Lady Gaga Plays SXSW: 'You Don't Need a F--king Record Label"

[rmd1064]

More quotes, from Rolling Stone:

... she said, most of all, it was the pressure to perform that got her down in recent months. "The sad part is, at some point, you have to look at those people who believe in you and say, 'My talent matters more to me than the money does,'" she said. "And what I have to say matters more to me than the money does. I know that it's fun being on top and I know it's fun having everybody wish that they were Number One, but having people envy you really isn't fun at all."

Another perspective from the NY Times from SXSW on how aligning with major brands may be what's next for music. As discussed, making a living in the music industry today is complicated and I am sure Haley is trying to navigate the waters to find a way. But as noted below, "The consumer wants all the music that he or she desires — on demand, at a cost of zero or close to it — and we now live in that perfect world."

From NY Times:

Full Story: A New Model For Music

"In a streamed world where music itself has very little value, selling out is far from looked down upon, it’s the goal.

Don’t blame Lady Gaga, SXSW or even Doritos. The consumer wants all the music that he or she desires — on demand, at a cost of zero or close to it — and we now live in that perfect world.

It doesn’t feel perfect, though. At this year’s festival, historically a place of artistic idiosyncrasy, music labels were an afterthought and big brands owned the joint. Venues were decked out with a riot of corporate logos, and the conference’s legacy as a place where baby bands played their little hearts out to be discovered seemed quaint in a week in which Jay Z and Kanye West kicked it for Samsung, Coldplay headlined for Apple’s iTunes and Tyler, the Creator played a showcase for Pandora.

This new order evolved because when music moved into the cloud, not much of the revenue came with it. CD sales are a fraction of what they once were, and the micropayments from streaming services have yet to amount to anything meaningful. It’s a grim state of affairs, but corporate America, in search of an elusive demographic, has been more than willing to fill the breach."