Airwave's Gofund Me to secure right to his music

[Progrez]

Help me get my Music rights back, organized by Laurent Veronnez

My dearest friends and fans, You've known me for my music for the last 25 years… Laurent Veronnez needs your support for Help me get my Music rights back

www.gofundme.com

What do you guys think?

"My dearest friends and fans,

You've known me for my music for the last 25 years. What a journey, thanks to you and your support!

At the moment, I'm going through a complicated period because of all the compromises and efforts I've made in the background during the same period, but I acknowledge I've also experienced extraordinary things thanks to my business relationships.

Unfortunately, despite my few successes and long career, one of the complications is that I do not own the rights to my music and my catalog; my former label does, and for life. This is not only a question of fairness, but also future revenue and the ability to use my own music.

As a result, I’m seeking to buy back my rights. As I do not have the resources to be able to do so, I’m proposing to whomever may be interested and able to consider helping me to make a financial offer that my former label won't be able to refuse in order to put an end to present and future complications for good, and continue our respective paths with my family as the sole owner of my music copyright.

I propose to set the total to be offered at €40,000, which put in the perspective of 7-8 years of royalties generated at this point, seems a fair offer.

Everything will be invested solely in the recovery of my rights. Not only will you be actively participating in my professional development, but you'll also be contributing to the sustainability of my music catalog.

I’ve tried, but I’ve had no luck getting help from the banks, and my family has never been financially privileged.

So if you want to invest in something that's good for everyone, and that includes a lot of you, here’s something you can do to enable me to not only keep my music but create more. And if in the worst case we don't succeed, I won't be disappointed, because after all, it's thanks to you that we've built this. And I will never forget that.

Thank you in advance for your invaluable support and for considering the funding, and please feel free to share with anyone who is interested. Together we've come so far, together we'll always go further."

 

[HTY]

He should own his music. Fully supported and donated.

 

[Magnevi]

I don't really see the point of this. He gathers money publicly before making a proposal to the label? They will for sure wait for at least 40k now...

And then what? Will he re-release the exact same songs on his own label, to earn more from streams?

 

[Progrez]

I don't really see the point of this. He gathers money publicly before making a proposal to the label? They will for sure wait for at least 40k now...

And then what? Will he re-release the exact same songs on his own label, to earn more from streams?

I am not going to talk on behalf of him because I don't deal with his affairs but he has been screwed by a lot of people you name it. DJs, promoters and even label owners as well

I think he wants full control over his tracks. There are some tracks which have not been released at all under Bonzai like for example city bird for some reason because Marnik doesn't like it. He (Marnik) is a total selfish wank .

 

[PMW]

I agree with @Magnevi

As long as we don't know the details (why he wants the rights back?, why is 40.000 euros enough?), i'm not going to support him. After all he signed the contracts, so he is responsible. I know the music industry can be tough and you get screwed before you know it if you don't read your contracts. In the end it's just business.

 

[Progrez]

I agree with @Magnevi

As long as we don't know the details (why he wants the rights back?, why is 40.000 euros enough?), i'm not going to support him. After all he signed the contracts, so he is responsible. I know the music industry can be tough and you get screwed before you know it if you don't read your contracts. In the end it's just business.

Yeah, but if you have studied law people can go behind your back and change the clauses and fine print without your permission and you are powerless to do anything. When someone doesn't know what they are getting themselves into how are you supposed to know what will happen and he is not responsible for it at all. He thought he was around good people but he was just letting other dictate his life and it's outside of his control as well.

40,000 might be what it costs to get all of his tracks and remixes back. I would not be questioning the legality of the price but more of the fact what will he do with it and why didn't he do this before?

 

[PMW]

Yeah, but if you have studied law people can go behind your back and change the clauses and fine print without your permission and you are powerless to do anything. When someone doesn't know what they are getting themselves into how are you supposed to know what will happen and he is not responsible for it at all. He thought he was around good people but he was just letting other dictate his life and it's outside of his control as well.

40,000 might be what it costs to get all of his tracks and remixes back. I would not be questioning the legality of the price but more of the fact what will he do with it and why didn't he do this before?

Well imho, you shouldn't sign a contract before getting some advice from a lawyer if you don't know exactly what you are signing. I think he learned the hard way now...

 

[Magdelayna]

When you think about all the legendary trance producers of the late 90's,the ones that are the considered best ever by fans...Ferry,Armin,Tiesto,Mike etc....you put Laurent in this category.

He was on the same level,being pretty much on EVERY mix CD going and major support from guys like Tiesto all the time.

BUT....he seems to have suffered the most in terms of a relatively small following and low track plays. He shouldve earned hundreds of thousands with the classics hes made. Im not sure if this was down to a bad management team or he really did get screwed over. Youd imagine that Ferry and Armin had much better business plans way back then, considering where they are today.

 

[Uplifted]

 

[TRANCEBLASTER]

he should make some fresh new music with the soul and drive of his old releases.. I don't believe he will make so much money with his old tracks released on bandcamp or whatever medium, most of the hardcore fans already have his old classixx..

he also should leave 'Bonzai' back in 2003 ... my friends released on the label a super sh*tty amateurish track in 2005, the label was not into quality already 20 years ago

it must be a very cold bussiness world for an artsy soul

 

[Progrez]

he should make some fresh new music with the soul and drive of his old releases.. I don't believe he will make so much money with his old tracks released on bandcamp or whatever medium, most of the hardcore fans already have his old classixx..

he also should leave 'Bonzai' back in 2003 ... my friends released on the label a super sh*tty amateurish track in 2005, the label was not into quality already 20 years ago

it must be a very cold bussiness world for an artsy soul

Well imho, you shouldn't sign a contract before getting some advice from a lawyer if you don't know exactly what you are signing. I think he learned the hard way now...

Money doesn't go on trees for him. He had a young family plus he had to get a divorce and he sold off most of the equipment with the stuff he made with those old track because he almost became poor. He couldn't afford a lawyer when he was playing he thought that he was around good people who would take care of and his former manager as well. He was an avid smoker because he was around the wrong guys. Try to see it from his point of view before making such judgement saying that he should have got a lawyer. He lost a lot of weight too and he gained a lot of weight too. It's quite easy to pass baseless comments without looking from their point of view.

 

[jetflag]

So if you want to invest in something that's good for everyone, and that includes a lot of you,

how is it "good for everyone" and particularry me, that he personally owns the rights to his old and already released catalogue instead of Bonzai? who by all accounts as he admits has been fair to him like: what do I gain by investing in that? do I get to be partial owner or something? Is he going to remixs all of them with a "fresh new paint" for our enjoyment? what?

here’s something you can do to enable me to not only keep my music but create more.

How is not owning some of his past catalogue that preventing him from making more music exactly? He has a BUMA/STEMRA licence doesn't he? he can just make new stuff and sell that/own all the rights?

like: great that he's eternally greatfull, but so would I be if I asked you lot to pay for my 40.000 for say: my new and awesome music studio so i can make more music....

And if in the worst case we don't succeed, I won't be disappointed, because after all, it's thanks to you that we've built this. And I will never forget that.

no, i wouldn't be dissapointed either if I got 4 ten-grand which wasn't put to the aforementioned use
how about, if we don't succeed you all get your hard earned money back instead.


as a fellow producer I have sympathy for the mans financial situation. But Laurent is an amazingly talented producer who IMO has all the skills, talent and means to make and sell great music. I don't see why I should pay for his past work again simply because he wants ownership.

 

[Magnevi]

I get he doesn't have a lot of money and that's annoying. But so do a lot of us.

Somehow a lot of people actually donate, not sure why but that's up to those people. I'm with jetflag on this. I think it's strange. Could use 40k myself too. Who wants more and better Julian Del Agranda tracks?!?! DONATE.

 

[Magdelayna]

I see theres quite a lot of backlash about this!

Ive been screwed over by labels before,high threshold payments means they keep the money from sales and you never see it...

Ive learnt the lesson and ditched the labels,trying to maximise potential from youtube revenue,distribution,bandcamp etc....

 

[Magdelayna]

I get he doesn't have a lot of money and that's annoying. But so do a lot of us.

Somehow a lot of people actually donate, not sure why but that's up to those people. I'm with jetflag on this. I think it's strange. Could use 40k myself too. Who wants more and better Julian Del Agranda tracks?!?! DONATE.

It looks like bad management and strategy to me. I expect Armin to have made millions,they were all on the same level in the late 90s.

 

[Progrez]

how is it "good for everyone" and particularry me, that he personally owns the rights to his old and already released catalogue instead of Bonzai? who by all accounts as he admits has been fair to him like: what do I gain by investing in that? do I get to be partial owner or something? Is he going to remixs all of them with a "fresh new paint" for our enjoyment? what?


How is not owning some of his past catalogue that preventing him from making more music exactly? He has a BUMA/STEMRA licence doesn't he? he can just make new stuff and sell that/own all the rights?

like: great that he's eternally greatfull, but so would I be if I asked you lot to pay for my 40.000 for say: my new and awesome music studio so i can make more music....


no, i wouldn't be dissapointed either if I got 4 ten-grand which wasn't put to the aforementioned use
how about, if we don't succeed you all get your hard earned money back instead.

how is it "good for everyone" and particularry me, that he personally owns the rights to his old and already released catalogue instead of Bonzai? who by all accounts as he admits has been fair to him like: what do I gain by investing in that? do I get to be partial owner or something? Is he going to remixs all of them with a "fresh new paint" for our enjoyment? what?


How is not owning some of his past catalogue that preventing him from making more music exactly? He has a BUMA/STEMRA licence doesn't he? he can just make new stuff and sell that/own all the rights?

like: great that he's eternally greatfull, but so would I be if I asked you lot to pay for my 40.000 for say: my new and awesome music studio so i can make more music....


no, i wouldn't be dissapointed either if I got 4 ten-grand which wasn't put to the aforementioned use
how about, if we don't succeed you all get your hard earned money back instead.

Very aggressive tone coming from you. That's rare. Anyway, I think he wants full intellectual rights to his old tracks. I remember Yoogie van Bellen just secured the rights to his old tracks but it took a long time for him to secure them. Like I said some of old releases have been taken off beatport and download charts so therefore his full entire discography is not listed. Well, he may resell them on vinyl and cd I think and have been repressed as well. 40000 is probably for his kids as well which is understandable. C'mon as a father you should understand.

no, i wouldn't be dissapointed either if I got 4 ten-grand which wasn't put to the aforementioned use
how about, if we don't succeed you all get your hard earned money back instead.

I believe, you can ask for a refund.

We believe it's our responsibility to protect your kindness—by protecting your donation. If you're a donor and would like a refund for a donation, tip, or believe there has been an unauthorized charge, our team can help.

 

[Progrez]

It looks like bad management and strategy to me. I expect Armin to have made millions,they were all on the same level in the late 90s.

It was and is bad management.

 

[PMW]

Money doesn't go on trees for him. He had a young family plus he had to get a divorce and he sold off most of the equipment with the stuff he made with those old track because he almost became poor. He couldn't afford a lawyer when he was playing he thought that he was around good people who would take care of and his former manager as well. He was an avid smoker because he was around the wrong guys. Try to see it from his point of view before making such judgement saying that he should have got a lawyer. He lost a lot of weight too and he gained a lot of weight too. It's quite easy to pass baseless comments without looking from their point of view.

Your comment explains exactly what is missing in Airwave's post.

 

[trancedanne]

my friends released on the label a super sh*tty amateurish track in 2005, the label was not into quality already 20 years ago

Out of curiosity, which track was that?

 

[Hoplite]

Honestly Airwave could set up a Patreon and share production tutorials, hardware tutorials etc. The man surely is a bank of Trance production knowledge. It would be very useful for anyone trying to get into production and replicate the old sounds, and also some financial support too. But just my two cents