In commons
Did I go too far, putting Yoshi in a gimp suit?
I was tempted to use Bowser, but he kind of comes with his own type of spiked fetish-wear.
Anyway, I wanted to have a chat with you about Creative Commons and selling music for nothing. Like Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails have been giving their music away… not just for free, but under the Creative Commons license.
The reason why that is a great thing is that it lets other people use the music in their own creations. Take the animation of fellow comicker, Matt Sandbrook, he made this animation:
The phrase ‘creative commons license’ gets used quite a bit, but it can be misleading. It’s not a single license, rather a framework on which you can build your own. For example, I’ve always said that people are free to use my work, in any way, on sites and in magazines and such so long as I get credit and it is for non-commercial purposes. It turns out that my license would, according to the Creative Commons frame work, look like this:
You can find out exactly what that means here.
But what do you think of all this free shenanigans? Are you one of the people that illegally download Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’, despite the fact that it was legally available for free?
Is this the future we’re seeing, or some desperate attempt to make you look at, and listen to, things that you wouldn’t even consider paying for?
Matt is a talented guy. He just did a week’s worth of guest strips over at Ataraxia Theatre (I’m still looking for a few more guest artists by the way, plug plug). You probably should have included a link to his site from this post:
http://www.mattsandbrook.co.uk/home.php
I know it’s there at the end of the video and all, but a direct link is so much nicer.
As for Creative Commons, I think it’s a great idea, but I haven’t done anything with it myself. Maybe I should- I’m a big proponent of open source, and this is a similar idea. I’d have to do some more reading.
I probably should, you’re right… credit where it’s due.
One of the points I was attempting is the fact that most of us operate under some form of the license – especially us comickers, since we’re normally quite happy for people to use our comics on their sites as long as we get a link back.
It’s tricky though, as far as software goes, because as I see it, open source surpasses any OC license in that rather than targeting distinct groups it involves a whole community.
I view it as a way to cut out the middleman. Metallica is infamous for negotiating a royalties rate of 10 cents per cd. That’s 10 cents out of every $15-$20 being paid for an album. I recognize that production and marketing costs eat up some of that, but it hardly seems fair that musicians are entitled to less than 1% of the gross made off of their work.
Especially given the current state of information technology- digital distribution in particular. I suspect most consumers use either their computers or mp3 players for listening (or burning their own cds for home stereo use) and don’t really care about the physical disc itself, and if they do (and this is where NIN has been particularly savvy) there are often physical equivalents of the digital media also made available- the collector’s edition of Ghosts I-IV sold out practically immediately with a sticker price of $300- with NIN receiving all of the profits, which to my mind is as it should be.
Talent deserves to be rewarded, beaureaucratic suits not so much.
I think you’re right… there is less involvement in direct sales. It also means that musicians can realease their music far quicker since it doesn’t have to be tied to a physical production schedule.
The only problem I have heard is from musicians that do not already have a substantial fanbase… that is the ones that are just starting out. There is quite a lot of pressure on them now to release music for free, and until they reach the critical stage of being able to release ‘hard’ copies they can expect to make little or no money. We’ll find out, eventually, if this has done any damage… I suspect that it won’t since the music industry has always been ripping off the little guy, just in far more ingenious ways.
Just whilst you mention Metallica… I saw Some Kind of Monster for the first time recently. Wow.
With the collapse in the banking sector, the disintegration of the music industry and the general decline of tailoring, it looks like suits are very much going out of fashion.
Creative Commons is an excellent idea. I’ve experimented with free release, creative commons releases and regular releases, but have yet to come to a conlusion as to what is best.
Adam, I believe you are right – there is a difference in the stature of a musician for free music to still produce a profit for the musician. Most musicians do not have the capability financially to create a hefty art-driven bonus package that runs for $300 where the free music, in a sense, functions as advertising and not the product itself. In addition, a starting musician, will not be able to sell these either without the momentum of one such as Trent Reznor.
I give kudos to Reznor as I think he is quite an innovative artist, but some of his creative projects do incorporate his accumulated fan base, and therefore cannot be duplicated by those struggling to establish themselves.
The value is not in the bits.
*must resist urge to create pun about bytes*
I don’t think that’s bait I could refuse to byte, so to speak…
: D
I think CC is a pretty great idea. You know Charles Stross released Accelerando on the Creative Common’s License, right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerando_(novel)
It’s pretty cool. and a very appropriate book to be made available that way, as well. I think we’ll see a lot more of this sort of thing, as people begin to realize how much the entrenched media giants are sucking out of the artists and fans.
As to selling CDs vs. free/illegal music, I think the answer is in the art. I might be saying this out of wishful thinking, but look at it: Tool, for example, leaked thier last CD before it was released, because of some conflict with their label. But the CD still sold, right? Why? Damn cool artwork and innovative packaging. Further, vinyl’s getting popular again… it’s “scene” it’s “indy” it’s “hip” to by a vinyl head, and a lot of bands (even heavy metal!) are releasing pressed albums again. what does that do? Well, you certainly can’t burn of an LP, can you? AND it give further opertunity for kick-ass art, which is, I think, a big part of the surging popularity. Take Torche, for example.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m216/johndyerbaizley/Torche-InReturnPhoto.jpg
Records give you better opportunities for art work. (This is done by John Baizley, the lead singer for Baroness, by the way. His stuff is amazing.) And it’s the artwork that will keep the physical objects selling, I hope. Do I hope it because some bands around here have asked me to do art for them… maybe.
*drools over pretty pictures of vinyl*
Mr Stross was partly responsible for me deciding to hand-produce my own books. Similarly with the vinyl… it’s all about a physical, tactile experience.
As for Tool, was that the one with the stereoscope stuff? My mate steve (in this case it IS Adam and Steve) showed me some packaging a while back that was just excellent.
…and are you perhaps talking about the rather sublime Flesh Socket?
The shop down the street actually carries that particular vinyl… I’ve not quite worked myself into buying it yet, but I think it’s only a matter of time.
Yeah, that’s the one:
http://sleevage.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/tool_10000days_flickr.jpg
It’s such a wild idea. That artist… why can’t I remember his name? He’s got a knack for accurate biology in spiritualized pictures, which I really like. Famous in his own right, apart form his work with Tool…. Ah, there he is! Alex Grey. Cool dude. I think he’s crazy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Grey
And actually, this is bands other than Flesh Socket! That CD apparently made the rounds (albeit digitally, we’ve not seen many sales…), and four local metal groups have approached me about artwork. It’s kind of exciting. I’m working no the first full-cover right now, for a band called Blackmass Mafia. It’s kinda fun. Other than that, I did logo work for a still-developing hard-core band called Your Lowest Moment. I’ve actually got those pictures up:
Original concept was pretty old-school thrashy:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/werdnus/YourLowestMomentLOGO.jpg
But the fellows wanted something a bit more “creeped out” and “death-core-ish,” so I obliged with a splash of ink or two or a dozen:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/werdnus/YourLowestMomentLOGO3.jpg
Turned out rather well. (Maybe I’m getting old, but I liked the original better, despite how creepily awesome the final product was.) Now all they need is a real drummer.
Hey, you’ve got industry!
Top stuff, and well deserved. I really liked the FS cover and obviously I’m all in favour of your art prices rising (I’ve yet to show you the photo of where it hangs… I’ll try to sort that out this week).
The tool cover art was superb. I like that sort of thing well enough, but it was done especially well.
Your first attempt for YLM is nice and grungy, in the strictest sense. Lo-fi and to the point, wheras the second is intricate and slightly more polished… it’s a skill to be able to do both. That sort of versatility gives you options.
Thanks! You’re approval, believe it or not, means a good deal to me. I’m glad you like it. Oh, and you just wait till I finish the cover for this Hangman’s Cry album…. I’ve not been this excited about a painting concept for some time!
Now all I need to do is make friends with Trent Reznor…
I saw NIN and got entirely too excited.
They do that to people… especially at their live shows.
Also to answer your first question: probably. : )
Good, good, I wouldn’t want to be accused of playing it safe.
As it happens, Em isn’t talking to me until I apologise for what I did to Yoshi.
But but… how does she know that Yoshi doesn’t enjoy it, huh?
She knows…. she knows.
Hey guys. Voting has begun over at the Webcomic Reader’s Choice Awards. Adam is up for an award for author congeniality. My own comic, 2nd Shift, is up for Best New. It would be very cool if you would all go over there and support Adam.
Here’s the address:
http://wcrca.frumph.net/
And support you!
You certainly have my vote.
I registered. I’ll poke around and see if either of you DESERVE my vote. : )
I’m all confused about the whole issue. I like paying for some products. It means I can support the artist who made them and then maybe they will produce more good stuff.
Penny Arcade did a few strips on DRM, which is a similar topic.
Yoshi in a gimp suit is hot. Yet another fetish from TFFU, Adam, I think you and I may be very similar ppl.
Thank you, now I finally have a visual of Mario twirling all gothickly to the Super Mario Bros. version of Closer (which can be found at http://www.4colorrebellion.com/media/misc/nin_smb.mp3 if you haven’t heardit because it’s a thing of beauty).
That animation your friend did is fascinating. Made me like the song even better. I sort of lean to liking the free stuff bands put out, but I was raised on taping songs off the radio so I’m not sure I’m a good consumer. You know how our economy went to pot over here? It’s because I’d stopped buying CDs in my twenties. I’m convinced of it. And I’m very, very sorry.
Oh Lynda, that is fantastic! …and it is a thing of true beauty – perhaps Nintendo and Trent Reznor are meant to be together. We should set them up on a date.
Yeah, taping songs from the radio… all been there… and I would happily accept your apology… but, I believe in the future, record companies will seek to prosecute everyone who has ever done that, copied a CD or leant one to a friend without their express permission… or ‘broadcast’ in public buildings, taxis and club nights without paying royalties.
And they will win, and as a result, they will own 9/10 of the worlds capital. This effectively makes them the rulers of the world (which I believe has always been their ambition). They will run countries like record lables and their politicians will be presented like artists… they will mis-manage everything and we will have to pay for oxygen.
The police will be replaced by a singular organisation named the RIAA, similar in tone to the KGB at their cold-war worst.
Well, I’m up a creek, then. The movie industry will also have me on a list of of people who wait for movies to hit cable. I may have come off as a raging pirate in my first reply, but I do buy songs I absolutely love online, I paid $5 for In Rainbows mainly to support the idea that more artists shouldn’t rely on the industry, butI’m more likely to do it if the artists or bands are lesser known. I’m not the kind of consumer the industries like at all, though, I wear shoes and clothes until they distentegrate (not that alluring, really), my computer is heading for ten years old, my mobile phone is only a phone, and my car is thankfully low on emmissions but so old the garage has to take out a special machine to inspect it (mind you the garage also had to use a “special” razor blade to scrape off the previous year’s sticker, and it looked suspiciously like a wallpaper scraper to me).
Seriously, I see the way some things are going and I can’t believe people haven’t learned just from Russia and China, if they don’t want to go more than 50 years back into history. I joke that we’ll be left with only government-approved pop tunes–or worse, like in Demoltion Man–but then I turn on Top 40 radio and wonder if that hasn’t already happened.
I’m stunned digital camera manufacturers don’t want some sort of remuneration from people who post photos online–and now that I’ve said that out loud, I hope I didn’t give Sony any ideas.
Getting back to Mario, though, I’m glad you liked the song and I wish Trent Reznor could be in every classc Nintendo game, you wouldn’t be able to pull me away from Tetris if March of the Pigs was on the soundtrack. If you haven’t seen ThereWillBeBrawl.com, you need to. It’s tragic what became of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Oh man…