The Obama Administration record on supporting US Made Music.ain't so Good.

Now that the Obama Administration has come to an end I wanted to do a bit of a rap-up post about his time as of running the economy and being the commander in chief and top spokesperson for US Made Music and figured that just before the April 4th Trade Data is released we can catch everyone up on where US Made Music stands in the business world and how Obama's 8 years in office impacted the entertainment in the US;  Specifically, Prerecorded Compact Disc (Except Software), Tape, and Record Reproducing: which is category 334612.

And, it's easy to see that imports are larger than Exports.

January 2017
Trade in Goods
and Services

Deficit: $48.5 Billion

Exports: $192.1 Billion

Imports: $240.6 Billion

Next release: April 4, 2017

Complete Release Schedule

Just so we're all on the same page: 334612  is the same "rock and roll" that is coming into the US as an Import and not being exported. Moreover, this category used to be an industry leading sector driving the US economy and the dissemination of US culture abroad.  Remember the phrase Cultural Diplomacy,   I've been the one asking Obama's  Secretary of Commerce, numerous Under Secretary's  plus leading figures at the State Departhemet.

I've taken the newest trade date for NAICS334612 and posted it as a Google Sheet for anyone to take a look without having to jump through all the hoops and dig through all the data.   HERE

If  we don't export our music how's the US doing this Cultural Diplomacy? 

Worst of all is the Obama Administration knew that we needed to do something about spurring US Made Music that it helped to pass the Music Act in 2012 that set aside money in the Commerce Department to -- Develop, Manufacture, and export it and I've never met someone that even knew it existed or that it's expiring.

Moreover! How is it possible, I love to ask, that we have some of the biggest recording artists in the world; Yet, the USA is negative in it's export of music made in the USA?   Want to Learn more about how we got here and what to do by the above link or visit TheMajorsSuck.com and the question I have to ask is why is this subject so under reported and hard to find data about something as important as US Made Music?  

Prerecorded Compact Disc (Except Software), Tape, and Record Reproducing: 2002

As Micheal E. Porter eloquently pointed out in “The Competitive Advantage of Nations,” that a nation's prosperity is created and not inherited, states must recognize that a nation's competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industries to innovate and upgrade.’

We have failed to heed these words and worse is that -- we are entertaining our economy to death!   Nelson Jacobsen, USMADEMUSIC.ORG 

Thanking Lil Flip, for his show during SXSW 

Ps Why we need the US Music Act is the next blog and I'll wait for the April Trade Data.

There are 4 Majors in distribution again.

I don't normally do multiple posts;  However this is really too big to let slip into our existence since there are economic ramifications and there's a very good reason why -- Money... While a lot is written about our industry there is as pointed out already almost no coverage about this aspect of it and since Distribution is Everything it makes no sense to me. Yet here we are...

"BERLIN, 14 SEPTEMBER 2015 – BMG recording artists Iron Maiden and Scarface have burst into the Top 10 of the US SoundScan albums chart, marking a new milestone for the new model music company less than 18 months since the company announced its entry into the frontline of the US record business."

The re-arrival of BMG into the "frontline of the US record business" is happening because no in the US could give two cows about it and another multi-national company (mmc) is stepping into the US market place and handing our economic assess to as with another US based distributor because there is a market for them to come into already.   So sure they're coming with some bad ass music and some is even made in the USA - it's just sold to us via a MNC and to add insult to trade imbalance -- then not exported out of the USA.  This is a missed opportunity for a US based company and from what I understand this is not the last of the old oversea's players plotting a path back into US distribution.  And why not it's wide open. 

As for what does this mean here in the states, Certainly there will also be a number of impacts.  The first is that another major entertainment company means more money for the whole sector and hopefully more awarenes in general as they fight it out for stars, time and attention of the public.  Another part of this will be in the way BMG itself operates having not been active in US distribution for almost a decade there's few in the industry others than those left know about the serious ball that BMG plays. Lastly,  this could also mean some more consolidation in the indie ranks as they considering getting market share and assets that help them compete in the US though acquisitions.    

Here's the link to the release

PS they're preparing to release  Alabama (18 September) and Janet Jackson (2 October).


A Major is a record label that has guaranteed distribution from the likes of Sony, Universal, and WEA and now of course BMG.