There's this thing called compulsory licensing law that allows artists through the record companies to take your music at will without your permission.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
In this age when people expect to get their music for free, we have to work out how we can protect the rights of creative artists so they are compensated fairly and that the record business itself remains sound and healthy.
Most artists have contracts directly with the record company, and when they do music, all of their music is owned by the record company. But I did mine through a production company.
A record deal doesn't make you an artist; you make yourself an artist.
You have record companies that sign acts that they think are great, and then they never do anything. Acts that they don't think are really going to do much end up having a career. I don't think anyone really knows what it is that drives somebody to get on their computer and want to download a song.
And once the music is out there, when you're selling a record and selling music and people are going to do whatever they want with it, it's kind of hard to resist certain opportunities, especially in the record market now.
You don't sell as many records as you used to because of illegal downloads, but I think there are other ways you can make money through your music. Whether it's through merchandise or teaming up with other companies or brands or whatever, there are ways.
I never had many problems to do my music and to give it to a record company. Rarely do they try to argue with me about my music, probably because it's still too far-out.
I've made sure that in any situation and with any record label, I'm allowed to write my own music.
At the end of the day, if you don't have a record contract, a studio or a guitar, you can still write songs. You're still an artist. That's something no one can take away.
Music is the one part of the entertainment business where you can't fool anybody into buying a record.