Labels killed the Internet star
From The Independent via ArtsJournal.com:
But figures from the US show that Apple Computer, the dominant legal download business in Europe and the US, retains just 4 cents from each 99-cent (55p) track sale while “mechanical copyright” holders – generally the record labels, who own copyright in the song’s recording – take 62 cents or more. Music publishers take the rest – about 8 cents.
With the sites, the copyright owners have doubled their share of royalties, even though the marginal cost of manufacturing has fallen to almost zero.
Man, do the major labels make it so easy to hate them.
In tangential news, Emusic.com is going to concentrate on independent artists (New York Times registration required). When you can’t beat ’em, specialize.