This Just Makes Me Angry

[@MarySpender]

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[@keithedmond3905]

Not a rant, just an honest opinion and very well made. If anyone ever uses the term 'dovetail' regarding your skills, run away. These people do not deserve your time or talent.

[@edwardruiz5515]

Take advantage of ur youth cause ur only young at a special time in your life

[@Anon54387]

Even a 13 year old should have enough sense not to sign such a contract.

[@sabrinamariamusic]

It’s called child abuse! Thank you for raising this issue Mary!

[@Haroun-El-Poussah]

And also slavery !!

[@SherryCothran]

I was on Mercury Records, NY, back in the late 90's, and it was the same way then. We exchanged a very lucrative and successful cottage industry as indie artists, with a #1 single on rock radio that we had secured with all of our hard work for a major label deal that ripped us of our touring and sales income while crippling us with debt. I ended up leaving the music industry altogether never to look back.

[@Varonno]

Spotify is cancer to music. All the big streamers. The >3000 seat venues are all locked up by the conglomerates. Most big big artists have sold their catalogs. Sell your own music and don’t give up any publishing

[@alexanderbreeding1830]

I recorded with several groups in the late 90's and early 2000s. We were good, but not great; good enough that we started getting sniffed about a bit. We were in the "Christian contemporary" space and so thought we would be spared the "normal" bad for artists business model. Best I can tell, there's very little difference and what makes it worse is that they all claim to be Christians. Nope, we all quit. Not one of the people I worked with then has anything to do with the "music business". A friend of mine and I still write, and that's the only thing I can imagine doing for "music" again. I write because I have to, not for anyone else.

[@WhiteCamry]

What was your #1 single?

[@SalAvenueNJ]

This is why all us musicians should buy ourselves a digital interface, audio production software, a couple of mics, and record ourselves. And as we do this, dance happily on the grave of the music industry as it dies. I do think I'm better off busking in the subway than attached to a label.

[@andrewweatherhead4127]

The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men and women die like dogs. There's also a negative side. Hunter S. Thompson 🙄

[@crunchysteve]

Hunter S. for the win!

[@Grock66]

Pretty sure he said the movie industry

[@karlmacrae4878]

@@Grock66 It was the music industry.

[@Lexy-O]

Another reason I support artists with CD 💿. We were way too quick and naive to abandon physical media. You cannot own a stream…

[@Diptera_Larvae]

Yep, I still buy all my music. It’s just typical Apple decided to ditch the cd drive and force the consumer to buy it as additional item.

[@bullseyecanada]

The music INDUSTRY abandoned physical media. As they did with vinyl before it.

[@TheNudeBrewer]

I still buy CDs because I love the art, liner notes, etc.

[@carpediemarts705]

Its hard to find a CD player now.

[@Lexy-O]

@ all blu ray and 4K blu ray players play CDs

[@frankthebaldguy9819]

Major labels are the devil

[@patrick5301]

They can't be the devil. It is up to the artist to reject those means of growth. As soon as the artist ascribes value to growth through throwing money at music and is willing to gift away parts of their music to said label in return, there isn't much to complain about. Remember: Growth can only be a means to an end, not the end in of itself

[@ccrider8483]

Yeah, checkout John Fogerty from CCR. He got screwed big time.

[@HighlightsVideoBlog]

@@ccrider8483 Then he screwed his band mates out of any royalties.

[@cliffberry]

This is not just music. I worked on a passion project with a few friends in the film world and we made a 90 minute drama that was picked up by a film distributor for a 50/50 deal straight to DVD. However, our 50% also covered P&E (basically DVD physical copies and advertising) which was advanced and have to be paid back. We made this film out of our pocket and prepped it for DVD release. They just made the copies and they did only one thing which was edit a trailer for 'marketing'. They I totally understand that this costs money but after 10 years, we made them over million dollars in physical copies and they added, without permission, our film to their streaming service and we received $0 toward our 50%. They claimed they were constantly marketing the film and never did but billed us for it. Hollywood math was built by the same people that came up with music math. Self release, self promote is the only option these days.

[@hershellumiere]

This isn’t weird at all, this is cold blooded predation of a child.

[@TartempionLampion]

It's called capitalism. Human/child exploitation to get revenue for shareholders.

[@vman1217]

Such an important video. The bakery analogy is so good because it really highlights just how ridiculous the industry is and how ludicrous the expectations that are placed on artists that get signed are. I think the DIY approach is the way to go nowadays and you're a perfect example of that! Keep up the amazing work Mary! 👌

[@StaceJohnson]

Mary, this problem is not only in the music industry. It's endemic throughout the creative industry. Big publishing contracts in the writing world are just as unfair and predatory. The only path forward that is fair to artists, musicians, and writers is the independent path, or working with small independent presses, labels, or galleries that offer fair contracts.

[@guesswhosbackg6616]

I agree😢

[@stuartd9741]

Trevor Baylis The designer of the wind up radio in the 90s, signed a contract with investors to allow his design to go commercial. (After his wind up radio appeared in tomorrow's world). It did, but he claims he only received 250,000.. ... The investors took the rest.

[@thestevenjaywaymusic7775]

Let’s be honest here. The whole thing is about corporate greed. It is so prevalent in the music industry, but in the world. Sometimes, I am ashamed to be a human being….oh, wait, I mean, I am always ashamed to be a human being! Do it yourself and f..k the record industry. Making less money, is better than making no money!

[@101oldstuff]

Lots of empathy and compassion in this video, along with some reasoned anger. Great video.

[@FrankD-t5i]

So well spoken and talented. You rock Mary.

[@noahhuerta8744]

THIS is why I'm subscribed to you, Mary. You're spreading important information that young people like me need to know, musicians or not. I'm also sick of this abuse happening to older artists too. Exposing the music industry and the labels is the first step. THANK YOU

[@TheOligoclonalBand]

Shouldn't it be illegal to make such contracts, especially with children artists or their caretakers.

[@hammill444]

We’re they forced to sign on the dotted line?

[@MeriaDuck]

​@@hammill444why does that matter

[@Kit2Canada]

Swimming with sharks

[@hammill444]

@@MeriaDuck Uh, what? Of course it matters.

[@Esus4]

The rule is that a minor may just void the contract. But apparently there is an exception: "The first rule concerns contracts relating to entertainment or sports. If a minor enters into an entertainment or sports contract, this would not be voidable at will. Any contracts for necessities, such as services and goods that are necessary to the safety and health of minors, can't be voided at will. Examples of necessities include shelter or lodging, clothing, and food. In some cases, a motorcycle or automobile could be classified as a necessity."

[@tony.worswick]

I thought everyone knew how major labels work when they sign an artist ...obviously not

[@maramé.r]

Well said. A justified rant. This is quite despicable and really amounts to exploitation and abuse. A similar situation appears to exist for K-Pop and J-Pop artists. Their lives are run by their managers/labels and the suicide rate and mental health impact on young musicians is scandalous and lamentable

[@bullseyecanada]

The entertainment industry is the business of exploitation. Turning a human commodity into cash. The labels are the pimps. The singers/musicians, their prostitutes.

[@TeclaSAPcomUlissesCarvalho]

Spot on and so powerful. I agree 100%. Thanks for speaking up!

[@fakshen1973]

Who the hell takes out a half million pound advance? When you say that you haven't made a dime yet they've cut you a check upfront for that amount. No... you went all payday loan from the get-go and now complaining that you're broke? The best I would do for her in a court is to terminate the contract. She is relieved of all debt and the label keeps all future revenue from all of her existing catalog recorded. Straddling a 13 year old with that amount of debt is wrong and I blame her parents or guardians on that. It's exploitative to sign children up for that level of debt.

[@SynnUnsworth]

this is definitely something i've always tried to make sure my daughter understands, after seeing X-factor contracts when I was in college and seeing things along the lines of "if you perform an original song during auditions *insert company name* now owns the song", "never allowed to perform it anywhere in the universe" (memory is fuzzy on actual wording but it was disgustingly worded) it really put how predatory the big companies actually are, I had already decided at the time I'd prefer to try and do things on my own but that really cemented it, so I always tell my daughter to be extra cautious and to use that old phrase "if something seems too good to be true it probably is" check everything twice and then twice more before signing anything, and absolutely never do business if you've had anything alcoholic to drink... ever... if they don't want to talk to you about it when you're sober, it's probably not going in your favour

[@dewardroy6531]

I agree except for your use of the word “probably.”

[@thetexasbeachbum9929]

No way a 13 year old could sign that contract and it be enforceable. If in fact she was the only signature, now, she needs a lawyer and plans on what to do when she owns the company.

[@digitalslw]

Maybe UK laws are different, but that was my first thought. Another factor, is it can be enforceable if she doesn't decline the contract within a set time frame of turning 18.

[@vicpnut1]

Seems obvious to me her parents signed for her

[@guesswhosbackg6616]

Omg the parents should have hired a lawyer💔

[@gustavogutierrez5482]

This needs to be thoroughly investigated by government agencies that deal with child abuse, and also fiscal and commerce authorities. I also think she would have merits for suing the label. This is atrocious!

[@stuartd9741]

​@@gustavogutierrez5482this is. Nothing new. Remember the Beatles first record deal..90% to the label the rest to the band?

[@chambre466]

Good thing you re talking about this. Things must change

[@Rocktalk101]

great video and very well said and this is why so many bands come and go and end up broke the major record labels just take advantage of young talent make there money and then just toss them aside afterwards.

[@albaker2780]

Very valuable - thank you for the rant. Well stated.

[@TheStuport]

The "reasons and excuses" that the Music Label Big Wigs give in response to these "Contracts" are absolutely bullchit. This type of business literally makes the Artists Hostages to the Music Companies. I'm not the least surprised either.

[@crunchysteve]

Also, Steve Albini called this shit out in 1991 in that infamous The Baffler article (which is still online btw) "The Trouble With Music." I've never really made money out of my music beyond pocket money, but the debt for gear was mine and the day job in radio taught me how to use the gear. Looking back on life, I'm glad I got to play with brothers (and sisters) from other mothers, working for ourselves. The band I was with longest (20 or so years), Wayne Crisp's The Breed (in small town Hobart, Australia) was never signed, played great covers in pubs, recorded Wayne's and my originals, has a huge youtube legacy (if only a tiny following) and we're mostly unheard of, even in small town Hobart, Australia. Not plugging just saying, "If you gonna have debt, have it the households and businesses have it, responsibly, regulated by banking law.) My experience is the business of the music business ruins everything. Working in radio was a passing parade of yesterday's heroes who were not as rich and famous as we thought they were, they were lucky to be getting royalties from their later songs after quietly lawyering up against their label. The story is almost a trope for older famius artists. My fellow aussies, AC/DC, before moving to the UK sang the truth in their first big Australian hit, "Long Way To The Top." - "Getting ripped off, getting stoned, getting beat up, broken boned." When they launched that song, I wasn't much older than Mahalis when sh was first signed. Those woulds began to resonate when I got kicked out of a band for refusing to sign a management contract with a local promoter in my home town of Launceston, Australia. It was as bad a contract as you can imagine. I wish I'd kept a cooy of it, but paper in the late 20th. There was tons of the s***!

[@Dave_Mayberry]

Labels are venture (vulture?) capitalists now. In 1980, Warners signed my band to a 3 album, $900+K deal…After 2 years, we were sold to A & M, who dropped us on the road the day the contract expired, almost a h@LF million in debt. They released all but the lead singer, and the lead guitarist (me), from the contract. After a few sessions and auditions, I went back to a proper job…Ending my “career” in “show business”. P.S. NONE of our masters were ever released. Our lawyer said it’s commonly known as a front load contract, and warned us that this would probably happen. We were so sure our music was so good, they’d want to release it. Nope, they put us on the road as an opening act, and wrote off our entire contract (plus tour costs), on their taxes…They had two places at the feed trough (Us)…🙄🤬

[@Paul_Wetor]

That's heartbreaking. Bad enough to be signed and have an album fail, but even worse to not have it released at all.

[@just-groove-it-records]

Thank you, finally some common sense...it's rare these days...live long and prosper!

[@kellykent131]

Mary Great video. I’ve been aware for a long time that the record industry screws over their artists. But the way you just explained it makes it crystal clear to me in a way that I’ve never understood before. I watched the documentary on Chuck Berry called hail hail, rock ‘n’ roll. Check was talking with little Richard and Bo Diddley were one of them said they had to sell two records just to make a penny. The dead that modern artist take on by these crappy contracts makes Bo Chuck and Richard seem like they were swimming and money. I think Congress should get involved with us or at least the state legislature from the states that these companies run their business. There needs to be some serious accountability..

[@eldergeektromeo9868]

True dat, Miss Spender! Thats why we love you the way we do!

[@crunchysteve]

Yep, I'll second that motion ❤

[@alanpettibone]

It’s not “weird”… it is criminal.

[@robertmyers6518]

Definitely keep up the pressure on this issue. Absolutely. Especially salient is how expensive lawyers are and how necessary they are to understanding contract law, and having someone on your side who can figure out if you've been forked or not.

[@MartinMCade]

When I was a teenager, I dreamed of being a rock star. I can't tell you how happy I am now, over 40 years later, that I kept the music as a hobby.

[@philipatoz]

ABSOLUTELY! I did the band thing until my later 20s - but I knew I'd starve without a backup plan - which for me, meant going back to college, which gave me a career and reasonably good living. I also knew I wanted to have a family one day - and have now for 35 years. And I know I made an excellent choice to keep the music thing in perspective - as a great hobby. I'm now building my home studio and composing stuff I truly enjoy - happy as a clam - that is, as an UNCOMPROMISED clam!

[@BenChokin]

The music industry's version of the company store.

[@leftwrite]

Great rant! This proves the point that in today's "music industry" you are better off being independent. The number of artists big enough to get any benefit from a major label is miniscule. I know it is extremely hard, what you are currently doing and sustain your career, but at least you are in control of your art and your decisions. This seems a much healthier way to pursue your music career.

[@knudsandbknielsen7226]

I am so glad you made this video! For obvious reasons. Love, and all the best!

[@ManyGhosts]

Horrible, truly horrible. It's shocking that these corporations continue to get away with this type of exploitation. When are we going to get the collective will as a society to do something about it?

[@mb3799]

US universities do this all the time.

[@chrismay9030]

“You load 16 tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. At Peter don’t you call me, cause I can’t go. I sold my soul to the company store” When the company sets the prices for everything they charge you for to make a living, you will never exit your indentured servitude

[@christopherhealey8807]

Love the anger. You are right this is wrong and they know it.

[@gdn101]

Music-making is the best of us. The music industry is the worst of us. All inequity festers in silence and grows in the dark. Thank you, Mary, for adding your voice and shining your light.

[@Cencio108]

Your ethics and your eloquence are treasures in a for too cynical world. I’m proud to support your independence and your voice.

[@brightworldmusic2114]

YES!!!

[@PeterGallagher1]

well said and thanks for taking care of the mics.

[@bradleyolinger1691]

Back in the 80s and 90s(yep, dating myself), the industry might have been worth working with a label, but in modern times, the old model is outdated. The old rules, including ageism, no longer apply, and labels need to change. They offer little that artists can’t do for themselves.

[@guesswhosbackg6616]

George micheal wanted to leave sony but lost😢 artists need to be careful signing these devil contracts. The only smart ones are the olsen twins. Damn those young women knew the business❤

[@bradleyolinger1691]

@@guesswhosbackg6616, actors actually have a lot more protections than musicians. Up until the early 2000s, you couldn’t really get widespread exposure as an indie artist because the labels were the gatekeepers for the most part. The digital revolution flipped everything on its head to where now pretty much most artists shy of the Taylor Swifts and Beyonces of the world are on a relatively equal footing. I just do my acting and weird rock thing and hope people like what my soul has to offer.

[@stuartd9741]

​@@guesswhosbackg6616 I was going to mention George Michael. .. He refused to do a music video for the song _Freedom_ While in dispute with his label...

[@-KingOfKhaos]

Major labels obviously rob from their artists, that’s well known. But in the case of a 13 year old, we have to ask where the parents were in all of this? Example: I have a few family members in a film industry, and two are under age 18. We scrutinize their contracts thoroughly and have turned down roles where the production company seeks to limit earnings from social media or future placements. There is nothing wrong with turning away from a contract that is bad.

[@DanMayhewDrummer]

That's criminal, frightening and infuriating. It just shows a new low in the ever long list of low points involving the major label's.

[@johnymodem1326]

Who said slavery was dead? "If you cannot mine the Gold, then you mine the miners!". Shell only charges Nigeria 15% of profit for getting them their oil!

[@Terrytheartist]

FairPlay to you Mary for exposing these robbers! It’s disgusting and something needs put in place to stop this at once 🤬

[@joshellyson]

So very, very glad you are angry. We all should be. This kind of greed kills not only a musician's career, but for many, could squash their very souls. Thank you for calling out this tragedy.

[@FlameForgedSoul]

Remember when Prince (RIP) couldn't record or perform using his own name? Remember when he warned everyone about The Industry and everyone thought he was just being melodramatic and weird? Does anyone remember Poe? A promising young artist with a beautiful voice and interesting things to say who seemingly fell off the face of the Earth after 2006? Who we only recently got new music from in the form of two tracks on the soundtrack for the new Alan Wake game? Look up why that is. Britney Spears, full stop. We could name others but time is a factor and We try to avoid being TL;DR'd as much as We are able. That they did this to a child is egregious and gross and all the other horrible things, but only _mildly_ shocking at this point. We remain sad/confused/disappointed that people still seek to court favor with these vampire-dinosaur hybrids.

[@brendonwood7595]

No one is stopping an artist getting a loan from the bank rather than the labels to invest in their music. If you try it you may get a reality call about how likely you are to actually make money from your music though.

[@stuartd9741]

Still predatory..

[@crunchysteve]

But a bank won't invest in the arts, unless the "name" is already made. I've been down that road, too.

[@brendonwood7595]

@@crunchysteve A bank doesn't invest in anything. investing implies taking a portion of the risk and the profit. The bank lends you the money so you can invest. The bank won't lend you money for the arts because it thinks you are far more likely to lose money than make it.And they are correct. The reason the record industry takes such a large cut is because the few successful acts end up subsidising the majority that aare never actually profitable.

[@brendonwood7595]

@@stuartd9741 So are payday loans. But people still choose to get into bed with the predators. The reality is the only companies that are going to fund the 99+% failure rates in the arts are predatory ones.

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

​@brendonwood7595 well what are you saying.. get a loan from a bank that won't lend artists any money 😳

[@dutchmcoven7292]

Incredibly important video. cheers.

[@paulseitz672]

I worked for a label in the 90’s. This conversation is now more important than ever - great video!!

[@KiddiAgnars]

your best video yet. Having been in this industry for over 24 years now, touring the world and working with artists of all ages and success, I 100% agree with everything you say here. It's a predatory business for the most part.

[@Broadsword999]

Which is one of the points Prince made by changing his name and sacking his label.

[@bjcombs4336]

Thank you for your commentary and explanation about the record business. I will share it on Facebook if that's ok with you.

[@Marco-HidalgoMusicRecords]

8:46 TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU MARY!!!!!!!!! 21st century and these things keep happening!!!! NOW.... 9:32 Those men didn't care about her health and what about her parents?? I can assure you that the second I see my daughter not well I would not give a shit about contracts or anything like that!!! When her second album didn't work nobody care what happened to her!! Sad and (unfortunally common) story!!!

[@PMCN53]

Bravo Mary👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❗️ I’m 70yo…. love what you do & the way you do it. It’s so sad and disgusting how “the industry” treat young Children with emerging talent. Surely, it should be regarded as child abuse what the music companies do! I could use a stronger analogy, but i won’t. Mary, keep up the good fight 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@ApolloSuns]

You nailed it! I think the slow burn of growing consistently over many years is beneficial. The major label industry is so predatory.....

[@FankDWalter]

I mean, this girl's parents bear an equal share of responsibility. Who lets their daughter sign such a contract? Did THEY even read the contract?

[@grudarts]

I'm an artist/painter and Art Gallery's have been pulling that crap for years 60/40. No royalties of course. She needs to take charge of her own career now. Screw the labels, carve out her own corner of the market. It's not easy but it is possible.

[@colinmendelowitz249]

Brilliant commentary as always. Keep on trucking. ☺️

[@lynandhenrymeyerding3392]

What the music corporations do to artists is criminal. It reminds me of the hollywood star system in the first half of the 20th century, only worse. At a time when the creation and distribution of creative talent ought to be experiencing a golden age, it is throttled for profit and everybody suffers.

[@rudel1950]

Thank you Mary,... a real eyeopener and an area that is greatly overlooked by both parents and society in general.

[@bambino100011]

The music business industry is shady AF….

[@Horon7777]

Absolutely right. Thank you for bringing this up. This has been going on way to long. A pertinent observation, Mary.

[@jochemkok7622]

We need more angry Mary speaking truths :)

[@unaperrson]

How could she agree to sign a record deal at thirteen - still a minor - that is child labour, and totally unacceptable. Did her parents agree to it know the terms of the agreement?

[@MattSwain1]

There’s a big difference between seeing the terms of a contract and understanding what it will mean in the future. I have to assume that her parents were dazzled by big numbers and signed - as most people probably would. I’m sure they were told it was standard and that there was nothing to worry about rather than being told here is a crippling debt for the rest of your life. It would be interesting if some lawyers followed this up in the same way they pursued the banks for mis-selling loans and bank accounts

[@MaxWeninger]

ofc her parents had to agree - she is not a legal person at this age

[@ptsoren42]

Great post. Really terrible business practices.

[@CraftyMusicTips]

Great video Mary. I love our industry full of interesting people/places/adventurers. Sadly the positives have to come with the not-so-good parts, thanks for the reminder and to help general awareness in avoidance of the shiny objects

[@Fitzfish]

You mean like a college loan in the US? It is literally impossible for a person to get out of that unless they die.

[@robertforman3494]

Robert Fripp quote on the music industry: “an industry founded on exploitation, oiled by deceit, riven with theft and fueled by greed” He formed his own label to get out of it.

[@timjohnson3877]

Love the bakery analogy. Truly disgusting, egregious practices that would never fly in other business contexts. These labels seem completely comfortable distancing themselves from even the most basic ethical considerations. DEFINITELY worth a mic drop

[@AndrewMilnerMusic]

Wow, that bakery analogy was incredible. I was never interested in getting signed to a label for all the reasons you mentioned and more, but I absolutely adored how you put that into words.

[@mikeglo168]

Thanks for another entertaining and informative video, Mary. Oh, and thanks for the protection! Regards, Mike

[@MrWilson-WithaPbass]

Yes Mary , give it to them ! Filthy Rich guys . Makes me so mad . Never again . Doing everything ourselves.

[@RGary_Hall]

Total non sequitur, I’m in my 60s and I wonder sometimes if in fact, I didn’t make better judgments in my teens than I do now. Mary I think you’re an amazing person, and I cheer you on every time I see you. Keep the faith.

[@grene1955]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The labels have always been nothing but extortion, and always will be. The model may be changing, but it's not nearly ready to replace the old model.

[@stufen11]

So when they used to complain that pirating was stealing from the artist, that was a load of old tosh.

[@seanbaines]

Makes me think of three songs, one of which you probably haven't heard of. One is Pink Floyd's Have a Cigar. Two is Heart's Barracuda. 3rd is from a 1970's Southern Ontario band called Goddo that very few of you will have heard of. One of their songs was called Record Execu-jives. One of the chorus lines was They're tellin' you all their lies. Nuff said.

[@drmorqWarrenProject]

I agree completely.... Thank you for speaking out. I release my own music on my own label... I release thru #tunecore and we dont make a thing... maybe someday long after I am gone.. my family will make something from my creation. Its the best I can hope for. If you are near Seattle and need a keyboard on your next record... let me know..

[@RichHayes-s2e]

Thanks Mary! Love the Bakery analogy. This is an old story but it still needs to be told. Unfortunately, because most musicians love playing and making music they are easy "prey" and these folks know it.

[@brianalpert2383]

Besides being predatory, greedy, self serving, and just plain mean, the record labels are literally biting the hand that feeds them. They are drying up their own source of income instead of nurturing it. The result is more predatory behavior, young lives and careers being ruined, and a dearth of new creative forces in the music industry. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. You are a blessing.

[@stuartd9741]

Agree, though it seems, a label doesn't want to take risks on finding the next big talent so loads up the artist with all the risk... Seems premature to me. .. Reminds me of the music industry trying to ban digital downloads in the early 2000s. Not realising it could make the labels MORE money by making music _more_ accessible.

[@Lanternsinthesky-studios]

I prefer to work in obscurity. The music industry is absolutely obscene.

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

👍 not getting the record contract that i always wanted was possibly like dodging a bullet 😬

[@andrelacourse]

I would hope big artists like Ed Sheeran or Elton John come out publicly and support your rant and raise awareness of this child abuse.

[@stuartd9741]

It is interesting that this artist was mentioned by ED Sheeran , and If by magic, a label offers a contract.. .. Maybe Ed should have guided her a little better through the record industry? Being so young.

[@MorfMusic]

This is why I turn down labels. The hand of misfortune can look attractive if covered by an exquisite glove. But it will still ruin you.

[@KevinDavyWhite]

Mic drop was definitely the case. So true. After X-Factor, I decided to move at my own pace. No big contracts or crazy money-I knew I’d lose myself in all of that. I prefer the long ride with people who truly care about me.

[@MarySpender]

Excellent decision.

[@DomPalombiMusic]

It just goes to show how much people in the labels of the music industry want to take advantage of artists, and not actually care about their music or interests in just helping someone have a successful career.

[@joustingdude]

I left the music industry because I refused to go into debt to a label. I watched it happen to a friend and learned a lesson from their *very* negative experience.

[@rainer866]

I am speechless 😢 Thanks for bringing this up

[@jimmythefish]

Well said Mary.

[@jeremysmetana8583]

I mean... this is the same story we've been hearing about the music industry since the 1950s and 1960s. The "advance" is the bane of countless artists and is the subject of any number of documentaries, TV shows, books and movies. It's destroyed pretty much anybody who wasn't Madonna-level big. Independent acts going the streaming route experience the newer, simplified version of this, where you might get a few million hits, and Spotify or Google or whoever takes all but a few pennies and it just cuts out the pesky lawyers and agents completely. All that said, for those screaming "child abuse," was there no agent or lawyer involved? Of course there was, because it is not legal to enter into a contract with a minor, pretty much anywhere in the western hemisphere. The record company are asses, to be sure. But the real villains are the middle men who should have been working for her best interests.

[@AviMus82]

How did mahalia just happen to run into Ed Sheeran at a concert? Artists always go backstage when it’s over. They don’t hang out with the crowd.

[@ElBeeEss]

Have you seen Prince riffing on this record-company BS? When he changed his name to a symbol, everyone thought he had gone crazy but he was just sticking it to Warner Bros. He'd have had something to say about Mahalia's situation no doubt, if her were still here with us.

[@timm3376]

I do not understand how anyone can get away with offering a loan to a minor. What?

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

the parents would have co-signed the contract. similar with michael jackson and the jackson 5. and child actors..

[@dadaveda]

This not new. Buddy Holly and Jim Croce were not getting proper royalties and had to tour and look what happened to them. The music industry is predatory.

[@jessejacobs3792]

Mary spender setting fire to the sky

[@blackheartrebels]

Very god rant Mary! Well said an dead on!!! Hope this will be widely spread! I will do my part and share!!! Thank you for taking up this subject(that we all know about)...hopefully it reaches a few parents out there.This was the best "rant" on this topic ever! Tnx!

[@stevenwymor1398]

That’s what’s called indentured servitude.

[@jbrodersen]

Thanks for letting us know and for speaking out. Respect 🙌🙂