so much like the beetle in my photo from Cape Town!!

http://homepage.mac.com/iyou/cape_town/PhotoAlbum73.html

(scroll down to the bottom of the page)

(sound of own horn being tooted)

It's been an EPIC FAIL since Wednesday afternoon here in Mumbai. Connection is verrrry slow for most of the day, then works like normal for a while, then works like molasses again.

At least I know it's not the fault of our local ISP this time.

Bryn Jones (Muslimgauze) could record an album in a day, and did so fairly regularly. If we (Soleilmoon Recordings) needed a new album from him I'd pick up the phone and ask him to record something, and it would be in the post the next day. Say what you will about the quality of his output, but he would have laughed if I'd said "you've got a month to do this album".

Man, I miss that guy.

Charles

Cory, you wrote "If you're only getting a license -- rather than making a purchase -- then 49.5 cents from every $0.99 track should go straight to the artist. Instead, they get a measly seven cents."

My understanding of the revenue sharing arrangement between Apple and the major labels is that Apple retains 29¢ per track and passes 70¢ on to the labels. Content from indie labels is funneled in via aggregators like The Orchard or IRIS Distribution, who make their living by keeping a 15% cut of the 70¢ payout, meaning that 59.5¢ is given to the label.

It would be interesting to know what the actual arrangements are between labels and artists. Are you able to cite specific examples of bands getting 7 cents (or other payment amounts)? I don't mean to come across as an apologist for Apple or the labels, but it does seem like this part of your post is more *opinion* than fact.

Good catch #13. That's a twofer.