Jon Pareles in the NY Times - Songs from the Heart of a Marketing Plan.
Musicians have to eat and want to be heard, and if that means accompanying someone else’s sales pitch or videogame, well, it’s a living. Why wait for album royalties to trickle in, if they ever do, when licensing fees arrive upfront as a lump sum? It’s one part of the system of copyright regulations that hasn’t been ravaged by digital distribution, and there’s little resistance from any quarters; Robert Plant and Alison Krauss croon for J. C. Penney and the avant-rockers Battles are heard accompanying an Australian vodka ad.
It's a cold world out there. There are fewer outlets to have your music heard. Radio won't help. Video is out. Blogs? iTunes? There's only so much space available after you factor in the big names.
