will.i.am on How to Make Money with Music

In a clip from a longer interview, producer and Black Eyed Peas founded will.i.am discusses digital music and how musicians can make money in an era of free and cheap downloads and KZbin.
Click here to subscribe to our channel:
/ wsj
Visit us on Facebook:
/ wsjlive
Follow us on Twitter: / wsjlive
Visit the Wall Street Journal: www.wsj.com
Don’t miss a WSJ video, subscribe here: bit.ly/14Q81Xy
More from the Wall Street Journal:
Visit WSJ.com: www.wsj.com
Visit the WSJ Video Center: wsj.com/video
On Facebook: / videos
On Twitter: / wsj
On Snapchat: on.wsj.com/2ratjSM

[@goshdarnblog]

This is best four minutes of business education I have ever had!

[@goshdarnblog]

he's the man, man.

[@wandabhala933]

True he dropped game

[@djstacktrace]

"People forgot that the music industry is really technology." "Publishing was the first music industry." He makes some excellent points in this clip.

[@twoeypronto2457]

Now that's a music history lesson. That's the most realistic thing I've heard so far my whole life within the new music industry, Thank you will.I.am.

[@Langeta-kun]

+Dustin Byrd Platforming to be honest. He has a point in that.

[@ulek_604]

Bless your little heart Bamibino...

[@vanbawithathawng6224]

How do you tag him?

[@newday1553]

what he said in 3:19

[@deadstar44]

@@squiblebobble He's still richer than you.

[@AudioDriver]

Its so true when you actually think about what he's saying. I'm a music producer and I make money from my music being in games at the moment. People aren't buying the game for the music, the music is just an asset of the game to make it better.

[@MithileshMusic92]

Dude , thats what is is about , music is a product , someone wants it , you can sell it to them. simple as that. You are an Artist , you can create a software product , a music product or a Speaker , now thats upto you , as long as your product is good , and people are buying you will earn man :)

[@MithileshMusic92]

@Julius Narte true bro :\

[@derekirons2615]

AudioDriver GTFO ignorant moron. Then make incredible music like the days of old n people will be more into the music!!

[@otna1924]

can i know which sync company you registered with?

[@Ndo01]

Wow he knows his history.

[@mikesgarage18]

He makes sense. A lot of people out here promoting big corporate brands like Spotify, Amazon, Google, bandcamp, Cdbaby, Distrokid, Tunecore, soundcloud but those companies aren't giving nearly enough back in terms of the royalties they're grabbing from you. Highway robbery.

[@karimbennett5651]

What makes the recorded music industry so hard for many understand is there was a brief "golden period" in the 1980s and 1990s when a few high profile artists with relatively lucrative contracts (Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Madonna, etc.) actually did make millions purely from record sales. But they were golden, polka-dotted unicorns (too rare to mention). It was never like that for most.

[@cartonet8186]

I would say in the late 1990's there was a time when lots of high schoolers were buying albums a lot. That being said, it all ended when everything went digital.

[@Sataka23clips]

Karim Bennett demand supply ..fruity loops basically killed the music industry.. fruity loops only the others didn't..eg trap didn't kill hip hop fruity loops killed hip hop

[@abk9203]

@@Sataka23clips Fruity loops that means FL studio, the software to produce music ???

[@abk9203]

Beatles too did and Elvis I guess... Everyone before the age of Internet i.e. Before late 90s.... MJ and others just used their brand power to sell stuff... And yes you have to stand out on the top to sell like that. Remember even in their times many great artists were there but couldn't sell stuff partly due to monopoly... From Elvis onwards everybody was attracted to the Sex appeal and not the real music lol... It still happens even to this day... Gospel and other religious music don't sell, Sexual songs do. Classical music don't sell, Pop do...

[@beatrocka5]

This dude is so intelligent; he put out great information for aspiring artists.

[@ChainsawGutsFuck]

Came to hate Agree with everything he says Left with a helping of humble pie

[@yeezythabest]

aha me too

[@kanisohal1984]

hahaha

[@andresaxmanbrown]

I didn't come to hate, but that's funny though!

[@PhonicArchaeology]

Disembowell me too. I hated this guy until I saw this. How is he so smart and his music so fkn dumb.

[@JettSetTv]

And this is what's wrong with society today

[@MissTia777]

I go everywhere for music! KZbin, Shoutcast, Soundcloud, Beatport, Spotify, and still buy cds! There are some if us out here who go more on than just youtube.

[@chizen4lo339]

The world out here is proud of you.Bless kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKObmqehf7l3jZI

[@joeface7212]

Hes really telling it how it is. This is the only interview I've heard of someone spitting BLUNT facts on the industry that I can sit here and watch happen myself. Ya feel me?

[@lengthmuldoon]

He is a bright young man.

[@TheSIMBAJUDAH]

Yes in the modern music industry it is so. But music from the origin was use to tell stories, educate, worship and as therapy, a tool for healing. LETS NOT FORGET THESE PURPOSE ALSO.

[@the_rippla7678]

Rt

[@SONBEAMIN]

i watched this 5 years ago when it came out. having learned a lot more about the industry and grown as an artist and creator I actually understand everything he is saying now

[@subscribetothischannelforl6062]

Finally a big artist who tells it how it is, smart man, I just don't understand how models like Google Play or iTunes even keep up, EVERYBODY just listens to music for free in KZbin or Spotify

[@xy_77]

They get their tiny share from ads.

[@abk9203]

Spotify is not free, it has lot of dumb pathetic ads in between. So no smooth and pleasant listening experience... KZbin is good but now mostly it is in video format so it is the MTV of this generation... Still the pure listening experience like you had on Radio and others won't happen

[@jnaiwalker9245]

Thank you, Will.i.am! This makes me think of music making in a whole new way.

[@Gensing1991]

Its a reality as a musician. There is nothing better then getting paid to create man

[@jermainepalk1832]

I hope this reaches Will I Am you just changed my life.

[@highradicals]

Man what he said is so true There are sellouts out there and then there are the people in music who love the passion so much to hear and love the fans who listen to their music Share music never keep it to yourself

[@Prowlerook]

I think I might know a thing or 2..then I listen to this man reply to question and I am flattened!

[@Niffie]

Though I'm not a big fan of his stuff but dude makes good points here! Well said!

[@heathsledger]

huge facts and another testament to how you can't just go in with blind passion as an artist. understanding and knowledge are your best friend in any industry. learn the rules so you can calibrate yourself accordingly

[@PaulRichards78]

The most intelligent breakdown Ive heard

[@shapelessshapefromthebay8759]

Thx dude, respect. People *need* to hear this

[@MedievalBeatz]

Some great info in this video if you listen closely & know your music.

[@Charliesan2315]

This clip runs through my mind daily.

[@mattblackinterstellar488]

Word! been down with Will since "weekend".

[@aldobmusic]

Good point. Music sells everything but itself.

[@Xscapeplan01]

Wise shit from a man i respect!

[@Minesy02]

He hit the nail on the head with that one.

[@MithileshMusic92]

I love you man

[@tokyobwilliams]

BRILLIANT WORDS OF WISDOM. AND HE'S RIGHT

[@BIGDJCUZOSMOKE]

THIS IS WHY ARTISTS NEED TO KNOW MORE THAN THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC, AN HALF OF'EM DONT KNOW THAT!! YOU NEED TO KNOW THE HISTORY OF MUSIC, SO LEARN YOUR CRAFT AN YOU WILL KNOW HOW TO MAINTAIN LONGEVITY IN THIS INDUSTRY!! NICE VIDEO POSTED BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL!!

[@heeblay3066]

Dude, no need to yell

[@NeilGregoryJohnson00]

Timeless info and a great history lesson. :)

[@peter12246]

Excellent interview! Thanks wiil.i.am

[@momoneyace4195]

WOW! I don't how to thank this man Thank you bro

[@mjm2u]

Wow!! Very enlightening!

[@matthewshell]

So true.

[@opheosmedia7809]

Straight to the point

[@justdoit3037]

Such gold thank you 🙏

[@MichaelEBeard]

That is a very enlightening bit of information. Thanks

[@NAJErEa91]

WOW WOW WOW HE IS BRILLIANT; ***hits replay**

[@Katakagara]

Ingenious truth. Totally great perspective !

[@ajittffcure]

This guy is authentic and really brilliant. He has a sense of History, technology and the future.

[@BlinkShowTV]

Awesome insight!

[@isiah58]

he is so smart.

[@MistroTs]

Most informative 4 minutes I've had on youtube

[@Hajjmusic_]

Great advice...

[@AnonymousBased]

Yo, this made so much sense!!!

[@alexisrosemusic]

What?! Wow, glad to know! Feels good to gain a deeper understanding to something I'm investing in so much. Thanks!

[@jjjuhg]

you have always the live show, you are payed for performing and there you can sell your cd, t-shirts, etc. downloads come second. if you sell good, noted for live show. BTW... Always look to make hits, every day. never stop. this us your job. No good music? go and have a regular job, before you are 50 and become homeless... good luck to all my brothers and sisters out there. ( look for inspiration, create) BTW...it's only necessary to be right with one song. if ut goes on radios, top ten.. the writer gets around 2 to 3 millions. I hope this motivates you... :-D

[@Eric_DiRisio]

it's all about branding yourself as an artist nowadays, an album is no more than a supplementary commercial to promote yourself, you have to brach out to other supportive industries to survive

[@SmokeeWhine]

Very good point. great info.

[@EMINITV]

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM A RICH YOUNG MAN

[@hreed3303]

I love will I am.

[@blaksmarshall]

This is amazing, i could learn a lot from him

[@rygal1471]

whoa this is life changing

[@indyshome]

Whoa, that was deeper than I first expected

[@danielwhite8480]

Thank you for your review.

[@dalecovercomedy]

Advice Beyond Music!!!!!!

[@1lifeonearth]

Interesting stuff, he seems smart

[@md7306]

he speaks the truth!

[@peterlagroove6555]

it’s very rare to find bands that write and perform their own songs. Everything has largely been decoupled - songwriters write songs, producers produce / make the song, singers sing the songs, session musicians play the songs etc. Everything is in a silo.

[@YoungBoogie]

Wow that was very insightful real talk and I'm just now starting to get use to how this KZbin works an such to promo my music but I found this very informative for me and my field of work in music....

[@blessed7927]

Wow! Great insight.

[@briancouture6033]

I always wondered about this .

[@anthonyharris2407]

This conversation change how I saw music

[@LisaTagaloa]

Huh. Mind expanded! I'd never thought of it that way but it makes sense, Shot Will.i.am :)

[@veemuamua5938]

Tasi Tagaloa lol Hi Lisa, my first ever comment on Google lol. Me so lost in this google world hahaha. ok going back to book face now

[@LisaTagaloa]

Vee Muamua Lol Vee :P

[@LaCheleWallace]

I love watching these kind of interviews. My nosy ass is curious about what's going on behind the scenes. I feel bad for artists. They ain't makin' no money.

[@DetrickAli]

Historically artists has never made any money in the aggregate. I once read a quote "music sells everything but music". Will.i.am hit the nail on the head and I think more musicians are realizing this and in fact are accelerating the death of the music industry by making songs that sell things. When music is made to sell a product, it loses it's soul and sounds more gimmicky which is where we are today.

[@WellGabeproduction]

Me too!

[@ahhwe-any7434]

i once read it costs them 10 cents to make a cd. ur concert t (fabric) isnt worth sh either.

[@g.i.gmuzik1463]

this is good education for me....Amazing

[@LetsBeClear87]

I’m so impressed with his mind. On the same level as Tariq Trotter (black thought), but a completely different vibe. Respect to the moon

[@steveg219]

Very insightful perspective!

[@jithendravs]

The only video that explains the truth among all the other videos on the topic !

[@RandomNest]

Wow! This was real Music Education 101. They don't this in school. Smh

[@larenzdavis4506]

Thank you

[@Bavubuka]

Is there someplace to see the rest of this interview. Very reveting. Thank you.

[@Professorsavingsposts]

all musicians need to become BUSINESS MUSICIANS. sharing this on ProfessorSavings: Daily Money Buzz

[@MsMoem]

Interesting insight!

[@MOSHAEMUSIC]

Good point Will I Am!

[@haze1123]

Brilliant perspective. Smart dude.

[@djclovisa5463]

this is an interesting view on the industry thanks

[@charliemanner1914]

Love his view.

[@ucheucheuche]

Did not expect that answer

[@afdafafish]

Great content

[@tonybarber3535]

thats deep!!!

[@marcoalexandre4569]

that's actually a really interesting way of seeing things

[@MsOrlandos]

Everything he says makes sense we may not like it but its true

[@JeremyRyanMusic1]

Those are some sweet shades. Will I am.

[@christopherlynnjohnson2706]

Great advice

[@johnanderson2320]

Well that was a bit more informative than I thought it would be.

[@BATTLEOFTHEBEATMAKERSTV]

Pretty dope!! Knowledge

[@dgmgneco1516]

well-spoken

[@theandroids]

DEEP...

[@khez_]

Very smart!

[@beatsbybaron]

so many facts

[@Q3030Networks]

Deep!

[@CashMartin909]

good insight

[@needviola]

mind blown

[@YPeezy]

Good analysis

[@exleyedwards2737]

Very very smart!!