God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
EMI’s New Boss Sees Cracks in Music World
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Sincock
Fucking Wankers
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 8
You can tell me I'm wrong but...
Fuck me. A soulless areshole like that is the last type of person the music industry needs. With that sort of mentality he's just going to ride that company into the ground.
From reading that article, the impression I get of him is that he doesn't have any real vision for the future.
He even mentions selling off the new music section of the company cause it's losing money! How does he suppose the company could possibly have a future without new music? The back catalogue might be making more money at the moment but that can't last if he doesn't add to it.
Fuck me. A soulless areshole like that is the last type of person the music industry needs. With that sort of mentality he's just going to ride that company into the ground.
From reading that article, the impression I get of him is that he doesn't have any real vision for the future.
He even mentions selling off the new music section of the company cause it's losing money! How does he suppose the company could possibly have a future without new music? The back catalogue might be making more money at the moment but that can't last if he doesn't add to it.
God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
He's a realist. He hired Google's former head of technology for a reason.
I think Google is going to do some form of merger or buyout with EMI. EMI can't survive by itself - and the fucks that used to run it were running it into the ground anyway.
He's a "Venture Capitalist" and he owns a "private equity firm". It's his job to have no soul. That's how you afford a 258 ft. yacht.
He's thinking pure profit. Keep the catalogue and sell the new music arm because other competitors will kill him (MySpace, iTunes.) Rupert Murdoch is trying to make MySpace into the new "center" for music, basically making it a label with its - get this - built in social network.
It's ruthless. But it shows how fucked the music industry is because people with no vision in the 80s and 90s failed to predict the success of the internet and fucked everything up in the process. They were too jacked up on coke while PhDs were contributing to the internet with software etc. and now Steve Jobs, some 21 year old kid named Shawn Fanning that made Napster, and a shithead named "Tom" that you delete from your MySpace account transformed music and fucked all the big named execs square in the ass.
Formant024
Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
^^^ that goes for a lot of industries, they're al paying the price right now but i dont consider them being poor so i guess most of wont feel sorry for those execs...only thing im curious about is the catalog itself, if they fail to pick up or involve a good percentage of underground, independent music then its cool. globally these set ups tend to fail, overhere the content mirrors the industry charts which is a lot of crap
God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
I don't think I understand this part of your question F24.
Sincock
Fucking Wankers
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 8
You're right of course.
Pure short-term profit is what he's going to make. Long-term as you said their only hope is to either get with Google or find another way to compete or work with online retailers.
My gut feeling is that there is going to be somewhat of a backlash against iTunes, MYSpace et al when people get sick of crappy quality MP3s and no albums. Well, I hope so anyway.
Like you said "people with no vision" fucked the industry in the 80s and 90s; now another turkey with no vision is gonna finish it off. "Venture Capitalist' is just another way of saying self-serving opportunist. He'll make a profit and do well out of it for himself but I sincerely doubt he'll save the company.
The Mastermind
This Illuminati Be Illin'
ill o.g.
I don't think so, it's what the kids know, it's here for a long time to come. Myspace might not live up to it's promise but if it doesn't something similar will do it.
I don't know if this Guy Hands is a guaranteed success for EMI as he seems to be generating a lot of resistance in his organisation. And that combines with the fact that he doesn't seem to really understand his product and market and this is borne out by the resistance he is generating.
2nd_Man
The 2nd Generation Of Man
ill o.g.
I sincerly hope so to. And you make a very good point, people let the industry slip away, and it doesnt seem like they want it back.
wrt the article, despite his credentials, Im not faulting the guy, but does the music industry really need a guy who mde his money off pubs and gas stations?
The job cuts could be a good move, Internet companies are running with few employees, its so easy to maintain.
Hugh Hendry describing him as rude and abrasive doesnt please me either. How is someone who isnt willing to work with difficult artists (i.e. all of them) going to run a music business. Artists will just turn there back on them, and turn to myspace.
LOL, the Coldplay album hasnt gone down to well I dont think, Coldplay themselves have broken from there norm album structure, and I dont think fans have taken to this well.
Taking myself away from the emotional tye with music. EMI needs serious restructuring, the culture is obviously completely lost, with employees "fruit and flower", they need to cut costs hugely, and just try and survive at the moment, whatever that means. and this guy looks like he could do that.
Sorry if Ive made pointless or incorrect points, kind of read in a rush.
Another interesting article, thanks for posting.
God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
Coldplay
Coldplay has a #2 single on the Billboard charts. But they hired their own marketing and promotions company to bypass EMI's dismal employees. Coldplay has a 30 second clip of their video played on major TV outlets in the USA as an iTunes commercial. Brilliant move. I think Coldplay will do well, but that still doesn't bode well for overall stock price of EMI.
Should EMI sell new music: reduce risk
If he spins off new music - and sells the name to some idiot, he's reducing risk and future debt that a new music division would inflict on his EMI associated assets. This will be a more attractive choice for him since there isn't (allegedly) debt associated with owning a stellar catalog.
Once he isolates the catalog from debt - he can run licensing with little debt - and have a skeleton group of employees running the catalogue division.
Find a way to spin off or sell to Google
Google may be a partner in buying the "new music" portion to lend instant record company credibility (EMI, Capitol) are still big "brands". Hands may sell to Google the new music division - but Google will want first dibs on something regarding the catalogue (whatever it is.) EMI's catalogue is one of the world's greatest (Beatles, Pink Floyd, etc.)
How will Google manage this?
How Google tries to make a profit
It has to be ads. But where? With YouTube they figured out a good structure. With music? How can they add Google ads? Add them into the mp3 code, so when your player opens up the mp3/FLAC file you can "click" on the add in Windows Media Player or whatever? Will Google buy Seeqpod? Is there a future there? I think so.
Either way, Hands has to do something to stop the bleeding.
As far as management style, he couldn't give a fuck what people think. That's why you hire others to coddle artists and hand-hold them through their post-adolescent tribulations of entitlement and "the world revolves around me" attitude.
Krazyfingaz
ILLIEN
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 2
i guess you can say the company was shot to hell before he brought it what more worse can he do? I dont like the fact that dude is an abrasive asshole but like GOD said he's a realist but he has NO background in music whic says to me he's only looking for a short term profit for himself, basicly fuck the company imma milk it till this cow is dry. damn dummies in the 80's and 90's should've been planning and paying attention.
Its funnie that you mentiioned that because lately i've been seeing short adds embedded at the bottom of youtube videos. I cant dissagree with you there.
Its funnie that you mentiioned that because lately i've been seeing short adds embedded at the bottom of youtube videos. I cant dissagree with you there.
Sincock
Fucking Wankers
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 8
This is the thing I don't get. How long can a company survive off a back catalogue that's not being added to?
Admitted, they do have a great catalogue but how long before people aren't buying Pink Floyd albums on a regular basis? If there's nothing new, wouldn't it just be a case of steadily diminishing returns until maintaining a corporate identity is costing more than they're making?
I dont think there will ever be a time when people arent buying pink floyd albums on a regular basis ..lol
Everytime someone discovers them they and all their friends get sucked in and it al begins anew.
2nd_Man
The 2nd Generation Of Man
ill o.g.
Mr Hand wont be looking to make a quick profit himself. Thats sort of thing doesnt really exist. These people look to quickly rejuvenate the business, get it making some more money, and get it into profit. If he manages that, he gets paid. The whole Fat Cat debate comes up, but at the end of the day, if EMI does well Hand does well, so Hand will be looking to get EMi strong.
Itll be interesting how the advertsing works. Can we actually take that much more advertising? idk. Im fed up with the amount of ads on things already, to me google is pretty ad free, its much less painless, hopefully they can keep this less obvious advertising going if they start to expand in music.
Itll be interesting how the advertsing works. Can we actually take that much more advertising? idk. Im fed up with the amount of ads on things already, to me google is pretty ad free, its much less painless, hopefully they can keep this less obvious advertising going if they start to expand in music.
That Cold Play trick worked, I had to go buy the damn song...
It just sticks in your freakin head until you can hear it again. Dang commercial came on aaaalll the time too?
Scary , I know , cuz I wouldnt normally do it, but I copped the song.
It just sticks in your freakin head until you can hear it again. Dang commercial came on aaaalll the time too?
Scary , I know , cuz I wouldnt normally do it, but I copped the song.
God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
EMI's back catalog
Going with what Relic says - in the United States, especially with every evolving generation of teenagers Pink Floyd and post Sgt. Pepper Beatles are "rediscovered" by... this is not a demographically correct name, but it's what they are... stoners and college stundents.
In fact every "new" generation of stoners/college students contribute to Pink Floyd's total catalog in a major way. Pink Floyd goes sells millions of albums worldwide EVERY YEAR because of the stoner culture. That's because they are associated in a perpetually revolving in the stoner wannabe culture. Don't think this niche is big business? Ask Phish, Dave Matthews, Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic. They are some of the world's most hardcore fans - and will buy the ENTIRE Pink Floyd catalog just to own the catalogue.
It's business
Who cares if EMI is sold to Google? Hands is out to make a profit. Emotion is not helpful to business. The years of success EMI had from 60's to the 80's and contributed to "culture" doesn't help its bottom line right now.
If EMI would go on the same course, it would sink deeper into the shitter. This guy is burning down the house to "save" it (in his own way.) I really think EMI will strike a deal with an internet biggie. EMI will end up being something totally different than what it was.
Google ad free? HA! And the Earth is flat, right?
That's their cash cow. The text ads in every Gmail account, or on every blog. It's why their stock price is over $500. They created an unobtrusive advertising model that is destroying their competition. They will find a way to link music to the ad model somehow.
Gmail and other "services" provided by Google are loss leaders. The search engine always shows relevant search results along with unobtrusive text ads. They focused group this shit. Google hires smart motherfuckers for a reason.
The Mastermind
This Illuminati Be Illin'
ill o.g.
You may be right, but I don't know about that. As the baby boomers age and have less of a hold on the culture / media machines of film, tv, etc I think the spotlight will be focussed a lot less on that 60-70s era. I think a lot of the music will last and persist in a way that, say, Bing Crosby hasn't but it will become more of a niche. But that's not going to happen tomorrow.
I can see I'm in the minority here, but the 50s were being rediscovered by teens a couple of decades back and now there is little interest. That said the differences in 50s to 60s music production and attitude is pretty marked so it may maintain it's appeal. I suppose it depends on how well EMI can maintain the spotlight on their catalogue.
Personally I think taking a different approach to managing the new music arm would be a better long term bet than becoming a company that deals purely in nostalgia.
God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
In the United States - the Beatles and Pink Floyd have a firm hold. The sales are consistent every year through each generation cycle. This is compounded with a greater hold of drug culture on mass-media.
People like Elvis weren't part of the hippie movement which created the perpetual drug culture in the USA. Pink Floyd and the Beatles were.
I agree that their sales may drop off - especially after boomers die - but an investment in that catalog is tremendous. The amount of royalties that can be made off the catalog - not just through album sales, but on video games, commercials, films, TV shows, you name it, is massive.
EMI also has an extensive 80's catalogue - so they're good until maybe around the mid-nineties.
I just don't see Guy Hands sitting on the catalog. He'll sell it quickly for a profit- so he doesn't really care about the long term unless a partnership with Google or some internet giant makes owning the catalog a viable alternative.