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The Negative Impact of Boot leg CDs and Illegal Mix CDs
Email: changez@graffiti.net
By Jason Walker
Winston rose from bed early; he was excited; he had not slept much the night before. He had achieved a major coup with his small Jamaican record label. He had gotten most of the big name artists on the new riddim he just made. He called the riddim the Stixx. He had spent all his savings on getting the artists and promoting the riddim. In the first few weeks after release, the riddim had sold out in all the Jamaican shops and they were orders coming in from cities around the world for the few stores that had it in New York, Tokyo, Miami and London had sold out of their copies too!
The money made on these sales would not even recoup the money he spent on production and marketing costs. The real money would be made soon though. This would be realized because the people buying the singles now were Disc Jocks, sound systems and radio personalities. When these people played the riddim it would become very popular. Then he would be able to talk to a big distribution label or company about giving him a lot of money to have the rights to distribute the album of the riddim and he could make some money from the sales. Then he would have enough money once again to pay the artists to appear on his next riddim. He had been getting calls all week from many record labels; he had already narrowed his choice to one, WQ records in New York, if only that label would agree to his price. If they did he could actually build a large 24-track studio where he could do some serious work instead of working in the small and limited 8-track studio he has been borrowing.
When he got to the studio he was already dreaming of his people from his area who would be proud to see somebody emerge from their community and do well. He was already thinking of the jobs he would create for the area youths because with the success of the riddim, there would be a lot to be done to keep production up and supplying the people of the world with his production.
Winston saw the message that his sister had placed on the table before she went down the road to scrounge up some food from Miss Birdie. Winston’s stomach rumbled at the thought of food, reminding him he did not even have money for a patty the day before. Well he knew that this riddim would change all of that. Nobody in his family would starve again, and food would be flowing for sure!
Winston snapped out of the daydreaming to look at the slip. It said “urgent” in big bold black letters on the pink slip of paper, WQ records had called!! He rushed to the phone to call and hoped that the telephone company had not cut off the ICAS (calling card) code that he had to “borrow” since he could not afford one for himself.
He picked up the phone, dialed the numbers and listened. The telephone company had not cut it off for he heard the static sound associated with long-distance calls, it rang forever it seemed then a voice with a Trinidadian accent answered the phone, “WQ records! How can I help you?” Winston quickly asked for the Head of Marketing Sheldon Kong who was also to be in charge of the Stixx riddim project. He was automatically put through.
Kong came on the line with his heavy Barbadian accented voice. Winston introduced himself and asked Kong what the good news was. Kong told him there was none. Winston did not understand. Kong told Winston that sound systems and disc jocks in Jamaica and America had already mixed his riddim along with other riddims and made CDs. The illegal mix CDs were selling like hot cakes on the streets at a cheaper price than WQ or Winston could feasibly sell a CD for and make a profit. Mr. Kong apologized to Winston and said it was out of his hands, that he could do nothing, the bootleg CDs and Illegal CDs were already all over Miami, New York and Toronto.
Mr. Kong listed the names of some of the sounds and the disc jocks. Winston recognized some of the names as big sounds and DJs in Jamaica. As a matter of fact some were in the studio not even a month ago begging for a pre-release (obtain a copy of the songs before the songs were released). In an attempt to promote the riddim Winston had given it to them.
Mr. Kong then went on to tell Winston that at this point nothing could be done with the riddim for all the distributors knew about the riddim being all over. Mr. Kong then called for Winston, Kong heard nothing but silence, that was because Winston had put down the phone; all the emotion had drained from his face. Kong sat and stared at the wall, not moving. That is how his sister found him when she returned, for he did not know what to do now that his dream had turned into a nightmare.
The above story is fictitious but it is taken from various stories that have actually happened. The illegal mix CD is easily recognizable because it does not have a bar code reader (a white strip with small black bars going across the strip in a small area on the CD). Also more identifiable than that the CD will most likely contain forty or more songs all mixed. The only labels that I know of for sure that has legally put out mix CDs that compensate producers and artists through arranged agreements among these groups are JamDown records and GreenSleeves. There are many labels that make compilations and full albums through legal arrangements with artists and producers such as VP, Music Ambassadores, Reggae 1 Luv, Germaine Music, GreeenSleeves, Jet Star, just to name a few. The bootleg CD is just an exact copy of an album that is made and the cover may or may not be photocopied. Sometimes a design is copied unto the CD - most times it is not. When you open the CD case sometimes there are no graphics on the CD like the average CD in the store looks. Also there is definitely no bar code reader on the CD.
Germaine Music, the label that an artist such as Buju Banton is signed to, is feeling the hard crunch. According to Prince, the head of sales for the company, he estimates that the bootleg CDs and illegal Mix CDs have taken more than 50 percent of the sales of the legal CDs. There are some estimates that have put it up to ninety percent of the business. Ce’cile, the artist that is bound to covet the new artists of the year award for 2000, especially with her smash hit “Changez”, states that in the case of consumers “economics completely eradicate loyalty”. This happens when the consumer can get a CD that costs $13.00-$16.00 US currency at a price of &5.00-$10.00 US. According to Jacquie Juceam, who has built a very popular Dancehall site and also works with one of the most successful labels of all time MadHouse, says, “Its not fair for artists and producers to spend their time and money to make a product which at the end of the day a next man feels they can sell it like its their own. Its not theirs to sell.”
Suggestions for a solution fly abound. Prince from Germaine Music wishes that the federal officials of the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) would do what he feels is their mandate and crack down on the individuals selling these products. The suggestion that keeps on coming up is that the producers, artists, journalists and all people involved in the creation, production and marketing of the music should come together to battle this. However therein lies the problem. I have asked major producers if they would come together and the response is a resounding “no”. That is a shame for the industry is facing what some experts call the greatest crisis it has ever faced.
Ironically there are some circumstances in which the CDs do actually provide a service. Some consumers like the fact that there will be songs on the CD that the big distributor would not choose; hence the consumer gets exposed to say a small artist that would not normally get exposure, otherwise except for probably radio. However the problem arises though when the consumer does not buy the official work of the small artist because he/she already has the bootleg CD.
Another tool that needs to be used is to raise the quality of music provided. According to Juceam “its a combination of poor product alongside the bootlegging which equals the recipe for the disastrous state reggae is in now.” This is a point of view shared by many consumers and experts in the industry.
Prince also suggests that there be a lessening of the many songs being put on one riddim. There should be more of the one song on one riddim. Prince feels it will lessen the urge to make mix CDs.
These strategies that involve all aspects of the business from production, to marketing, to distribution, to the selling of the product have to be examined. Also the public has to be educated about what is happening, a job that all entertainment journalists could take up.
However the strategies cannot be successful unless all participants work together in a united effort. This has to be done soon for the problem is at crisis levels. We do not want the day to come when the producers and artists cannot make a living from recording Reggae or they will be forced to stop recording. As the international hit maker Nadine Sutherland states, “this is one of a serious nature, the pirating of the music. People seem not to know that an artist lives by their work, and the financial resources that are gained by the sale of the records are what we live by. Pirating the records not only robs the recording company, and the artist or the resources gained by legitimate records sold, but it also undermines the whole recording industry. I hope this racket is dealt with seriously, as, we will all go broke.”
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