Courtney Love gets it. That's the essence of this entry - she understands that the purpose of art is to change people, and she understands how the internet can create a connection, a relationship between artists and fans to help change happen. As part of her June, 2000 description in this Salon story of what that might be like, she describes how it works now: a system that is so weighted towards record companies at the cost of the artists that it's appalling. So while I don't know if I've ever heard Courtney Love's music, after reading this I have to respect her as an artist.
Salon.com Technology | Courtney Love does the math.
And filters are replacing gatekeepers. In a world where we can get anything we want, whenever we want it, how does a company create value? By filtering. In a world without friction, the only friction people value is editing. A filter is valuable when it understands the needs of both artists and the public. New companies should be conduits between musicians and their fans. [emphasis added]
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The present system keeps artists from finding an audience because it has too many artificial scarcities: limited radio promotion, limited bin space in stores and a limited number of spots on the record company roster.
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Maybe each fan will spend less money, but maybe each artist will have a better chance of making a living. Maybe our culture will get more interesting than the one currently owned by Time Warner.
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Since I've basically been giving my music away for free under the old system, I'm not afraid of wireless, MP3 files or any of the other threats to my copyrights.
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[to AOL's Steve Case] Honestly hire honestly committed people. We're in a "new economy," right? You can afford to do that.But don't talk to me about "content."
I get really freaked out when I meet someone and they start telling me that I should record 34 songs in the next six months so that we have enough content for my site. Defining artistic expression as content is anathema to me.
What the hell is content? Nobody buys content. Real people pay money for music because it means something to them. A great song is not just something to take up space on a Web site next to stock market quotes and baseball scores.
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Every single artist who makes records believes and hopes that they give you something that will transform your life.[emphasis added]
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Don't tell me I'm a brand. I'm famous and people recognize me, but I can't look in the mirror and see my brand identity.
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Keep talking about brands and you know what you'll get? Bad clothes. Bad hair. Bad books. Bad movies.
