reminder that 2020’s music business doesn’t spell fantasy-level enrichment for every established artist out there.
Referencing Dylan’s nine-figure catalog sale, singer/songwriter Crosby tweeted today (December 7): “I am selling mine also… I can’t work …and streaming stole my record money.”
He added: “I have a family and a mortgage and I have to take care of them so it’s my only option… I’m sure the others feel the same.”
He could sell his 2nd liver.
My uncle, a professional musician waaaay back in the jazz age taught me and told me that music “was a wonderful lifelong hobby but a terrible way to make a living”, I still play to this day but I earned my pay as an electrician.
My Give-a-shit rotor just won’t kick over.
Regarding “Our House” being played on Spotify, $0.004 for 75 million plays comes to about $300,000 for one song. I don’t see the problem here.
At least your honest ...
More honest than Crosby.
There is a reason that I can buy most of the music I like for $1 or $2 (or $5 at Half Price Books).
No a lot of call for old John Michael Talbot or Phil Keaggy music.
To stretch a metaphor further, neither Dandy Don Meredith nor Roger Staubach never made a million a year until toward the end of their careers.
$300,000 for a Spotify replay of just one of your songs (no effort on your part) may not be fair to you, so get a better music agent.
And then we can discuss how music is better it is now, in the days of Sony Music and other conglomerates owning everything.
His version of "Triad" and his guitar on "Lady of the Island" have been in my repertoire for years...
Don Henley once said, “Irving Azoff is Satan, but he’s our Satan.”
I suspect that that is a true statement - even if funny.
David Crosby still has his name and name recognition.
The 49ers would use their nammes to open steakhouses. It worked (at least for a while).
Mick Fleetwood opened a restaurant in Lahaina which last time I checked was still open after many years. It’s overpriced but it gets Crosby could partner up with alot of tourist traffic from high rollers who don’t care.
Crosby could partner up with a restaurant chain or entrepreneur, and the rest would almost take care of itself (perhaps).
The guy also needs to make a concerted effort to clean up his life and keep it clean.
Sad state of affairs when Our House streams more than Long Time Gone
75-80% of all modern music is stuff recorded prior to 1992
Per Rick Beato YouTube channel
That’s an aggregate of streaming, purchase, touring, BMI-ADSPEC-ASCAP and so on
And worse ....classic rock acts number similar Spotify plays as folks like Nikki Minaj or Ed Sheehan or Justin Bieber or Demi Lovato or Rhiannon
There are not enough boomers or early Xers left to account for that
It means young folks at least have a pretty fair inkling of rock music from 60s to Nirvana
And listen to it...
Amazing isn’t it
Unfortunately it’s likely fairly dilletante
If the fact they think Our House is Crosby Stills and Nash (Young) best work..lol
I don’t blame aging rockers for selling off.....these stats prove their catalogs are like a Permian basin or riches to be sold
And Beato also shows that rockers who allow YouTube and streaming stay more relevant and profitable than those who don’t
Hendrix estate prohibits such and is suffering streamwise for it....
All contrary to David Crosbys whining
My own many children know and listen to my music ....a fair amount
Although my younger daughter aged 31 deems Led Zepplin inferior to Rush or Queen
Sounds like an Xer but she’s a millennial ..just as daft on that one in any event ...my opinion....I know some dog faced pony soldiers here share that view....
Hard evidence that actual music, no matter how old, prevails over autotuned, formulated, electronic pap lacking any and all complexity.
There was certainly a lot of junk music in the Boomer years but we also were living through a golden age of great music whether we realized it at the time or not. Even 60s junk may be better than what the poor millennials are being subjected to by the current Lords of Music.
Grass Roots sure beat modern pop in my view as an example
Any Boyce and Hart tune is better too
What kills me today is when thug rap stars trying to actually sing ....good God it’s so awful
I dont know his health etc, but the artists I’m going to see have to be earning something off these insane $$$ ticket prices. And merch.
Taylor Swift isn’t sleeping in a box under the 101 freeway either.
Still loving current music. There are awesome songs from all decades. I’m into country mostly but some pop too. And country pop. Music is not dead!
I’ve run across a couple of very good songs of recent vintage but that was courtesy of the Goliath series. I ask the 20-something baristas what they listen to but so far it’s been pretty poor fair. The musicians simply aren’t talented and their music is predictable and therefore boring.
Beato might agree that electronic drumming is part of the problem. You may not be conscious of the difference between that and a live drummer but it’s real. The same with auto-tune, although I can’t imagine not being able to recognize that monstrosity. A lot of Boomer musicians came out of folk music and knew how to sing and play their instruments. Too many of the current crop lack that ability entirely. You don’t need it for a lot of what they crank out.
Nothing in the past 20+ years can touch this.
And we were in high school and college at the very peak.
Sigh.
One Way Out live at Fillmore East
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ9twEldw_M
Allman Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=allman+brothers+band
Lynyrd Skynyrd
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lynyrd+skynyrd
Please see above.
A̰l̰l̰m̰a̰n̰ ̰B̰r̰o̰t̰h̰ḛr̰s̰—1971— Live at F̰ḭl̰l̰m̰ore ̰— Full Album HQ
It was a great time to be in high school and college!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0T4JDLN5mI
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