Musicians "selling out" by licensing their music

[satan666]

This could be in the music discussion section but i felt it would get more traction if posted here...
I got the idea from a story about Billy Corgan's change of heart regarding the licensing of his music. You can watch that HERE (http://www.drunkenstepfather.com/forum/showthread.php?p=241821#post241821).


How do you feel about musicians licensing their music in films, television and commercial advertisements?

It has been done by so many artists to sell everything under the sun. So does it make you cringe to hear music that you like in the latest taco bell commercial?

1. It's "selling out" and when it happens, that artist is dead to me. I'll never buy another CD or go to another show.

2. I don't hate the artists that do it but i do lose respect for them.

3. I understand it... but i don't especially like it.

4. If they get paid, why not do it?

5. I'm glad when an artist that i like can make some extra money by selling a song for a tv commercial.

6. I don't care either way.

7. I'm just retarded.

[Bam-Bam]

It's their music, let them do what they want with it.

[BleacherCreature420]

hear "today" by the smashing pumpkins, a song i grew up with, on an ad for an Amex.........i almost broke my tv...........it really bothered me

sometimes is pisses me off more than other times........song/artist dependent i guess

[BleacherCreature420]

^^^^^^^^

if i scrolled down 5 more on the main page, Satan has already made a post about this exact SP incident, and wow that quote from '04 drives it home. I am guessing that is why you started this thread? I stand firm at choice 3

[tlock]

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agreed, but i think they can over commercialize their songs/music.

[thermos]

fascinating topic.....I voted #3.


my knee-jerk reaction is like bleach's....I remember the Led Zep/Cadillac commercials (I think?) and I wanted to do an angry misty mountain hop on the gigantic hood of my neighbor's seville for weeks.

but....I can't begrudge getting paper. I mean, I bitch at professional athelete's salaries too....but at EVERY annual review at my work....I lie about about my accomplishments and whine for more $$$ too.

It's easy to be a music lover and romanticize the importance/value/meaning of songs.....but they don't belong to us.

[troup]

I like it when they find some obscure little band and give the band probably the best marketing coverage they could dream of. But when its an already developed band who are a brand in their own right it feels dirty.

[skywalker]

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I agree.
If Led Zeppelin doesn't care if there song is in a Cadillac commercial then neither do I.
Besides with more and more people like us downloading music for free they gotta get paid somehow. I say take it when you can get it.
I don't understand why it bothers people.

[strommsarnac]

Isn't most of that because the studio still has the rights and not the musician themselves?

[serafina]

I can't fault the fools for wanting as much money as they can get their hands on. Fuck legitimacy.

[ronhonda]

who cares if they make some money from cd sales or selling their songs for movies, commercials, or whatever else.

[satan666]

It boggles my mind how some of you guys can't understand how others get upset if an artist they like lends their music to advertising. I, personally dont get mad, but i certainly understand how people do.

Sure "Get all the money you can" is a valid thought but do you not see the crossing of the line from art to commercialism? When someone's "art" gets used to sell a product or merchandise it cheapens it in a way, imo.

I'm playing devil's advocate here because it's not a big deal to me. But think about this... How about you hear AC/DC's "Back in Black" used in a commercial to sell Old Navy clothes? Or a Fleetwood Mac song used to sell tampons. Sure, they got "paid" but now for a lot of people that see the commercial repeatedly they have that association in their heads. When they hear that song they think of tampons.

There has always been a divide between art and the sleaziness that is advertising and, sure, it's not like the artists are writing the songs with a product in mind but to say "yes, i will let my song be used in your commercial to sell your product" is still and endorsement of sorts.... and that angers some people.... just saying.

[Jacktion]

Having a song that I love attached to some shitty product would probably piss me off, but how can I fault an artist for doing that?

1) If they're not a huge act, this could be a good way to help them gain attention.

2) Look around this forum. How many people are downloading music without paying for it? If the musicians can make up for some of that lost revenue by using their songs in commercials, then more power to them.

As a songwriter, I wouldn't rent my song out to just any product. But if they started flashing some big green at me? Fuck man, I'm poor. I'd probably do it.