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Sorry to say the big commercial music business doesn't do so much good. They are cut throat, they take the creativity of young people and drain them all the while living like kings themselves. I met a music agent (an he was just the agent) who'ld represented some large and famous acts, whom I might say moved on from him, but he was very very rich and had homes in several states.


I've been in the "big commercial music business" since 1985, as a songwriter, artist, producer, A&R rep, publisher, and publicist - for a number of large companies & major labels. There's a lot about it that I can (and do) criticize, but your description of it is a very broad stereotype. Are there crooks in the music business? Sure there are - there are also crooked lawyers, doctors, and accountants in the world. Every profession has its share of bad apples. The music/entertainment industry just has a lot more eyes & ears trained on what they're doing than most professions. Agents (I'm assuming you mean "manager" and not "booking agent") make 15% from the artists they represent, fwiw. Booking agents, usually between 10-15%. That's a pretty minimal amount for the work they do, and it is substantial when it's being done by legitimate, competent professionals.

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In my opinion they profit really large off the sweat equity of young, creative people seeking to be famous. I've heard people say well they still earned more than they would have on their own. Maybe that's true, however I'm sure they keep the lions share. All the while controlling your life to make the most money they can while you're still the hottest thing.


You're certainly entitled to your opinion. And you are correct in regards to record labels, they do keep the lions share. They also SPEND the lions share to promote the artist. For every artist signed to a record label, only 5-10% ever make the label any money. There are a lot more misses than there are successes.

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No wonder so many musicians turn to drugs to deal with the stress.


This is the only thing you said that I take vehement exception to, because it is conjecture and not factual, and because I have buried nearly a dozen peers in the business from drug/alcohol related deaths. Not a single one was related to career "stress". If anything, it was because they had addictive tendencies/personalities and gave into the many temptations and bad choices that were laid before them.



I was the first poster to respond on this thread....I said in that post:
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There's always a potential career for an artist. It takes a lot of talent, hard work, diligence, and healthy dose of luck and timing.
In that context, being an independent, self-contained artist/songwriter/producer/label is a great way to go, and I've encouraged artists to pursue that path more often than not.

The original poster, however, framed his question in regards to becoming famous. In one instance "attention, fame, fortune, and glory" was mentioned. I have to assume that is how he/she assesses having a successful career in music. If that is your dream/desire, then the rules change. If that's your goal, then you have to play by the rules whether you like and agree with them or not.

The exploitation of creators is nothing new....it goes back centuries. Every person has to make their own decision about how much they are willing to compromise to attain whatever success they seek. Personally, I'm very proud of the fact that I've been able to make a good living writing songs without sacrificing my morals, ethics, or integrity. I've met a lot of wonderful, generous, selfless people in the music industry, some of the best I've known from any walk of life. I've met scumbags as well, but not as many as you might think. I truly don't believe it's as bad as you perceive it to be.

http://www.rogerbrownsongs.com
http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/roger-brown