In May, Rick Rubin, who resembles a medium-size bear with a long, gray beard, officially became co-head of Columbia Records. They didn't want him to punch a clock. They wanted him to save the company. And just maybe the record business.
David Geffen: "... it's no longer about making music, it's all about how to sell music."
Rubin: "There's just a natural human element to a great song that feels immediately satisfying."
"For some reason, most people will write 10 songs and think, That's enough for a record, I'm done. When they play the songs for me, invariably the last two songs they've written are the best. I'll then say, 'You have two songs, go back and write eight more.'"
"What's important now is to find music that's timeless."
"The kids all said the biggest thing in their life is word of mouth. That's how they hear about music, bands, everything."
"So many of the decisions at these companies are not about the music. They are shortsighted and desperate. For so long, the record industry had control. But now that monopoly has ended, they don't know what to do. I thought it would be an interesting challenge."
"Columbia is stuck in the dark ages. I have great confidence that we will have the best record company in the industry, but the reality is, in today's world, we might have the best dinosaur. Until a new model is agreed upon and rolling, we can be the best at the existing paradigm, but until the paradigm shifts, it's going to be a declining business. This model is done."
The "word of mouth" department will spread commissioned buzz through chat rooms across the planet and through old-fashioned human interaction.
Rick Rubin says that the future of the industry is a subscription model.
"My primary asset is I know when I like something or not. It always comes down to taste."
