Jay Z it’s Time For You to become “A Business-MAN” Fire Your Management & PR
July 22, 2015
I’m so glad u guys get to see how this stuff works. Taylor took her music off spotify and was applauded. We launched Tidal & were dragged.
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
Tidal has many problems, as outlined below but Nicki Minaj’s statement is at the expense of others or Selective Tolerance B. Don’t fight abuse with more abusive behavior.
April 8, 2015
#enTIDALed
The music industry has a long history of operating under The Sociopathic Business Model™ by manipulating their artists and that’s never been in question in relation to recent events. We’ve all heard the horror stories of record labels making millions while the artists who created & supported their music file for bankruptcy. Artists deserve to be paid for their work.
So in theory I understand why the artists at Jay Z’s latest investment, Tidal a fee for music streaming service, were umm more than a little overzealous at the idea of taking control away from the corrupt record labels that have abused artists for years; however, what it doesn’t do is give the abused (artists) the right to turn around and manipulate facts (Revolution-my ass) and abuse their fans.
Let’s give the word abused proper context since we are talking about people worth $650 million or more in some instances. There are varying degrees of victimization however no one victim should ever be dismissed without the opportunity to seek justice as part of their healing process. Just because Jay Z is worth a reported $650 million doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be paid every penny he’s earned; but also it doesn’t justify manipulating facts to abuse fans either.
Here’s the problem with each of those out-of-touch touch artists that proudly stood on that stage like the world was witnessing the signing of the Declaration of Independence (and symbolically I’m sure it was pitched as it represented their freedom from the record labels & that fans would get it) but what these artists failed to recognize is that they were again being manipulated by their own management who in turn wanted them to manipulate their own fans (who helped create their careers) all likely so the PR & management teams could keep their jobs.
The artists should have fired agents & attorneys who weren’t originally capable of negotiating better contracts with the labels on their behalf but instead were convinced that their gullible fans would happily be manipulated into paying for their client’s image. The music world learned a few new words like platform and startup, and ran out to show the world that Jay Z was not a businessman or a business-man like his line in Kayne’s song suggests but rather embarrassingly a punchline to one of his songs and still likely manipulated by his management/PR team.
Here’s a question for Mr. Carter (Jay Z), is the same team that’s helped you with other deals also the team that helped structure your deal with Tidal? If that answer is yes, then Mr. Carter quite likely was manipulated into manipulating other artists to join him and in turn manipulate all of their fans that have supported their work over the years. If you’ve seen the press conference you’ll notice a bunch of artists looking very uncomfortable standing in a line on stage. There is no shame in admitting you were manipulated but there is shame in letting it continue to the point of creating a scenario where fans become victims.
Tidal absolutely has the right to charge $9-$19 a month for their music streaming service, that’s also never been in question; however, ethically and transparently people have the right to know what they’re paying for and have the right to choose to purchase that service or not based on the facts. For instance are there only a certain number of $9 memberships available that would force those interested in the latest releases from their favorite artists to purchase the higher priced membership package?
One of the first rules in sales: “what’s the ‘you’ appeal,” meaning what’s in it for the customer? Tidal’s management and PR were more worried (about saving their jobs) and clearly manipulating their artists (which is easy with egos that size) into manipulating their fans and classically focused on image (branding) which is linked to heightened unethical behavior. A defined substantial fact-based product or service is marketed and why anyone should be leery of any company that’s focused on their branding because it’s focused on your financial pocket without regard for an actual product. The concepts around Tidal’s services were vague at best and if it were run like a true startup (an ethical one at least) each paying member would also own part of the company.
And this is worth a watch if you think there wasn’t Tidal backlash-#TIDALFORALL
Anyone with any amount of legitimate ethical business sense never would have allowed that ego driven Battlestar Galactia Tidal Press Conference to happen and certainly would have made the focus on what the fans want: music, facts and if it were run a like a true startup part of the profits. Hopefully each artist still has someone trustworthy close to them and shows them that allowing their management to manipulate them into manipulating their fan base very well may have killed their careers.
Ethically Tidal is challenged and won’t get my business and neither will itunes in the future. From 2004-to present I purchased (yes I am one of those who think artists deserve to be paid) over 6,000 songs and systematically itunes has removed all but 900 from my catalog. A former Apple employee (which speaks highly of the employee) but not really the company who is aware of the problem offered some solutions in case any others are having the same problem. The streaming service that will treat the artists as well as the fans/customers ethically will get my business in the future-just not sure what service that is just yet.