Lily Allen quits music as piracy abuse gets nasty

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Lily Allen quits music as piracy abuse gets nasty

The singer Lily Allen, whose hits Smile and Not Fair along with regular appearances on the party scene have helped make her one of the most recognisable faces in pop, has suddenly announced she is quitting the music industry because there is no money in it any more. Her statement follows a very public row over her surprisingly conservative views on the Government's proposed crackdown on illegal file-sharing.

The multi-million selling artist made the announcement on her short-lived new blog, It's Not Alright. She wrote: "Just so you know, I have not renegotiated my record contract and have no plans to make another record... The days of me making money from recording music has [sic] been and gone as far as I'm concerned."

The statement came after Allen broke the cardinal rule of rock'n'roll rebellion by siding with 'the man' over the issue of piracy. She toed the music industry line by stating that illegal file-sharing should be stamped out because it deprived artists of revenue.

The proposed solution, put forward by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson after consultation with the industry, was to suspend the internet accounts of serial file-sharers. While Allen supported this plan, other rock musicians were horrified at the heavy-handed approach.

A lobby group calling itself the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) - which includes rock royalty from bands like Radiohead, Blur and Pink Floyd - declared itself utterly opposed.

Writing on The First Post, music critic Johnny Dee said Allen's views exposed her as "a pampered lovey in chav's clothing". Bemoaning the lack of rebelliousness in today's pop stars, he wrote: "It is just a shame that the one issue that does ignite people like Lily Allen is the one that concerns their own personal fortune - and, in this case, one in which she has taken the side of the establishment."

Allen's announcement was made on the new blog she had only just set up to discuss the file-sharing issue. She later erased her comments and, reverting to her preferred method of communication with the outside world, Twitter, revealed: "I've shut down the blog, the abuse was getting too much."

Allen now seems to regard herself as an actress rather than a pop star. She will make her West End debut next year after being cast in the lead role of Neil LaBute's play Reasons To Be Pretty.

Sources:

http://www.nu.nl/muzieknieuws/2088517/lily...met-muziek.html (dutch)

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/53938,news,l...buse-gets-nasty (english)

So, Lily's obviously seen that Southpark episode where the boys stop playing until illegal downloading stops and stole their idea. Great episode though!

Right, if any of you people now feels like posting how much Lily Allen sucks and how much you don't care what she does - don't. This isn't about Lily Allen, she's just what got me thinking here. Aside from that I don't actually believe that she'll just call it quits - how would you feel if artists start doing this? How do you feel about illegal downloading? Do you do it yourself? Do you think it serves a purpose these days? Is it good or bad for music and for the artists?

Do I do it? Yeah. In my defence, I also own about 300 to 400 cd's I'd reckon. It has it's pros and cons. I refuse to believe that artists can no longer make a living due to it. The examples in the previously listed Southpark epsiode are a nice exaggeration of how I feel. But then there's young and less established artists (like Lily I guess). In a way I think it makes music more accesable. It's easier to expose large groups of people to your music as an artists. Personally I don't think I hurt an artist by it. Mostly because if I like something I will also buy it.

I also download stuff I don't buy though. Maybe because the threshold is lower. I refuse to believe people would have bought everything they now download. So the perception of the "lost" income for artists as the anti-piracy organizations use it is very distorted, I think. I believe that when an artist makes good music, people will buy it. And you might not get filthy stinking rich, but you could definitely make a living. But maybe that's too much reasoning from myself.

How do you guys feel regarding the issue. And how should artists handle it?

Do you download a lot of music? Do you buy a lot of music?

Discuss.

[GNR'R]

I'm a downloader, but that's because I have no fucking money for physical copies. When I do have enough money, I will attempt to buy most of the music I have downloaded. Plus, a lot of the artists I listen to are deceased, and it seems pointless to throw money at a dead musician's estate.

Anyway, artists hardly make any money off of CD sales, they make more off of concerts, merchandising, awards shows, etc. Downloading also helps a lot of artists get exposed to a wider audience (particularly lesser-known artists obviously, who probably have jobs supporting them anyway).

Lily Allen should get over it, she's got plenty of fucking money, I'd say she's quite popular within music at the moment. She's probably going to make a return when she realises her main source of income is gone.

Edited September 24, 2009 by GNR'R

[Shuffle]

It's a bit weird that she's saying that "smaller" artists are getting killed by illegal downloading when I've read lots of interviews with smaller bands saying how much illegal downloading have helped them...

I'm too lazy to write more right now but if this thread doesn't disappear I'll probably be back.

[mr. orangestone]

I'm a downloader, but that's because I have no fucking money for physical copies. When I do have enough money, I will attempt to buy most of the music I have downloaded. Plus, a lot of the artists I listen to are deceased, and it seems pointless to throw money at a dead musician's estate.

Anyway, artists hardly make any money off of CD sales, they make more off of concerts, merchandising, awards shows, etc. Downloading also helps a lot of artists get exposed to a wider audience (particularly lesser-known artists obviously, who probably have jobs supporting them anyway).

Lily Allen should get over it, she's got plenty of fucking money, I'd say she's quite popular within music at the moment. She's probably going to make a return when she realises her main source of income is gone.

From what I've always heard most artists make very little money from album sales. And if I remember correctly, her album sold pretty well. Illegal downloading is really hurting the labels more than the artists. I think this is a publicity stunt.

artists used to make money on album sales & lose money on tours. people don't buy as many albums now, thats a fact. and labels definitely get hurt a lot, but established artists are capable of releasing their music themselves in this day and age, so who cares about the labels. illegal downloads have definitely hurt artists income, but its not going anywhere so they need to adapt. if she wants to be a pussy and quit, then let her do it. other artists find ways to have the internet work for them. lily is just admitting that shes in this business to get rich, shes a greedy bitch. let her quit, in six months no one will even remember who she is and she'll regret it.

[Jumpin' Jack Flash]

Fuck her. I'm going to download her entire discography and then just delete it.

Her music sucks anyway

[spunko12345]

Ah this old chesnut again.

On the one hand I have some sympathy with the artists but then on the other hand I like free stuff so yeah, I dunno really.

[Wando]

Less money in music business equals better music.

[mr. orangestone]

Less money in music business equals better music.

How do you figure?

[moreblack]

can't say I blame her, hopefully she goes into nude modeling...

[LightningBolt]

Less money in music business equals better music.

How do you figure?

I'd like to know that as well. The popular opinion seems to be the opposite.

[Wando]

Less money, less restrictions, less commericial music, better music. Also no over the top productions or promotion campaigns, less generic one top wonders.

[feconroses]

The old way of making money by only selling records doesnt work anymore.

But..musicians has OTHER ways to make money nowadays. Merchandise, concerts, sponsorships, special packages, meet and greets among many other things. They just need to think out of the box.

[axl_on_drums]

It is a bad time to get into the music business, can't say I blame her. You put all the effort into making a record and people get it for free. That would seriously piss me off if I was an artist, or in her case a pop star.

In my case, I download albums for free first, if I like it, I buy it. There's such a lack of quality out today you gotta check first.

[chevelle]

Fuck her. She just proved she's only in it for the money, not the music.

[Wando]

The old way of making money by only selling records doesnt work anymore.

But..musicians has OTHER ways to make money nowadays. Merchandise, concerts, sponsorships, special packages, meet and greets among many other things. They just need to think out of the box.

Exactly.. And most of these do not restrict the artist artistic merit.

Fuck her. She just proved she's only in it for the money, not the music.

Yeah, something I forgot to point out.. How blatant of her to admit doing music mainly for the money.. No wonder she is quitting, music never has been her passion obviously.

>One more argument why less money in the music business means better music, only the musicians who are genuine keep making music.

[SofaKingWhat]

In Lillys defence, and for those that never bothered to read her full article, she wasn't talking about it hurting her pocket.

She said she's rich already and so are the other well established bands.

What she is against illegal downloading for is about the up and coming artists, the newbies who have you yet to hit the big bucks. Their albums don't sell because they're downloaded instead, that means there is less money in the bank to promote and tour their stuff. They struggle to get off the ground and low sales usually get an artist dropped from their label.

That's it, that's all she was against it for.

The backlash she got from her blog was mostly negative and called her a rich spoiled bitch etc.

She knows shes rich now and so for her quitting music, she can and given the reaction of what people think of her views she can do what she wants and live the rest of her days in cash ridden comfort. She won't though, she'll end up on TV doing stuff no doubt.

[Marky]

Shame, like her music. But she's being a dick about this, what she says won't change anything.

[ThinkAboutYou]

I bet she makes another record

she just wants more millions in her purse that's why shes so angry

Artists make most their money from touring and some of the people who download her music probably see her shows as well

such a drama queen

Edited September 24, 2009 by ThinkAboutYou

[Gallagher Rose]

I went to her concert last week and it was ridicously empty, she looked happy but her voice is trash live.

All this shit is just a marketing game from her, and of course she wants more money in her pocket.

[tat2d1]

What happened to being in the music business because you actually just enjoy creating and playing music? Sure, illegal downloading is hurting the industry, but bands are still able to make a buck of touring, merchandising, and licensing fees. Good, Lily Allen is quitting the music business. She can take all the other fuckers that just got into the business to line their pockets and get their dicks sucked right along with her as far as I'm concerned.

[JeanGenie]

you know what bugs me. The White Album costs 30 € in my local record store. 30€. The production costs today are about 1€. In the last 40 years it covered the production costs and all the engineers are retired or dead. Paul, Ringo and the relatives of John and George probably won't receive the majority. So some fucking business earn a helluva lot money without contributing shit for it. It hurts me to pay that money for a record.

Generally I think you should pay for it. But on the other hand I think poor people should not be punished for illegal downloading. I see musical production as part of our culture and even poor people have a right to participate in that.

[LightningBolt]

you know what bugs me. The White Album costs 30 € in my local record store. 30€. The production costs today are about 1€. In the last 40 years it covered the production costs and all the engineers are retired or dead. Paul, Ringo and the relatives of John and George probably won't receive the majority. So some fucking business earn a helluva lot money without contributing shit for it. It hurts me to pay that money for a record.

Generally I think you should pay for it. But on the other hand I think poor people should not be punished for illegal downloading. I see musical production as part of our culture and even poor people have a right to participate in that.

Meh, The White Album costs more than normal albums usually wherever you go. In the Target and Best Buy where I live it costs around the same, probably due to it being a double album.

[Marky]

The retailer earns 48.5% of the selling price, and the artist gets 6.5% of the money. Shit deal for the artist.

[ARC]

What she is against illegal downloading for is about the up and coming artists, the newbies who have you yet to hit the big bucks. Their albums don't sell because they're downloaded instead, that means there is less money in the bank to promote and tour their stuff. They struggle to get off the ground and low sales usually get an artist dropped from their label.

That's it, that's all she was against it for.

Yeah, sure.

That's exactly why she's against it, because it hurts other artists. Come on man.

Lily Allen is a joke. Her father is famous (hence the reason she got into the business in the first place). She's always been rich. She's a classic middle/upper-class spoiled brat. Other people write her songs and she sings them, terribly. I saw her at Glastonbury and - boy! - did she have such an awful voice.

I would say 'good riddance' but I know it's just a PR stunt to keep her name in the papers.

[JeanGenie]

The retailer earns 48.5% of the selling price, and the artist gets 6.5% of the money. Shit deal for the artist.

that's what I mean. If any album is worth 30 quid than it's the fucking white album but whatfor? I don't want to pay 50% for walmart who didn't contribute nothing to that album.