is this the biggest bullshit in music history?

[Chizmata]

click and enjoy

http://www.edmghostproducer.com/

[Benedict]

Not like it hasn't always happened. Just now it is really public.

[Chizmata]

Not like it hasn't always happened. Just now it is really public.

well, there was always at least a singer or something... or it was blatantly obvious. but this...

[Benedict]

I agree it is tawdry doing it so publicly. And really, who is going to buy this? I'm betting is it mostly bought by wanna be people and not actual genuine made-it performers.

Besides if we fully dis this then we have to dis Hank Williams, Willy Nelson, Kris Kristoferson... and everyone else who has ever bought and sold a song.

[Chizmata]

I agree it is tawdry doing it so publicly. And really, who is going to buy this? I'm betting is it mostly bought by wanna be people and not actual genuine made-it performers.

Besides if we fully dis this then we have to dis Hank Williams, Willy Nelson, Kris Kristoferson... and everyone else who has ever bought and sold a song.

may they burn in hell... without me!

i mean seriously, you can simply buy someone elses track and label it your own without giving it a single touch... that is just sad.

[-008']

Well... it looks like it is created for DJs...and when has a DJ ever made anything ??

I agree it's stupid though.

In reality, it is ass-backwards because DJs should be the "ghosts" that live and play anonymously in the background.

[normen]

may they burn in hell... without me!

i mean seriously, you can simply buy someone elses track and label it your own without giving it a single touch... that is just sad.

I don't know whats the issue about the core thing here. Back in the day it was completely usual to perform others songs, sometimes quite overtly (i.e. the song was already performed and released by the original composer) and sometimes a bit more covertly (i.e. the song was written by somebody else and the only performance was by another artist). For example Joe Cockers "With a little help from my friends" is a total classic, isn't it? The Beatles could have never performed the song like that.

Sure I get what you mean by actually labeling the song as your own composition in the booklet though but performing a song isn't "not giving it a single touch" or is it? Thinking about it in this context though.. this is EDM, so "performing" means "pressing play"... maybe in this case it IS a bit sad

[Chizmata]

may they burn in hell... without me!

i mean seriously, you can simply buy someone elses track and label it your own without giving it a single touch... that is just sad.

I don't know whats the issue about the core thing here. Back in the day it was completely usual to perform others songs, sometimes quite overtly (i.e. the song was already performed and released by the original composer) and sometimes a bit more covertly (i.e. the song was written by somebody else and the only performance was by another artist). For example Joe Cockers "With a little help from my friends" is a total classic, isn't it? The Beatles could have never performed the song like that.

Sure I get what you mean by actually labeling the song as your own composition in the booklet though but performing a song isn't "not giving it a single touch" or is it? Thinking about it in this context though.. this is EDM, so "performing" means "pressing play"... maybe in this case it IS a bit sad

Point is, nothig gets performed here. pay, download, upload, profit.

[selig]

Besides all the other points being made, I found this quote mildly amusing:
"With a deep knowledge of music theory, we can help create top-notch melodies that are sure to fit in any style of track"
Why was I amused? I've found the best melody writers to have little to no knowledge of music theory! Those with strong theory background are great at analyzing existing melodies etc. but not necessarily great at writing them.
It's been my experience that trying to use theory to "write" melodies is probably the worst way to approach this aspect of music creation…

[Exowildebeest]

The tracks are incredibly generic, which is probably well suited to the people they're aiming this at...

[MarkTarlton]

this is also how the pop and hip hop world work and I have seen it first hand!

[Peter]

No techno? Some little kid takes his parent's credit card, buys a few tracks and shows all the kids at school his cool EDM EP. Weee! So many people producing music these days, I doubt that producers are feeding into this. I'd think these are more for commercial advertisement purposes. Keep in mind you can submit your own tracks. I wonder if I can undercut the other ghosts and sell EDM tracks for $99 a track. Cheesy melodies - here we come!

[Marco Raaphorst]

DJ's only press play. fuck them.

[willowman]

[gak]

[Gorgon]

click and enjoy

http://www.edmghostproducer.com/

I know a guy who does ghostproducing. He makes a decent living. Can't blame him really. He makes music that doesn't appeal to his own audience, so he sells it to others who slap their name on it.

[plaamook]

Off topic, but I think the biggest bllshit in music history, at least recently, might be Led Zeppelin getting taken to court over stairway to heaven by the estate of some performer from the 60's who are saying they stole a riff. The things people do for money, eh?

[Marco Raaphorst]

Off topic, but I think the biggest bllshit in music history, at least recently, might be Led Zeppelin getting taken to court over stairway to heaven by the estate of some performer from the 60's who are saying they stole a riff. The things people do for money, eh?

The thing is, that is you copyright melodies, you will sue people who use the same melodies. Led Zeppelin stole a lot from Willie Dixon. I would say stole is relative, but from the copyright point of view it is not.

We are all copying. So yes, this is tricky stuff with a lot of blurred lines...

[Vince-Noir-99]

Yeah, tricky subject... However, in the context of mp3 deejays, I think I can see how this came to be.

First off, a disk jokey, as the term implies, is not a composer but typically an entertainer for disco clubs. A dj's skills lie in the playlist selection, and crossfading of tracks, in a manner that suits the event (wedding, teen disco, adult night club, strip club, family restaurant...). We could then say that a professional dj should have good knowledge of song repertoires that can fit different events, and last but not least, mix songs with style. I'm saying these obvious things because I think they deserve credit. Good mixing is indeed an artform.
So, although it is agreed that mixing mp3s can be an artform, it is however not the same art as composing, songwriting or producing music.

BUT.... Technology merges all those professions with samplers, loops, sequencers, effects etc...

1. On one hand djs are often people who manipulate sound to make mixtapes and remixes: 'print' what normally would be part of their performances into recorded tracks.

1. On the other hand electronic music composers gotta pay the bills and go out and perform what they've crafted in the studio: and as we know it ain't easy to "play" a DAW, so it comes easy to press play in itunes and clap your hands

Hence the 'irritating' consequence that whoever makes music with electronic instruments is a dj, because DJ sounds better than electronic music composer. EMC, should be the title )) Like Dr... EMC John Doe. Anyways, the end of my point is that since it's not expected of djs to be composers, it's socially accepted that they make music go round and take credit for it, more than its composer, whether it's a brand new tune made on commission, or a music piece from 50 years ago that's been remixed...

That's of course just my assumption. I would add a parallel with cinema/theatre and waiter/chef.

[Skullture]

Ghostwriting and co-writing is everywhere. People that have written their own music get "post-produced". There's always a team of people involved. And after the music comes the most crucial part.. Which is marketing. And bribing radio stations/commercial channels so they can indoctrinate crappy music to the masses. Don't believe the music industry. Nothing is genuine about it, and it never will.

[Tumble]

Ghostwriting and co-writing is everywhere. People that have written their own music get "post-produced". There's always a team of people involved. And after the music comes the most crucial part.. Which is marketing. And bribing radio stations/commercial channels so they can indoctrinate crappy music to the masses. Don't believe the music industry. Nothing is genuine about it, and it never will.

Aye, it's hilarious (sad) to see the amount of people that get credited once you actually look.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc ... ource=SFFB

-a crazily high percentage of them middle-aged Scandinavian men, write most of America’s pop hits

Thanks, Sweden

[Vince-Noir-99]

Ghostwriting and co-writing is everywhere. People that have written their own music get "post-produced". There's always a team of people involved. And after the music comes the most crucial part.. Which is marketing. And bribing radio stations/commercial channels so they can indoctrinate crappy music to the masses. Don't believe the music industry. Nothing is genuine about it, and it never will.

Aye, it's hilarious (sad) to see the amount of people that get credited once you actually look.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc ... ource=SFFB

-a crazily high percentage of them middle-aged Scandinavian men, write most of America’s pop hits

Thanks, Sweden

Impressive. However I think this is different in that the customer/performer will actually sing and play the song to record it and perform it live... The customer of edm beats is instead in my view just slapping their name on a static finished product.

[plaamook]

Led Zeppelin stole a lot from Willie Dixon. I would say stole is relative, but from the copyright point of view it is not.

We are all copying. So yes, this is tricky stuff with a lot of blurred lines...

Tricky indeed.

I didn't know that about Willy Dixon. Not sure I'm that bothered either. They slammed so hard, shit they could have had all my music if they were going to deliver it to the world like that!

[Raveshaper]

Luke Vibert has gone by many names to dabble in many styles. Is he a ghost producer, then?

Also, while I do not know Sonny Moore personally, one thing I don't understand is why he is disliked by so many. He has had the unbelievable good fortune of establishing and/or popularizing an entire subgenre. He also tours insanely hard nearly all year long and produces music while on the go. That takes enormous dedication. Most if not all of his detractors couldn't keep up with his pace. If he gets help, I should hope so because he'd probably be in a hospital without somebody throwing him new material to mix at a show.

I don't know enough about this ghost producer stuff, but I have heard that it pays better than other aspects of music production gigs. Supposedly this is because of monetary incentives for keeping quiet about services rendered to established names, but my feelings can be summed up in one word. Lazy. Hiring a ghost producer is lazy. I would never do this without a residuals and licensing contract. I like money but I'm not stupid. Lump sum sounds good until you find out the real money, the long-term money, is in the licensing and royalties. Still not as much as going on tour, but far more than just a one shot of cash to stay hush over your work. Lazy.

[Riverman]

click and enjoy

http://www.edmghostproducer.com/

Oh wow.....