Fake Artists - Another Interesting Read from Ted Gioia

Nuuska

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Very interesting reading - thanks - unfortunately not surprising.
 

LeFinPepere

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Oups! Umberto Eco would have appreciated this! Think i'll read "Faith in fakes" again...
 

fronobulax

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The practice is not new although streaming makes things worse.

There are cases where an ad agency wanted to use something in a commercial, could not come to an agreement with the folks who owned the right to the original recording and so commissioned a cover from a studio, payed the studio musicians, paid the composers and released the ad.

A prime example is the classical "record" label Naxos. They have a huge catalog of classical music recorded by obscure orchestras and ensembles. Their prices are lower compared to the competition and, to their benefit, they do record compositions that are obscure or "out of print". But their costs are low since most classical music is now copyright free and the performers are essentially studio ensembles who make their living by recording and not by concertizing.

This business model works because many consumers of classical music are focused on the composer and if a recording meets some minimal performance standard it is "good enough".
 

Midnight Toker

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There's also a growing popularity of using talkover ad music that is instantly recognizable in style and melody of popular songs, save for one note at the end of a melodic phrase, rendering it free from any potential copyright suits.

I vacationed once in the Fla Keys about 10 yrs ago and found it interesting that all the deck bars there only play cd's of "soundalike" cover tunes that go wholly unnoticed by most tourists. There are massive catalogs of these. I think most of those CD NOW collections are like that.
 

walrus

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I, too, am not surprised. Interesting article, though.

walrus
 

Canard

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The practice is not new although streaming makes things worse.

There are cases where an ad agency wanted to use something in a commercial, could not come to an agreement with the folks who owned the right to the original recording and so commissioned a cover from a studio, payed the studio musicians, paid the composers and released the ad.

A prime example is the classical "record" label Naxos. They have a huge catalog of classical music recorded by obscure orchestras and ensembles. Their prices are lower compared to the competition and, to their benefit, they do record compositions that are obscure or "out of print". But their costs are low since most classical music is now copyright free and the performers are essentially studio ensembles who make their living by recording and not by concertizing.

This business model works because many consumers of classical music are focused on the composer and if a recording meets some minimal performance standard it is "good enough".

I believe there are a number of hits of the 50s and early 60s which were conceived by producers and recorded by house session musicians. When they were released with fake group names and became successful on the radio, the producers and the studios had run around and find musicians to form a fake group of good looking young guys with gnarly hair that could play the hit live. I know these hits exist but I am too tired to do the research. I had thought that Tequila by The Champs fit the bill here but it is not an exact fit.

Gnarly as in definition #3: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnarly
 

jp

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Unfortunately, this isn't a new practice. This started really started a while ago when cable and SAT radio began maturing. In fact, I think Muzak/Mood Music are responsible. Since their main consumers are businesses who need background music, they figured out that producing their own no-name artists re-recordings of popular music genres allowed them and their customers to avoid copyright and broadcast payments. This is what you get when you subscribe to inexpensive SAT radio channels of "modern country," "jazz classics," and others. It's upsetting to see the Swedes copying employing this practice.

I actually just heard some in my dentist's office a few weeks back. First, a no-name artist cover of U2, and then a remake of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's version of "Over the Rainbow" that intentionally was arranged to sound like him with only ukulele accompaniment -- insidious.
 
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