Artifact - 30 Seconds To Mars

Regarding Artifact, the documentary 30 Seconds to Mars' struggles with record label EMI, I want to start by saying this documentary was very interesting and informative to what the record industry is really like behind the glitz and glamour, showing just how cut-throat it really can be.

Many musicians have come to the realization that a big label such as EMI are based upon a business model that do not have their best interests at heart - they are a business, and are there to turn a profit by any means necessary. During the filming of this documentary, multiple musicians and bands decided to sue their respective label after being encouraged by the experience of 30 Seconds to Mars. Musicians began to stick up for themselves, and some of them were able to get what they were looking for. Unfortunately , some were not victorious and had to pay the label. After negotiations highlighted by the film, the band was able to get the deal they wanted from their label and they resigned to EMI just before they were split into new l labels. However, even though EMI has been broken up,  they still believe 30 Seconds To Mars owe them $1.2 million despite the fact that the band has not made a penny off their albums they made under EMI.

An interesting part of the story, which came up a couple of times during the documentary was about digital media and how labels should have thought of the future and began work on proper distribution in the digital age but did not. It's obvious to just about everyone that they should have been the one's to start things like iTunes and Spotify, but instead become dependent on them. The music industry was and is slow to change, even though most music is sold in digital format rather than physical disk or records, there are still damage and breakage feed on the music, so musicians are being charged for these things when you simply cannot break or damage a digital copy of a song.

During his presentation, Tomo Milicevic told us something Jared Leto mentioned to him. " In the future musicians are going to be snot nosed kids making millions from the music they make in their bedroom, putting it up on the internet and basically telling the label they do not need them as they are making money for themselves". The term Artist Development came up, which is where you find a new artist and generate a fanbase for them basically in order to get them known. This is not used as much in today's world as most musicians have already done their own development, built up a fanbase and done the work themselves. With social media being a huge part of a musicians career, they are speaking directly to the people who want their music. The way of the future are the fans and they are the gatekeeper to a successful career as a musician.