Interesting meeting with AWAL who have distributed my product since 2005. Not just because the bosses were very bright and efficient but because the tiny organisation from nearly 15 years ago has exploded - I reckon 200-300 people on computers 24/7. Finding and collecting monies due. We now get 400 pages each month with 100 titles on each page - that is 4000 plays ranging from tiny ones (1p earned by Spotify plays on Seagulls - a 60s flop for me which I did sing on Top of the Pops) to several hundred earned by much streamed Una Paloma Blanca and Johnny Reggae. Which comes to a hefty four figure sum each month. In the early days it was small hundreds.

They explained to me that these days there are few superstars but thousands of small bands and singers with substantial though tiny audiences which means decent earnings without fame and celebrity. It is not unusual for totally unknown, unsigned acts to make £100,000 a year.

Which explains the collapse of major music corporations (MIDEM was awful this year - empty). Bosses only want cross over acts and there are, as always, very few. The lifeblood of the industry - one off hits - don't get heard and, if they do, they earn small amounts compared to years ago. Listen to radio anywhere in the world and it's either old hits or specialist sounds.

Which is why catalogues of 60s and 70s hits are so valuable now. Older people are online; streaming is massive - tiny amounts which multiply into large sums.

Just check out the You Tune views for K Pop acts (biggest star - another JK). Millions and mostly free.

JK2006 wrote:
Interesting meeting with AWAL who have distributed my product since 2005. Not just because the bosses were very bright and efficient but because the tiny organisation from nearly 15 years ago has exploded - I reckon 200-300 people on computers 24/7. Finding and collecting monies due. We now get 400 pages each month with 100 titles on each page - that is 4000 plays ranging from tiny ones (1p earned by Spotify plays on Seagulls - a 60s flop for me which I did sing on Top of the Pops) to several hundred earned by much streamed Una Paloma Blanca and Johnny Reggae. Which comes to a hefty four figure sum each month. In the early days it was small hundreds.

They explained to me that these days there are few superstars but thousands of small bands and singers with substantial though tiny audiences which means decent earnings without fame and celebrity. It is not unusual for totally unknown, unsigned acts to make £100,000 a year.

Which explains the collapse of major music corporations (MIDEM was awful this year - empty). Bosses only want cross over acts and there are, as always, very few. The lifeblood of the industry - one off hits - don't get heard and, if they do, they earn small amounts compared to years ago. Listen to radio anywhere in the world and it's either old hits or specialist sounds.

Which is why catalogues of 60s and 70s hits are so valuable now. Older people are online; streaming is massive - tiny amounts which multiply into large sums.

Just check out the You Tune views for K Pop acts (biggest star - another JK). Millions and mostly free.

I still go to gigs and buy box sets on Amazon, I was annoyed in HMV when store assistant didn't know who Ted Nugent was.