iTunes: No Producer / Engineer credits

[c-tone]

There is an interesting discussion going on over at another music industry board here regarding iTunes and its' lack of credits for producers and engineers.

Maybe if we all make some noise about this, we can get proper credit for our hard work.

[RichE]

I agree totally.

[Steve MacMillan]

I think iTunes should have a link on every single's page to a record company suported web site that contains all the records credits. All iTunes would have to do is provide the link. And all the record company would have to do is enter the info and provide the link.

STeve

[O.G. Killa]

I tunes uses a database called Gracenote for all information pertaining to songs. Gracenote has fields for producer and engineer... iTunes just doesn't look for and/or display that field from the gracenote database. It should be a pretty easy fix for them to add it though. hopefully they will.

[sleadley]

There has been a gradual creep of this sort of stuff. So often it is that an artist can be elevated beyond their talent by an sympathetic producer or engineer. Like a film making music is more often than not a collaborative effort. I for one, am appalled, by the lack of credit that is being given to the backroom faceless people that help create (an in some cases are the real force behind the artist) todays music. It will take Engineers/producers screaming at the record companies to make this change. I miss the old LP Album cover with all the credits and artistry that went into them. With Movie credits getting longer, Album credits are getting shorter.
I worked on a DVD that went Platinum in Australia and I asked the Record company about the award for the studio wall (people are impressed by these sort of things) and was told "Oh we don't do that sort of thing anymore". The Ampex Golden Reel awards, too have gone the way of the dodo so how do we promote the work that we do now? In most cases you have to do blatent self promotion. I know a lot of this is due to cost so why not create a special seal that we can put on our Studio website (and credit links from the itunes Music store) for Platinum and Gold credited Albums, singles, DVD's etc. This can be sorted by it requires some "out of the box" ideas.
my 2c
Simon L

[ejsongs]

i feel everyone's pain here. Can be even worst for me.

I still do a lot of guitar studio work and actually get credit maybe 60% of the time. I can't even count how many big records i've done where not only did I not get credit but the guitar was the featured part of the song (as in the case with a lot of r&b songs these days). There is absolutely nothing I can do about it. In fact I was recently in London and picked up a record of a well known artist that I had worked with over here in the states only to discover that of the 5 songs that I played on I was credited for only one. To make matters worst the one song that I was credited for I actually co wrote but didn't get credit for that (I can do something about that!

I totally agree that in an age where digital downloads are going to be the primary medium of music distribution that we need to fight to get credit for our work so that we can ensure our future and ability to continue to do this.

Maybe we need to ban together and get someone to lobby on our behalf on a legal or congressional level.

just a thought and a dream.

ej

[Steve MacMillan]

Maybe we need to ban together and get someone to lobby on our behalf on a legal or congressional level.

Addressing this issue thru NARAS would be the most likely way to get anything done.

STeve

[DannyG]

This has been a pet rant of mine since I first downloaded albums from there. I think it's an indication of the superficial "wallpaper" approach to music istening these days.

I believe it should be mandatory to download the credits with the music. And, although all of us are most interested in the production and engineering credits, I must point out that the songwriter and publishing and mastering credits are also absent.

The cover art is not the only artwork, either. It would be no more difficult than including a pdf file.

I can't count the number of times, after listening to a record - sometimes years later - I have gone back to look at the credits. It gives listeners the option to go as deep as they desire.

This, supposedly, is the new paradigm. The legal/principled way of doing business in the 21st century. I would hope we can make it a value-added experience that sets it apart from the illegal downloading that is rampant, and insidiously destroying the industry for artists, producers, engineers and record companies alike.

Danny

[jre3132]

I'd sign a petition if it was started. I'd love to see the credit given to behind the scenes people that deserve it.

[toppo]

I agree wth you all.

I downloaded one of my favorit song "Copacabana (At the Copa)"(Barry Manilow) and "Oh my god! Who recorded and mixed at where in 70's??!!"

Sounds incredible...

And I could not find the information. That's XXX.