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So, I'm watching TV when,...

C

christobass 416

Sep 30, 2005
500
2
36
new jersey, USA
#1
I hear Shuffle In from Equilibre on this horrible show called the Simple Life on E!, originally broadcasted on FOX. Has this song been sold to FOX? I'd be surprised if Michael and David allowed this...or was is the record company, Solid Air's, decision?
I know this is kind of a stupid question, but....I can't imagine michael allowing use of one of his songs for a crappy pop-culture TV show.
 
#2
Actually, I think it's pretty cool. I love Equilibre, it's one of my favorite CD's. I think that any opportunity for Michael to be heard is good. Some people might hear his music and really connect with it. Some of those people might even try to find out what they heard.

I know that this CD captured me. I would go online to listen to samples until I got off my butt and purchased the CD.

I just feel that more people should be exposed to Michael's playing.

Joe
 
#3
Well, I do, too, but I think most people who watch this show wouldn't be the least bit interested in the background acoustic guitar music. Even if they were, how would they know who it is?

I think selling your music to be used in a commercial/tv show is grounds for selling out. If it's the record company's decision, though, well, that sucks for the artist.

I should've checked out the credits of that episode...
 
#4
christobass 416 said:
I think selling your music to be used in a commercial/tv show is grounds for selling out. If it's the record company's decision, though, well, that sucks for the artist.
Click to expand...

I think that's a pretty simplistic world view, and pretty easy for a 16 year old to say when they probably aren't all that financially responsible for much in their life.
 
#5
christobass 416 said:
I think selling your music to be used in a commercial/tv show is grounds for selling out. If it's the record company's decision, though, well, that sucks for the artist.

[\QUOTE]

This is so true. How DARE a professional musician try to make money with their music. Don't they know, it's about the ART! What real artist would want their music exposed to millions of TV viewers on a weekly basis?

;)
Click to expand...
 
#8
jeff schmidt said:
Cristo - I would never judge you for being idealistic about the music business - watching "simple life" on the other hand . . . .

:rollno:


:)
Click to expand...
lol, i watch the simple life for kicks sometimes. it's funny how stupid these women are.

if you were a musician, you would have no problem using your music to sell a product? i find that hard to believe.
 
#9
christobass 416 said:
lol, i watch the simple life for kicks sometimes. it's funny how stupid these women are.

if you were a musician, you would have no problem using your music to sell a product? i find that hard to believe.
Click to expand...

Brother, music is used to sell almost every product known to man. Music is used in movies and TV. Are all of those musicians sellouts? Is anyone that profits from music a sellout?

When you actually have to earn a living for yourself, many of your silly moral principals will go out the window.
 
#10
Who knows, maybe there's a huge Manring fan that worked on that Simple Life episode. He/she was given the job of selecting music for a scene and picked something from Equilibre. That would be awesome!

Music is an art, but is also a business. It's okay to make money from your music (IMO). If Honda gives me a call and says they want to pay me $5k so they can use my music to sell their cars, you better believe I am going to let that happen. It could open the door for other things in the future.

I am fortunate enough to make my living as a music teacher. There are a lot of people that make their living in music without health insurance. Do you have any idea how much it costs to go to the dentist without insurance? It costs over $200 just to take a child to the doctor for a well-child visit (shots included). It can be brutal to go to the pharmacy without insurance. I know someone that needed special eye drops and had to pay over $90. This same person had to get a tube cream for a dry skin condition and that was $250. There are programs for self-employed people to get health insurance; however, they are also very expensive.

I'm just seeing things from a different perspective. I'm not putting down your perspective or your opinion, I'm only sharing my own.

Joe
 
#13
christobass 416 said:
if you were a musician, you would have no problem using your music to sell a product? i find that hard to believe.
Click to expand...


I have worked at MTV for almost 10 years. Given the chance most artists would kill to have their music played in one of my shows. You get your art out to the public any way you can. And please do not forget this most important piece of information... TV shows, concerts on TV, any radio programs you may listen to on the radio are ONLY THERE to sell ADVERTISING. It's not what's on TV or the Radio that makes the money it's what's in between what is on TV or Radio.

So, to answer you question - most artists do not have a problem using their craft to sell products.
 
#14
Selling your music is what puts food on the table if your a proffesional musician. If you don't let people use your music in exchange for money you go hungry.

Years back Van Halen got slammed for letting Pepsi use one of their songs - there response was "they gave us $500,000! Laugh at us all you like!".

Ian
 
#15
christobass 416 said:
I think selling your music to be used in a commercial/tv show is grounds for selling out. If it's the record company's decision, though, well, that sucks for the artist.
Click to expand...


Sorry, it's going to feel like you are getting piled on here but think of it as an opportunity to expand your world view.

By your definition, most Baroque period composers were sellouts. They were often largely financed by the church. Some held that faith some did not.

If it were not for the backing of what you could consider the "corporate world" of it's day, many great works of art would likely have never been composed.

Balance.:)
 
#17
I think there is a substantial qualitative difference between music for adverts and music for a TV show. Largely to do with how closely associated with the product the musicians become. For Michael's music to be used as background to a shot on a TV show, there would just be a simple licensing agreement, a royalty paid, end of story. To use your music on a advert, particularly if you are in it as well (ala The Spice Girls/Britney/Michael Jackson etc.) the deal is slightly more complex.

Where a particular person draws the line is completely up to them. I'd have no trouble having my music played in the background on a regular TV show, but wouldn't allow it to be licensed for a car/fast food/beer/coke/whatever commercial.

The problem comes when they just pay a royalty and use a soundalike - years ago Sting was approached about using 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' in a deodorant advert - pretty offensive misuse of a serious song, by anyone's estimation. He said no, and so instead they got a Sting soundalike in, made an exact copy of the song, and just paid a royalty for licensing the composition, not the performance. Fortunately for me, Coke and McSatan don't have a history of using chilled out solo bass on their ads. ;)

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

In this case, I'm just applauding the excellent taste of the music director on the show. I'd be using Michael's music on any TV show I was picking the tunes for too!

Steve
www.stevelawson.net
 
#18
couple of things caught me on this thread...

why do you need to disclaimer yourself from watching a television show? anyone who judges you on what you like as opposed to who you are is no better than someone who judges you for the color of your skin or what religion you were raised with. and for the record, that show IS pretty entertaining. i'm entertained by what those girls can get away with and their general lack of caring about consequences. watch an episode, i bet you'll laugh outloud at least once.

secondly...i'll never understand all the concern from artists and fans about selling out. it is this thin line that every artist and fan must walk. for an artist it seems you are selling out if you get exposure to new fans by some sort of mass media outlet such as a commercial or a music video or something...or perhaps some sort of corporate exploitation of your talents without being paid accordingly? it just doesn't make sense. in my mind selling out is doing something that you don't want to do in an effort to earn money - so to me, selling out is getting a desk job when you should be playing music.

just wanted to chime in on this and offer this advice (take it or leave it, cause after all, what do i know?): don't be so self conscious about what others think. do what makes you feel good inside. stick to YOUR guns and play by YOUR rules...you know when you are making a decisioin that you aren't fully happy with. avoid those situations. your fans are your fans because of your work and the decisions you've made thus far to promote yourself.
 
#19
bsullivan said:
Sorry, it's going to feel like you are getting piled on here but think of it as an opportunity to expand your world view.
Click to expand...

exactly. all i said was that it was "grounds for selling out." i didn't say if you license a song to be used in a TV show, you're a sell out. if i heard a michael manring song every day in a commercial, that'd be selling out.

sorry, i hate corporate america. i can't imagine licensing any of my music (if i had released any) to a major company to help promote their product.
 

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