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Kanye hear me now?
Transparency has been an industry watchword for a while now, but this may not be what everybody had in mind.
The sight of Kanye West tweeting out page after page of his Universal Music contracts before posting a video of someone urinating on his Grammy Award was an uncomfortable one for multiple reasons.
But his central message – that modern day recording and publishing contracts are opaque and unbalanced and that artists deserve to own their masters – is one that is likely to chime with many artists in the current climate.
Labels would dispute many of West’s claims, of course, and record companies undoubtedly deserve to make money off their early investments in talent. Not even Kanye was Kanye when he first started out, after all, and a quick scan of his deal reveals it to be remarkable mainly in its unremarkableness.
But the coronavirus crisis, and its related suspension of touring and many other revenue streams that artists have come to rely on, has thrown into sharp relief how well labels are doing from recorded music compared to those actually making that music.
It’s no coincidence that the #BrokenRecord movement has gained so much traction in the last six months. Artists and songwriters have little to focus on right now beyond their publishing and recording income and the harsh Covid-19 spotlight has made many question their current deals, even the entire modern system.
Of course, no one made people sign those contracts, but the more pertinent question might be whether they sign the next one. Other areas of the entertainment industry, such as sport, have long-since acknowledged player power. And, while there’s no music equivalent of Bosman transfer legislation, the rise of moneyed independents touting more equitable deals and the increased ease of the DIY route means both new artists and established superstars have more options than ever before.
The big companies’ big money still talks, but a more softly-worded approach, especially one involving the reversion of rights, might ultimately speak more loudly.
Otherwise the next Kanye West might not even bother signing a contract in the first place.
Mark Sutherland, Editor mark.sutherland@futurenet.com
MusicWeek 21.09.20
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