Mick Star
Philadelphia is facing severe budget shortfalls due to the economy and is planning to cut back many services to balance the city budget. Among other thing, the city plans to close 11 branches of The Free Library of Philadelphia. "The money is just not here", Philadelphia officials say.
I'm writing this to tell you that the money to keep the branches of The Free Library of Philadelphia open is here... we're just looking in the wrong places.
People in good economic times, as in bad, continue to spend money. In order to find the money to keep The Free Library of Philadelphia branches from closing, we just need to follow the money that people keep spending. There's a whole lot of money in the music industry and if we follow that money, I know we can find enough money to keep The Philadelphia Free Library branches open.
Consider the internet. It has changed the way music is produced and sold. Yesterday, in order to record, produce, package for distribution and market songs, artists (like me) we were beholden to record companies. Those kinds of partnerships earned the record companies 85 cents and artist 15 cents on the dollar. Today, thanks to the internet and on-line music sales (downloads and streaming), artists, independent of record companies, are able to produce songs and package them for on-line distribution at a fraction of the cost. When songs are setup for world-wide mp3 on-line distribution, independent of record companies, artists keep 85 cents on the dollar and the on-line retailers like iTunes, Amazon.com and Rhapsody.com keep 15 cents on the dollar.
And that 85 cents on the dollar... that's where the money is... the money to keep The Free Library of Philadelphia branches from closing.
And here's why I believe that's where the money is...
Artists (like me) working independent of record companies, need media exposure. By contributing half of the net proceeds from the on-line sales of my music to The Free Library of Philadelphia Branches, I hope to get positive media exposure. My songs are good and they will sell. Selling at 99 cents a download, The Free Library of Philadelphia branches makes 42.5 cents. Done collaboratively:
One Charitable Cause
Many Artists
No Record Companies
We can turn the tide and keep The Free Library of Philadelphia branches open.
The Free Library of Philadelphia wins and the artist (independent of record companies) wins!
If you can, please take about 15 minutes and sample my music at http://www.myspace.com/
Thanks,
---mickjstar@
or
bignote@comcast.net
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
