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When people first hear about tehorng they often ask "isn't this stealing from the artists?" The answer isn't simple, but hopefully you'll take the time to understand.
Record contracts have been around a long time, and were originally designed to help new artists. Up until a few years ago, producing and advertising a new artist was very expensive, usually upwards of $250,000. Because new artists didn't have money like that, they signed contracts to let a record label invest in all the production and advertising costs. In exchange, the record label would collect profits to recoup their investment, and then pass back a royalty check to the artist.
This system worked great for decades.
But in the last few years recording equipment has become much cheaper. Now anyone with a home computer can start recording and producing their own music, usually for under $1,000. The internet has also exploded in popularity, and just about every band in existence has a myspace. Artists can now produce music in their own homes, and reach millions of listeners online for free.
Technology has changed the record industry.
The problem is that the record labels refuse to accept this change and have become greedy instead. They've slowly reduced artist royalties, and have created loopholes to keep themselves alive. The RIAA has continually forced itself into the picture, so they can keep sucking money from artists.
In 1999 the RIAA changed laws to strip artists of copyrights. The RIAA was trying to steal music from artists and, even worse, claiming they controlled that music instead of the original artists.
They've repeatedly tried to reduce the money they pay back to artists in royalties, even when those royalties are already at an all-time low. New artists can usually make more money working at a gas station.
The RIAA pays radio stations to control what music you hear. Independent artists rarely have a chance to be heard or seen because they can't compete with the RIAA.
They make baseless claims that serve as scare tactics, such as saying that ripping music from your own cds to your ipod is illegal.
They collected nearly $100 million by threatening people for sharing music, but not a penny of that has been seen by the original artists. They've threatened children, and even filed suit against dead people.
But it doesn't have to stay this way.
There are thousands of independent artists who never get heard on radio or seen on store shelves. How do these artists get found? By word of mouth between friends, and the internet. Sharing music online has opened up a huge opportunity for fresh new music, one that doesn't include the RIAA.
So what is tehorng about?
We're here to help break the vicious cycle that the RIAA has created. We're filling the gap between myspace and the record store. We're here to help you find great new music that you've never heard before.
But don't just download music.
Find new music you like, and then go support the artists. Go to their concerts, buy that $35 t-shirt, maybe even hand the artists cash. Regardless of what you do, tell artists you support them, even when the RIAA doesn't.
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