Before the internet became mainstream, music was purchased at record stores and at concerts. Many people did pirate music, but it required a tape recorder or a disc copier to do so. Today, one can download nearly any album they wish in a matter of minutes or less. Business people in the music industry call it dead. They say there is no money to be made. Music streaming doesn't make money for the artists, only the provider. Selling CD's and vinyl's online is fine, but they are considered collectors items and have plummeted in popularity. For example, in 2000, almost 800 million albums were sold while in 2009, that number was down to 300 million. According to billboard, digital music sales decreased for the first time in 2013 from 17.6 million units from the previous year’s total of 117.7 million.
How can one expect to be a musician able to sustain themselves off their work? As mentioned earlier, business people will likely tell you it's near impossible. They're correct in a way. One can not sustain themselves if they expect to publish their work, do some advertising, and throw in a couple concerts. Again, business people will tell you this is a very bad thing. However, those who argue this point neglect to mention the shift of power to the artists from the music corporations.
Before, it was a huge deal to become signed. It was your ticket into the industry. Sure, you signed a binding contract, but that's what you needed to do to become platinum. Now becoming signed is an option that needs to be weighed by the musician and becoming signed to a big label is needless unless you are actually recruited to be a pop star. Because of the internet, services such as Bandcamp make music purchases quick and simple while it also allows musicians to retain power over their own work. Bands may set the cost of their album to whatever they desire - even free or based on donations - and Bandcamp takes a very small sum of the users purchase. What is stopping people from downloading without donation? What is stopping people from pirating? Nothing is stopping anyone. Without getting into a discussion of piracy, I believe giving the customer a hassle free option to purchase a digital product will greatly reduce the amount of piracy that happens. Many people do want to give back to those who provide content, but nobody wants to jump through hoops. I am actually far more inclined to purchase an album for $5 on Bandcamp than $5 on iTunes or Amazon because I know $4.75 is going to the band and not $0.25.
Even with Bandcamp, music producers will not be able to make a living. So how else will they make money? The most obvious way is playing concerts. This is one of the few reasons anyone should sign to a label, in my opinion, as the label has managers who will organize tours for/with you. Sumerian Records is notorious for having their big name bands tour with their new bands to get them promoted, which I think is great for upcomers. Even with album purchases and playing shows, it's likely you will still be eating ramen and PB&J daily. After several months of being a starving artist, it will become old. The good news is, you don't need to get a job at ShopRite to sustain yourself while not touring! If you wish to continue with music as a career, it's time to start writing music scores, repairing instruments, mixing and mastering music, and becoming a teacher. In recent years, there have been a strong number of musicians hosting clinics for guitar, drums, production, vocals, and more. Additionally, many offer lessons while on tour before the show begins. In fact, I am considering purchasing lessons from guitarist Aaron Marshall from the band Intervals when I see them live in October. All I have to do is go online, purchase my lesson pass, and wait for the day. This has been made possible by BandHappy which allows students and teachers to connect online to arrange online or on-tour music lessons. Without the internet, I imagine waiting in line at a venue to purchase my ticket months in advance and hopefully that guy in front of me isn't purchasing the 5:00pm to 6:00pm guitar lessons slot.
Gone are the days of living as a touring band. Few musicians today live as Guns 'N Roses did in the 80's and even fewer will in the forseeable future. Despite this fact, this is the best time to be a part of any music scene. The potential exposure one can get on the internet is incredible and even bedroom producers can get appropriate recognition. It is easier than ever to be a successful musician. Screw the big name labels and forget what the suits tell you. Nobody is platinum anymore because nobody needs to be platinum. The power is in the musicians hands now, not the corporations.
No comments:
Post a Comment