bas
04-08-2004, 04:09 PM
http://www.shania-twain.org/mb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13621
Editorial: How Not To Run A Record Label (Part 1)
Editorial: Mercury UK has confirmed Shania's "She's Not Just A Pretty Face" single has been cancelled and will not be released there, and no other single is currently scheduled... This is just the lastest fiasco in a long line of mistakes and utterly unbelievable behavior by Universal label divisions worldwide. This same UK label didn't even know that Shania was back on tour (again) in the UK while she was there last month. But the primary blame rests with the USA parent and Nashville sub-labels, which are ultimately responsible for the total lack of marketing, promotion, coordination, or a single sign of intelligence or strategy, since before the release of this album, throughout this fiasco of the past 18 months...
The level of incompetence, dishonesty, and actual sabatoge by Shania's record label in the US (Nashville and New York), UK, Australia, and South America has been staggering. The webmaster and contacts have personally witnessed enough examples to fill a book. With the exception of Germany, the Netherlands and a rare few Euro divisions, label performance has been a joke. Not only should this label release her from her contract now -- they should repay millions of dollars of her profits they've used to promote only other artists in shameful attempts to justify their jobs and existence. If nobody else sells well, execs lose their sub-labels and employees their jobs, so their scam is to make it appear others artists are also "successful." They throw away her profits on other artists' pay-for-radioplay, videos, media hype, and promotion of albums that sell nothing, while trying to create more "fake stars" who disappear the next month (many of whom arguably should never have been signed). All that money is wasted; none is used to promote Shania's music.
Many fans have asked when Shania planned to tour Australia, and though answered in private emails, that information has been kept confidential until now... No more. Due to Universal Australia's failure to do any work for this album, lack of radioplay, and consequent relatively poor local sales, Shania has had to cancel her plans and will not be able to tour Australia on this tour. Fans can blame her Aussie label division for this. 100% due to the local label's laziness, lack of concern, and intentional inaction (label also lied about Shania in an attempt to cover up their intentionally unethical behavior).
Australia was Shania's first major international market success after North America..."The Woman In Me" sold extremely well in Australia, back when nobody knew who she was -- with "I'm Outta Here!" and "You Win My Love" singles remixed and a few spot TV appearances. "Come On Over" became the top selling album in Australian music history (now tied for #1). She has a huge, loyal core fan base there, half of whom probably still don't know UP! was ever released. Simply promote the concerts (normally) and she easily sells out... but this is an expensive tour to take to Australia with a label that not only doesn't care, but has intentionally sabotoged this album by refusing to do any work. She is still not even listed as an artist at their own web site.
With the current philosophy, Shania will not tour any regions where she is not selling or has no radio support. Many would argue that's the wrong approach, but apparently what they've decided. No Pac Rim or South America either (her few days promo trip to Japan was it)... It's a joke to call this a world tour. Makes one wonder why she's toured the UK then -- since there has also been so little support by Mercury UK, radio, video channels, or media there either.
Radio is not that important to a megastar artist on a competent label -- even here in the US, there are ways "around" the corporate radio hacks who refuse to play music for political reasons, many of whom wouldn't know a good song if it fell on them. The webmaster has dealt with and watched the world's most inept record label for eight years, and Mercury Nashville has lost what few competent staff they had to departures, downsizing and mergers/layoffs. Their behavior has been not only lazy and incompetent, but intentionally disloyal and contemptible. Universal's IDJMG in New York (responsible for her "pop" promotion) has been about as bad. She's had no New York promo, and label incompetence has also ruined this album's chances at Top 40 (format that sells the most albums). She should have left when label slime (who'd never heard it) lied about/slammed her new album in a made-up "leak" to the New York media, before it was even released.
True, Shania has to care about this herself -- nobody else is going to. But she also has to know what is really happening, and for the most part, she has not. Label non-support has been a longstanding problem, but the intentionality and extent of behavior has more recently come to light. Further, it is her management's job to monitor and address such career-related media and label issues for her... but that firm has also recently abdicated their responsibilities and not demanded that the label perform, or inform them she's leaving... Shania should start her own label with its own dedicated sales, marketing, and promo staff. Mercury/Universal has blatently and repeatedly "breached" her contract. They won't promote her singles, won't lower too-high prices for her CDs or DVDs at retail, and now won't even pay for actual videos. Universal's promised "price cut" has still not been implemented at 90% of music retail, in particular for her albums. Some of her catalog is still selling for $19-20. Her lawyers should demand an audit of label's books to see where all of the money is going. Other artists are getting millions of dollars in marketing, promo, and advertising with literally ten times the support. Label has spent nothing except for videos, but that's simply a loan. Shania's pays for her own -- all video costs were recouped a year ago for any possible videos from this album. The only Universal Music promotion out of Nashville or New York is for other artists, that sell little to nothing, but using money from her profits. She's still the most profitable artist in music (more sales per radio spin or TV exposure) but she has essentially no radio (or videoplay). She needs a "professional" label: competitive pricing, retail, radio and media promotion, actual concept videos, proper singles selection, timing, and some semblance of strategic marketing... and management that actually cares about Shania as a person and performer (rather than worry about what their cut was for this album or other favored clients. They signed a contract too, though they were in fact hired too late for this release). No artist can survive an inept unethical label trying to ruin a career by intentional omission and neglect.
I found it on www.shania.com
Editorial: How Not To Run A Record Label (Part 1)
Editorial: Mercury UK has confirmed Shania's "She's Not Just A Pretty Face" single has been cancelled and will not be released there, and no other single is currently scheduled... This is just the lastest fiasco in a long line of mistakes and utterly unbelievable behavior by Universal label divisions worldwide. This same UK label didn't even know that Shania was back on tour (again) in the UK while she was there last month. But the primary blame rests with the USA parent and Nashville sub-labels, which are ultimately responsible for the total lack of marketing, promotion, coordination, or a single sign of intelligence or strategy, since before the release of this album, throughout this fiasco of the past 18 months...
The level of incompetence, dishonesty, and actual sabatoge by Shania's record label in the US (Nashville and New York), UK, Australia, and South America has been staggering. The webmaster and contacts have personally witnessed enough examples to fill a book. With the exception of Germany, the Netherlands and a rare few Euro divisions, label performance has been a joke. Not only should this label release her from her contract now -- they should repay millions of dollars of her profits they've used to promote only other artists in shameful attempts to justify their jobs and existence. If nobody else sells well, execs lose their sub-labels and employees their jobs, so their scam is to make it appear others artists are also "successful." They throw away her profits on other artists' pay-for-radioplay, videos, media hype, and promotion of albums that sell nothing, while trying to create more "fake stars" who disappear the next month (many of whom arguably should never have been signed). All that money is wasted; none is used to promote Shania's music.
Many fans have asked when Shania planned to tour Australia, and though answered in private emails, that information has been kept confidential until now... No more. Due to Universal Australia's failure to do any work for this album, lack of radioplay, and consequent relatively poor local sales, Shania has had to cancel her plans and will not be able to tour Australia on this tour. Fans can blame her Aussie label division for this. 100% due to the local label's laziness, lack of concern, and intentional inaction (label also lied about Shania in an attempt to cover up their intentionally unethical behavior).
Australia was Shania's first major international market success after North America..."The Woman In Me" sold extremely well in Australia, back when nobody knew who she was -- with "I'm Outta Here!" and "You Win My Love" singles remixed and a few spot TV appearances. "Come On Over" became the top selling album in Australian music history (now tied for #1). She has a huge, loyal core fan base there, half of whom probably still don't know UP! was ever released. Simply promote the concerts (normally) and she easily sells out... but this is an expensive tour to take to Australia with a label that not only doesn't care, but has intentionally sabotoged this album by refusing to do any work. She is still not even listed as an artist at their own web site.
With the current philosophy, Shania will not tour any regions where she is not selling or has no radio support. Many would argue that's the wrong approach, but apparently what they've decided. No Pac Rim or South America either (her few days promo trip to Japan was it)... It's a joke to call this a world tour. Makes one wonder why she's toured the UK then -- since there has also been so little support by Mercury UK, radio, video channels, or media there either.
Radio is not that important to a megastar artist on a competent label -- even here in the US, there are ways "around" the corporate radio hacks who refuse to play music for political reasons, many of whom wouldn't know a good song if it fell on them. The webmaster has dealt with and watched the world's most inept record label for eight years, and Mercury Nashville has lost what few competent staff they had to departures, downsizing and mergers/layoffs. Their behavior has been not only lazy and incompetent, but intentionally disloyal and contemptible. Universal's IDJMG in New York (responsible for her "pop" promotion) has been about as bad. She's had no New York promo, and label incompetence has also ruined this album's chances at Top 40 (format that sells the most albums). She should have left when label slime (who'd never heard it) lied about/slammed her new album in a made-up "leak" to the New York media, before it was even released.
True, Shania has to care about this herself -- nobody else is going to. But she also has to know what is really happening, and for the most part, she has not. Label non-support has been a longstanding problem, but the intentionality and extent of behavior has more recently come to light. Further, it is her management's job to monitor and address such career-related media and label issues for her... but that firm has also recently abdicated their responsibilities and not demanded that the label perform, or inform them she's leaving... Shania should start her own label with its own dedicated sales, marketing, and promo staff. Mercury/Universal has blatently and repeatedly "breached" her contract. They won't promote her singles, won't lower too-high prices for her CDs or DVDs at retail, and now won't even pay for actual videos. Universal's promised "price cut" has still not been implemented at 90% of music retail, in particular for her albums. Some of her catalog is still selling for $19-20. Her lawyers should demand an audit of label's books to see where all of the money is going. Other artists are getting millions of dollars in marketing, promo, and advertising with literally ten times the support. Label has spent nothing except for videos, but that's simply a loan. Shania's pays for her own -- all video costs were recouped a year ago for any possible videos from this album. The only Universal Music promotion out of Nashville or New York is for other artists, that sell little to nothing, but using money from her profits. She's still the most profitable artist in music (more sales per radio spin or TV exposure) but she has essentially no radio (or videoplay). She needs a "professional" label: competitive pricing, retail, radio and media promotion, actual concept videos, proper singles selection, timing, and some semblance of strategic marketing... and management that actually cares about Shania as a person and performer (rather than worry about what their cut was for this album or other favored clients. They signed a contract too, though they were in fact hired too late for this release). No artist can survive an inept unethical label trying to ruin a career by intentional omission and neglect.
I found it on www.shania.com