Dairy of a Madman

A few years back, with the advent of peer-to-peer networks, it began: the paradigm shift of the entertainment business. The ability to digitize (and, with a high-speed network, share) music, movies, books, and TV shows has drastically affected (or not, depending on whose data and statistical analyses you choose to believe) the financial end of artists, management, and studios producing these forms of entertainment (and others).

We’ve all heard the arguments from both sides of the file-sharing fence. We’ve heard about labels mistreating artists. We’ve heard some artists say that downloading music hurts them, and others say it helps. Usually, these stories are anecdotal, without any real examples of how they’re hurt or helped; and in the end, it’s all rhetorical anyway, because the status quo remains.

I met Rich Ward (stuck Mojo / Fozzy) about five or six years ago. I’ve always followed his music — some I really dig, and some not so much. But he’s a nice guy, smart, and determined — he’s one of the few guys that I’ve met that I really feel deserves some success in the music business. And so I want to help him out by publicizing his new approach to the business, which you can read about at http://www.stuckmojomedia.com/.

It’s a really interesting read, if you’re interested in the financial behind-the-scenes of the music industry (and a must-read if you’re a struggling artist who ever hopes to make a career (or even a paying hobby) in music).

I think Rich is on to something here. It may not be the perfect solution to a… well, not a problem as much as an evolution in the business; but I think it has a lot of potential as a basis for a solution.