Much in the same way the economy is the regular topic of debate among regular civilians, the state of the music industry is of constant debate right now for anyone even remotely related to the biz. And like the economy, everyone is talking about it, but no one is doing anything about it. The old model just isn't cutting it anymore and as music fans become less inclined by the month to buy physical music, the chances of bands being able to sustain a career become less likely. Shelling out $16.04 USD (a figure this scribe has seen on more than a few occasions) simply isn't feasible anymore, not during this recession, that's for sure.
Enter Metalhit.com, a website dedicated to offering full albums (digitally) at reasonable prices. Owned and operated by Mike Riddick (who also runs the current incarnation of the Metal Maniacs magazine website), Metalhit currently houses over 15,000 digital downloads, and countless albums at the tag of $4.99 a pop. Realizing the swelling market for digital music, Riddick has quickly stockpiled a wide array of top-notch underground metal acts and it's only a matter of time before the bigger labels head his way.
Rare does Blistering endorse a website outside of its own, but you gotta hand it to Riddick: he's virtually the only one willing to go against the grain. With that in mind, we snagged the man for a quick interrogation on the site, latest industry happenings, and a slew of additional worthy topics...
Blistering.com: In a nutshell (or as few as words as possible), explain what Metalhit.com is trying to accomplish.
Mike Riddick: Our ultimate mission is to provide quality services to fans, record labels and bands that better serve the music industry in new forward-thinking ways, bringing opportunity and satisfaction on a variety of levels. As such, our objectives are varied as well as our services.
Blistering.com: Most fans of the metal ilk are in tune with technology and keep up to date with what's going on. Is that something you are trying to leverage?
Riddick: Changes in technology and trends are definitely something we want working in our favor. Certain parts of the industry have been slow to adopt changes in the marketplace, particularly in the metal underground. One of our original goals was to solve this problem and thus far we feel we've done a reasonable job. We will always embrace change, as often it is for the better. Useful things last, and I'd say it's quite useful for music fans to be able to buy music, any time of the day, any song they want, and have it in minutes.
Blistering.com: I'm guessing you created the site as an outlet for smaller bands to jumpstart their careers and avoid the usual label pitfalls. Did any first or second-hand experiences prompt this?
Riddick: Metalhit originally launched as a record label publishing only to the digital market. The past experience of owning a traditional CD/Vinyl label prompted me to pursue the digital route because I could no longer financially sustain the money-pit of a traditional small label. With digital, the risk was very low and income was generated only when sales occurred. It allowed me to mitigate my risk in a much more reasonable manner and it evolved into a full blown digital distribution business, specializing in supporting underground labels and bands. We've now evolved our service much beyond this, but digital distribution remains our primary focus.
Blistering.com: By your estimation, what's the #1 thing record labels are doing wrong right now?
Riddick: For the major labels, it's not lowering the price on their digital releases or refusing to sell through controversial stores like Metalhit, Amie Street or eMusic. The labels fear their profit margin is too low when selling through these types of stores, so they prefer to stick with the $9.99 full album iTunes model. The problem with this is that most fans would rather illegally download a digital album than pay $9.99 for it. Apart from this, the $9.99 price point is really price gouging because there's no reason an album should cost this much when considering the minimal expenses associated with digital distribution versus the CD distribution model.
Blistering.com: Similarly, do you think the fact most are fading is payback for the years they spent (for lack of a better term) "screwing" bands over?
Riddick: I don't think it's "payback," inasmuch as the result of technological evolution. Most wouldn't have considered how the Internet would shape the music industry. What's becoming an obvious fact is that music revenues will not return to their original pre-Internet state. That means labels (in all genres!) will have to make do with a smaller budget and smaller incomes. The same holds true for bands as well. I think the main reason bands have been "screwed" over is because they lack the budget to invest in themselves and the resources through which to succeed. Through Metalhit's latest Music Services we can now provide those resources if the band is willing to invest in themselves properly. They don't need a label and that's being proven right now by several post-major label artists going independent. I think the same trend will happen in metal and I just want bands to know where they can go! Metalhit.com
Blistering.com: Are there any labels that are getting it right and are doing their part in furthering the scene?
Riddick: I think any label that's willing to experiment and try innovative approaches is doing the right thing right now. It's clear the old model isn't working. Really, the only thing a label provides for a band is marketing leverage, distribution capability and investment capital. When the time comes that bands can do all three of these on their own (via a service like Metalhit), then labels no longer will have the leverage they once owned. The real power and trends of the future will be in the hands of marketing services and distributors who are willing to work with independent bands instead of just labels.
Blistering.com: I recently talked to Gary Holt of Exodus and he said he believes the CD format will be dead in five years. Do you agree with that sentiment?
Riddick: Yes, I agree, though I'd probably lean closer to 10 years. The only format that will last is digital and vinyl and any future mediums that may prove worthwhile for the consumer. Cheers to Gary!
Blistering.com: Do you ever foresee the CD format making a comeback like vinyl has?
Riddick: No. All it offers is a crisp sound which digital will eventually be capable of providing as a standard. Vinyl has a special feel, sound and image impact unmatched by any other format, hence the reason I believe it will outlast the CD.
Blistering.com: One could also make the argument that a lot of metalheads like to have the physical product in their hands, so many will eschew digital products for physical products. What's your thought on that?
Riddick: This is quite true. Metalheads are slow to change in respect to the digital medium, and this has been shown in sales statistics. They trail with about a 5%-10% difference from other categories of music. I think those metalheads that simply must have a physical product will flock to vinyl or gradually grow into it as CDs fade and digital takes precedence.
Blistering.com: Here's another argument: Digital files usually sound inferior to that of CD and/or vinyl. How do you plan on working around this?
Riddick: This is an area where I believe the digital medium will eventually step up to the appropriate standard by offering lossless formats like WAV or FLAC. For example, we already have plans to offer WAV files in the Metalhit store. We have the capability now, but it would take too much work to implement at the moment, though it's something we're planning on. We currently offer the highest grade Mp3 fidelity (320 kbps). There are some boutique stores that offer WAV and FLAC and once this trend catches on and Internet speeds increase, WAV and FLAC will become industry standards, further putting a nail in the coffin of the CD.
Blistering.com: There's more metal available than ever before, so the scene is totally diluted. Will we ever see another breakout band or are we going to have live with a handful of mid-level bands that while popular, will never reach elite status?
Riddick: That's a seriously great question! The scene is diluted and it makes it that much harder to market a band. For advertisers this is a godsend, so I'm sure they will be pleased by it, but for labels and bands, it's a greater struggle. Because of the accessibility bands now have to various resources, I think it will become difficult to create any future "elite" bands, so we may have to live with a large selection to choose from in the long-term.
Blistering.com: For you, what was the golden age of metal?
Riddick: Probably the 80's thrash movement with the genesis of classic (and truly heavy) bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus, Overkill, Kreator, etc.
Blistering.com: Since you are dealing with so many independent acts and labels, what bands, if any, have caught your eye since you started Metalhit?
Riddick: I'm currently pushing a handful of bands I really appreciate musically, such as: Orthrus, Gomorah, Immolith, and I work directly with a few artists like HIRAX and Zemial. I've also had the pleasure of working on the recent SACRED REICH re-issues and titles from other bands like Gorguts, Asphyx, Sinister, etc. I'm currently looking forward to supporting the new Denouncement Pyre album on the Hell's Headbanger's label, and more recently, managing the digital distribution for Sacrilegious Impalement, another band I appreciate (Finnish black metal).
Blistering.com: Finally, where do you see the site in the next two or three years?
Riddick: We wish to continue expanding our digital store with the advent of offering WAV files. We currently represent 15,000 songs in our store, selling albums at a $4.99 price point. We also want to expand our Merch Store to include merchandising from the labels we're partnered with as well as selling CDs we manage exclusive distribution for here in the US/Canada. We also wish to continue growing the Metal Maniacs website which we currently manage.
