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Always Happy MLT Chose to Forge Their Own Path
When I first found out about the MonaLisa Twins, I was happy to see the path they had chosen. That is away from the music labels. Having seen the industry close up, it made me certain we’d get fabulous music from them despite their tough road ahead.
I came across this study of label musicians vs independent musicians, and it’s eye opening to say the least.
That 60% of label artists make less than 10k a year is jaw-dropping. 90% make less than 50k a year??? If you’re living in LA or NY, $50 thousand is barely enough to eat and pay rent (where you don’t have to be constantly ducking bullets), let alone have a half decent car. That means that 90% of artists signed to a major label must have non-music income to support/help support them.
I knew the numbers were bad, but I didn’t realize they had gotten this bad. Take into account that the major labels make about $10 Billion a year. About 3% of that goes to the artists, according to the RIAA (I think they were even boasting about it too because it was an increase over the year before).
So bottom line is: Thank you Mona, Lisa, Michaela and Rudolf for staying independent and sticking to your guns. There’s no way we’d be enjoying such good music and everything you do, if you had signed the dotted line.
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3 Replies
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Hi Tomas, and Thankyou for the interesting article you’ve shared and I agree with you…. It’s important that Team MLT continues to be on the path and approach that they’ve been doing as it has successfully been serving them well and I can’t really ever see them become a record label commodity… It’s just not for them, that is, cannot see them doing so… To have the creative freedom and own set of rules and business procedures as opposed to ” what is in the contract that must abided by, etc” and though yes, this approach requires more workload and so forth to make it all happen, and yes some snags are bound to come along but at the end of the day, they can take pride in knowing they’ve worked hard to creating something they love, understand, believe in. The bonus is, that their persistence and gut instincts to follow their own tune of thinking and doing, is harvesting musical appreciation returns from top notch musicians and fans globally who have had an open mind and heart to give a listen and give MLT a chance and to show old and new music can co exist if done with the right ingredients for a music recipe that will bake to a delicious tune with aromatic tastebuds to satisfy the music hungering for all that crave and want a tasting of musical Bliss…
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I think art and money have been at odds forever. Don’t mean to over simply it, but the music industry is about entertainment and promoting music that will sell like a commodity. Brainwashed manufactured music the record labels are pushing we’ve all heard a thousand times before. Truly inspired music that has creativity and originality are too risky to promote as they don’t fit the current pop music mold.
We are indeed so fortunate to have MLT giving us their labor of love; beautiful, soulful, truly real music like when we first heard a Beatles or Dylan song, that will be with us through our darkest and happiest times. Yes thank God MLT have remained independent.
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Thanks for the great post Tomas. Unfortunately the record companies are all about money and nothing else, they could care less about good music. I try to support talented artists like the twins that try to make it on their own. I try to post as many independent artists on my timeline as I can so people will listen them. Hopefully that will help them at least get some exposure. Anyone who reads this feel free to check them out, a lot of different styles of music im on facebook and my name is paul james rivenburgh on there.
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