If the label presents them with a contract that the band don't

"If the label presents them with a contract that the band don’t want to sign, all the label has to do is wait. There are a hundred other bands willing to sign the exact same contract, so the label is in a position of strength." These are the words of Steve Albini, a producer, musician, and truth-teller in the realm of music, who spoke plainly about the imbalance of power between artists and the institutions that profit from their labor. His words are not merely about music or contracts; they are about the eternal struggle between the few who hold power and the many who desire opportunity.

The ancients would have recognized this dynamic well. In the marketplaces of old, the merchant who controlled the grain could dictate terms to the hungry. He needed only to wait, for hunger would drive men to accept what their pride resisted. Likewise, Albini reveals that in the world of music, the label sits upon the grain of opportunity. The bands, hungry for recognition, for the chance to be heard, stand in line. And so, the label, patient and immovable, commands from its position of strength. This is the timeless reality of power: those who control access to opportunity can demand obedience, while those who seek it must bow or walk away empty-handed.

Consider the story of the Medici family in Florence, who, by their wealth and control of banking, held artists and statesmen alike in their grasp. Great painters and sculptors—Michelangelo, Leonardo, Botticelli—thrived under their patronage, but always at a cost. The artists created, but the Medici dictated the terms, for there were always others eager to take their place. This was both the gift and the chain of patronage: it opened doors, yet bound the artist to the will of the one who controlled the purse. Albini’s words echo this same reality centuries later: that when many desire what only a few can grant, the few rule without resistance.

Yet the quote also contains a deeper teaching about human nature. Desire makes men vulnerable. The band, desperate for fame, may surrender freedom for the promise of a stage. The artist, desperate for recognition, may trade truth for survival. And the label, like the powerful of old, need only wait. For impatience is the weakness of the many, but patience is the weapon of the few. The lesson is not only about contracts, but about life: the one who can wait, who does not leap at the first offer, who does not yield to hunger, gains the advantage.

But let us not despair. History also gives us examples of those who broke this cycle. Consider The Beatles, who, after rejection by many labels, refused to surrender their vision. They endured, they honed their craft, and when opportunity came, they signed not as desperate unknowns, but as men who had already proven their worth. By building their strength outside the system, they shifted the balance of power. The position of strength need not always belong to the label; it can be seized by those who create, if they have patience and faith in their work.

The lesson here is profound: never allow your desperation to dictate your choices. If you rush into a contract, a bargain, or a commitment out of fear of being left behind, you surrender power to those who would use you. Strength lies in patience, in preparation, in building your worth so that you are not one among hundreds begging for a chance, but one who can walk away because your art, your work, your truth is strong enough to stand on its own.

Practically, this means investing in yourself before seeking validation from others. Build your craft until it speaks so loudly that it cannot be ignored. Do not chase the first contract offered, but weigh it, measure it, and have the courage to decline if it enslaves you. Remember that the world will always have those who exploit impatience—but the one who has the discipline to wait, to prepare, and to believe in their own strength will in time sit in their own position of strength.

So pass on the wisdom of Steve Albini: “If the label can wait, so must you. For the one who hurries is the one who loses.” Teach this to the dreamers, the workers, the builders, the artists: that true power lies not in surrendering to hunger, but in cultivating patience, in knowing your worth, and in refusing to be replaced. For only then will you rise not as one of a hundred begging, but as one whose strength cannot be ignored.