AfterDawn: News

Finnish label will not sign more artists until piracy stops

The Finnish record label Lion Music has started a new campaign this week, promising to not sign any new musicians until the government has managed to stop unauthorized music downloads.

"We are NOT able to sign more artists. No demos or masters you send us will be considered for release. We will NOT listen to any mp3 files or check out your websites and we will NOT respond to questions regarding releasing your album," says Lars Eric Mattsson, company president, via TF. "The illegal file sharing on the net is killing independent music. We are sorry about this situation but we are sure you are aware of what is going on."

Mattsson continues: "Our demo policy will not change before our politicians have stopped the P2P sites. Illegal file sharing is not just about stealing from rich major companies. It is about killing independent music and making it impossible for many great musicians to have a chance to release albums and have a musical career even as a part time job. Next time you consider downloading an album for free or adding new torrents please think of the impact you are having on the artists – would you like it if we came into your home and stole your pay check?"



The label has also set up a section of their site, called "The Murder of Music", in which artists can express their thoughts on piracy. Read their thoughts here: Lion Music: Murder of Music

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 5 Jan 2010 11:38

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• 17 comments

• Jake_C

  And how long before Lion Music go bust, or drop this campain not long I'm guessing!
  
  There's no way they can stop piracy, reduce by a fraction maybe but not stop

  5.1.2010 11:58 #1

• emugamer

  Right....choke off artists based on one of the biggest lies of the past decade, and then blame consumers. Another arm of the RIAA slitting it's figurative wrists for attention.

  5.1.2010 12:13 #2

• Joshewah

  "The illegal file sharing on the net is killing independent music."
  
  *bleep*
  
  I'm just going to copy and paste my comment from the Bono thread the other day, its actually more relevant here.
  
  
  Downloading actually helps a lot fledgling bands get recognized. If these new bands/song writers play their cards right they can even cut out the middle men like the record companies who would cannibalize their sales. A lot of bands actually put their own music on torrent sites for the recognition!
  
  You can't download a t-shirt and you can't download the experience of being at a live event, the two huge money makers for fledgling bands.
  
  Record companies have their heads too far up their asses to realize this. These old timers can't see the direction the industry is moving and as a result will sink if they don't learn to swim. It is actually really exciting to finally see a level playing field. Good artists will have to rely on their talent for recognition and not the company they bought into. This is the way it should be.
  
  On a side note, if its really about saving indie musicians why are record companies signing actresses like Miley Cirus, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan for MUSIC deals? They aren't even musicians! Its all about money to these asshole not music.
  
  I will gladly help their ship sink.

  5.1.2010 13:45 #3

• emugamer

  I would just like to add that after all these years, I still love the picture Afterdawn uses for these articles :P
  
  +1

  5.1.2010 14:14 #4

• creaky

  Foul language removed.
  

  
  
  Main PC ~ Intel C2Q Q6600 (G0 Stepping)/Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500/Zalman CNPS9700/Antec 900/Corsair HX 620W
  Network ~ DD-WRT ~ 2node WDS/WPA ~ Buffalo WHR-G54S. 4node WPA2/AES ~ WRT54GS v6 (inc. WEP BSSID), WRT54G v2, WRT54G v3.1, WRT54G2 v1, WRT54G v5. *** Forum Rules ***

  5.1.2010 14:18 #5

• Gplanet

  Originally posted by emugamer: I would just like to add that after all these years, I still love the picture Afterdawn uses for these articles :P
  
  +1 LMAO ,... Right!!

  5.1.2010 16:00 #6

• creaky

  Quote from the article Originally posted by whinging robdog music exec: Next time you consider downloading an album for free or adding new torrents please think of the impact you are having on the artists – would you like it if we came into your home and stole your pay check?" How about the music business start giving the artists more of your cut, i think you'll find that's the real impact on the artists. Talk about double standards. Idiot.
  

  
  
  Main PC ~ Intel C2Q Q6600 (G0 Stepping)/Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500/Zalman CNPS9700/Antec 900/Corsair HX 620W
  Network ~ DD-WRT ~ 2node WDS/WPA ~ Buffalo WHR-G54S. 4node WPA2/AES ~ WRT54GS v6 (inc. WEP BSSID), WRT54G v2, WRT54G v3.1, WRT54G2 v1, WRT54G v5. *** Forum Rules ***

  5.1.2010 16:05 #7

• windsong

  How appropriate his name was "Lars".
  
  Lulz

  5.1.2010 16:37 #8

• Pride1

  If Cd's weren't so expensive I'd be buying a lot more. It takes less than a dollar to make a cd... can you say greedy? You brought this on yourselves guys :S

  5.1.2010 16:39 #9

• ntense69

  all of these companies need to face it records are loosing ground fast the business model now is direct downloads no matter if its free or you pay for it...heck even if the added it to the price of the net then they record companies would complain its not enough to pay for their new Mercedes that's just how i see it no matter if they blame piracy or not.

  5.1.2010 17:23 #10

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Quote from the article Originally posted by whinging robdog music exec: Next time you consider downloading an album for free or adding new torrents please think of the impact you are having on the artists – would you like it if we came into your home and stole your pay check?" How about the music business start giving the artists more of your cut, i think you'll find that's the real impact on the artists. Talk about double standards. Idiot.I been thinking about that and the best thing I can come up with is the label gets 60-90% of whats made until it starts making a profit(ad advertising,printing,ect) one its in black the artist gets 60-90%. This would be a time limited contract where the artist retains the copy right but the label retains the profit rights, until the contract ends and the artist is free to go someplace else.
  
  Frankly artists should never be able to give up their copy right for any reason, when you get into commissioned work that's a bit different for copy right creators they should retain their rights while the "owners" just get temporary rights(1,5,10,20 year contracts) to be the sole profit maker off the works.

  5.1.2010 20:07 #11

• domie

  I'm starting a campaign as well anyone care to join me ?
  I vow never to book another holiday in The United Kingdom until the UK government stops all the rain from falling.

  5.1.2010 20:39 #12

• psp4everz

  hey Lars (LOL, i looooooove that first name. Are you related to Lars Ulrich by chance? Cause he made some stupid comments about Napster & his band got their a$$ handed to them after that.) U ain't got nothing on how to use the internet for effective promotion.
  
  By saying to your (potential) customers 'Stop Thief! Don't steal (our) music' you are pretty much giving them the middle finger.
  
  and i got two for you right here buddy
  http://getoffourisland.com/images/guido_...LE%20FINGER.jpg

  5.1.2010 21:56 #13

• cult4me

  Im a finnish Music company and Im gonna throw a hissy fit and put myself out of business until I get my way!
  
  Classic!

  6.1.2010 02:06 #14

• oappi

  Nooo moop is on strike

  6.1.2010 12:13 #15

• montesso

  It looks like Lion Music are looking for some free publicity.
  I checked out the link and the bands and musicians there are not ones that I would download.
  I never even heard of any of them.

  7.1.2010 12:20 #16

• Gorgoroth

  Sadly, this is a label that NEEDS the support of people "downloading" to check out their artists. Most of these artists are more underground than usual, except for of course Joe Stump and Alex Masi, both artists are more than likely NOT on Lion Music ANYWAY, these are licensing deals... Alex and Joe are more like what you could call "guitar heroes," I've actually interviewed Joe Stump and he is a VERY nice guy, his band Reign Of Terror is simply amazing, and he's not a pretentious wanker like Malmsteen. The only other band on Lion I KNOW is the band Overdrive from Sweden, and they are VERY good rooted in traditional 80's metal. BUT... That being said their early back catalog (once again, I assume that their early reissues are mainly what Lion carries) is NOT the property of Lion music, just a distribution deal or being picked up from some other label. Some of these other artists I have never heard of and I've been doing an underground music magazine online for over 17 years now. Most Finnish labels I work with have come up with interesting solutions to the whole piracy thing, like voice over promo spots on half the tracks, some cardboard sleeve copies and advance "samplers" that only feature half the tracks of the full length (some only one or two). The most OBVIOUS solution is to only send out physical CD's once the release date hits, but from the business end of things, there's a REASON why labels send us publishing people music one or even two months before release date: They need press quotes, short tagline reviews, and what we in the industry refer to as "tear sheets" to package WITH the CD's when they send them out to radio stations and other high gloss magazines... This is supposed to encourage more participation in their product since obviously the intended recipient is going to see all these wonderful reviews...
  
  There's a solution for every problem... Lion Music doesn't sound like much of a player even in the underground scene, so they need to get with the times... I myself am against the leaking of music BEFORE the release date, since it's intention is to generate press and publicity before the release date. Once it's out, it's out and people will buy it and then leak it... REAL music fans will download it, and if they like it they will BUY it. If they DON'T buy it, they may like the band enough to see them on tour or even buy a shirt... It's a known fact too that even when I look for CD's on ebay, they're still a bit too expensive (and nine times out of ten what MAKES them more expensive is the titles being on an overseas label ONLY being sold by an international ebay customer, thereby charging 5, 6, and even 7 dollars SIMPLY for shipping alone!) The cheapest way to buy CD's??? Believe it or not, the BEST way to get band's CD's cheapest is to BUY THEM AT THEIR SHOWS... They're often marked to $10, $11, or even $12, and no shipping and handling fees, no retail or mall store markup... Same with bands shirts, although sometimes distributors who mass produce these shirts WILL have them cheaper on ebay... BEWARE of concert halls who get a cut of the band's merchandise sales, (most don't but some do, especially if they're one of very few places in town BIG enough to cover international or bigger touring bands) as the shirts THEN will be marked up significantly...
  
  Just some notes from someone who's been around for a long, long time...

  7.1.2010 18:40 #17