Fairtrade Fortnight starts tomorrow... Do you care?
Fairtrade Fortnight starts tomorrow. Will you be doing anything Fair Trade related? Just curious... I won't be hosting or putting on any Fairtrade events with Tygahoney Music this year, but in my personal everyday life I'll be consuming and using ethically sourced and produced fairly traded foods and goods. In my creative and business life, I'll be ensuring that my professional music services (singing, writing, composing music) will be traded fairly with fair payment. Business as usual, ethical style.
I still think that it's a shame that we had to create a name and a date for people (the masses) to become aware of injustices in this world dealt out to food producers through international trading. However, it is working. Things are beginning to change and people are starting to see how easily people providing a product for distribution in order to make a living for themselves have been and can be exploited. We are starting to make a positive difference through our actions, purses and wallets, as we are tired of the practices that have been going on for aeons.
What about Fair Trade in Music?
Promoting fair trade values and practices in the music industry is something that I've been involved in actively doing; raising awareness of and highlighting through my music tours, work and in the media for over a decade.
I guarantee that I will come across at least one unscrupulous individual on a daily basis trying to take my music rights away. It has now become second nature for people to expect music to be free! Whatever anyone's views on illegal downloading or file sharing, I'd like to think that we can all find our conscience and respect the art or products that we consume and compensate the creators fairly. This applies in business too, I happen to feel good when all parties are happy in their negotiations. Feeling cheated is horrible. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. So when you choose to purchase my music, I am thankful.
I don't push my music being sold on iTunes mainly because the reporting of sales has been inaccurate. I don't know if it is from their end or the distributors', but somehow, I haven't been getting the revenue that has been generated from sales of my music using that store. Plus, I don't feel as though they care about the artists at all. Music was only ever about providing content for their products which was partly why we now value a piece of work to be rented (some might say) at 70p a pop, in my humble opinion. It's a principle thing. I try to walk the talk. If you are with me, and want to make a positive difference with your music purchases, please find out more about the music stores that you get your downloads or physical products from. Ask the indie artists you support and like which stores they get a better return of income from. That would be a huge and would mean a lot for them, I'm sure!
That is just one example of a way fair trade and good partnerships between the artist and fan or music consumer can be carried out. When everyone works together in harmony things just feel better.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the fairtrade movement in general and the idea of Fair trade music. Please send me a comment or even better, a photograph of anything fair trade related coming up in your world.
Feel free to leave a comment below.
Speak soon...
Have a wonderful week. ALL ways love!
Dx
I still think that it's a shame that we had to create a name and a date for people (the masses) to become aware of injustices in this world dealt out to food producers through international trading. However, it is working. Things are beginning to change and people are starting to see how easily people providing a product for distribution in order to make a living for themselves have been and can be exploited. We are starting to make a positive difference through our actions, purses and wallets, as we are tired of the practices that have been going on for aeons.
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| Fairtrade organisations I have worked with in my previous Fairtrade and Music events. |
What about Fair Trade in Music?
Promoting fair trade values and practices in the music industry is something that I've been involved in actively doing; raising awareness of and highlighting through my music tours, work and in the media for over a decade.
I guarantee that I will come across at least one unscrupulous individual on a daily basis trying to take my music rights away. It has now become second nature for people to expect music to be free! Whatever anyone's views on illegal downloading or file sharing, I'd like to think that we can all find our conscience and respect the art or products that we consume and compensate the creators fairly. This applies in business too, I happen to feel good when all parties are happy in their negotiations. Feeling cheated is horrible. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. So when you choose to purchase my music, I am thankful.
I don't push my music being sold on iTunes mainly because the reporting of sales has been inaccurate. I don't know if it is from their end or the distributors', but somehow, I haven't been getting the revenue that has been generated from sales of my music using that store. Plus, I don't feel as though they care about the artists at all. Music was only ever about providing content for their products which was partly why we now value a piece of work to be rented (some might say) at 70p a pop, in my humble opinion. It's a principle thing. I try to walk the talk. If you are with me, and want to make a positive difference with your music purchases, please find out more about the music stores that you get your downloads or physical products from. Ask the indie artists you support and like which stores they get a better return of income from. That would be a huge and would mean a lot for them, I'm sure!
That is just one example of a way fair trade and good partnerships between the artist and fan or music consumer can be carried out. When everyone works together in harmony things just feel better.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the fairtrade movement in general and the idea of Fair trade music. Please send me a comment or even better, a photograph of anything fair trade related coming up in your world.
Feel free to leave a comment below.
Speak soon...
Have a wonderful week. ALL ways love!
Dx
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