Kevin Parker(Tame Impala): Music will be free sooner or later

[JEWRJEWR 5,663]

Tame Impala's frontman Kevin Parker did a Reddit AMA a couple months ago where he was asked about streaming services.

Hi Kevin! How do you feel about people downloading and streaming your music for free?

Eh.... I feel like music will be free sooner or later, and i think I'm all for it. There's all this talk of music needing a monetary value, this ownership of music, even that it needs a physical form. But intrinsically... it's MUSIC, it should be better than that. Some of my most important musical experiences were from a burnt CD with songs my friend downloaded for me at a terrible digital quality... I didn't care... it changed my life all the same. For me the value of music is the value you extract from it. You want to know a story? Up until recently, from all of tame impala's record sales outside of australia I had received.... zero dollars. Someone high up spent the money before it got to me. I may never get that money. Then Blackberry and some tequila brand or something put my song in an ad. Then I bought a house and set up a studio. I know what you're thinking... "wait so...when I bought an album I was helping some businessman pay for his mansion on an island somewhere, and when some dude bought a mobile phone he was helping to pay an artist? WHHHYY?" I'll tell you why, IT'S MONEY. It doesn't always go where you want it to go. It's like a shopping trolley with a bung wheel. As far as I'm concerned the best thing you can do for an artist is LISTEN to the music...fall in love with it.......talk about it.........get it however you can get it....Let the corporations pay for. This is just my brain rambling remember, I'm sure there are holes in my theories... for example I realise not everyone's music is suited to a mobile phone ad, and it would be lame if artists tailored their music for that purpose.

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/34clpm/i_am_kevin_parker_from_tame_impala_ask_me_anything/

Do you agree with kev? 

[Red 94,557]

It's been free for me for a long time

[SEANGT 4,923]

he's right about how it works now - I think the movement with the whole music needs value thing is more about cutting out corporations so small artists can get a fair amount of money for people buying/listening as opposed to being poor until they sign a record deal and then still being poor until they make it super huge. 

enjoy my run-on sentence 

[Cssomeone 1,576]

I believe it will be common for artists to give their music (digital format) for free. Only CD's and vinyls will be sold, and mostly like nowadays, artists will gain more money from concerts and other kinds of works.

[GloZell Green 11,723]

I feel like more artists are going to go down the Taylor and Adele route (heavy copyright and no streaming).

[retroglamx 5,100]

Kevin is a really smart guy and his views on this matter prove it.

[Bette Davis 12,742]

@JEWRJEWR your avi gives me life  I love the Chromatic 

[ARTPOPdidntflop 3,987]

music for free is a dumb idea lol

how do people expect musicians to make a living? That's like painters giving away their paintings for free

[JEWRJEWR 5,663]

Just now, Bette Davis said:

@JEWRJEWR your avi gives me life  I love the Chromatic 

kill for love is flawless

Just now, ARTPOPdidntflop said:

music for free is a dumb idea lol

elaborate

[Stephen 30,267]

5 minutes ago, ARTPOPdidntflop said:

music for free is a dumb idea lol

how do people expect musicians to make a living? That's like painters giving away their paintings for free

tickets!

[Stephen 30,267]

12 minutes ago, ARTPOPdidntflop said:

That's like painters giving away their paintings for free

I think of it more as how you can digitally download this

You can even print it out if you want, but if you want an authentic print, or you want to see it in person, you're gonna have to pay 

 

[ARTPOPdidntflop 3,987]

1 hour ago, Steve Nasty said:

I think of it more as how you can digitally download this

You can even print it out if you want, but if you want an authentic print, or you want to see it in person, you're gonna have to pay 

 

but for artists to make a living from their art would be impossible. Imagine every artist trying to tour at once.

[Cssomeone 1,576]

13 hours ago, ARTPOPdidntflop said:

music for free is a dumb idea lol

how do people expect musicians to make a living? That's like painters giving away their paintings for free

I am sorry, but I believe that's a dumb comparison. A painter only makes a living by painting, a musician can go on tour, advertise products, make private concerts, and still sell CD's, DVD's, Vinyls, etc. I think DIGITAL music will be free, there will be many other ways to get money.

[ARTPOPdidntflop 3,987]

5 hours ago, Cssomeone said:

I am sorry, but I believe that's a dumb comparison. A painter only makes a living by painting, a musician can go on tour, advertise products, make private concerts, and still sell CD's, DVD's, Vinyls, etc. I think DIGITAL music will be free, there will be many other ways to get money.

that's assuming they're successful enough to do all those things

[Ray of Light 8,134]