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Maybe the Music Biz Is Doing EXACTLY What It Should


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Until a little more than a century ago, the only way to experience music was live. It was ephemeral. If you missed the debut of Beethoven's 3rd, tough.

 

Families gathered around pianos, people thought it was fun to become at least somewhat proficient on an instrument, and the music "business" consisted of vaudeville and live concerts. Going back further, the music biz was either sponsored through the church, or the rich. Troubadours were hired by patrons to entertain the court, and then moved on to a different court.

 

That's what's happening now, in a way. People bemoan the end of the studio, but there are more studios than ever - in peoples' homes. Now you gather around GarageBand instead of a piano, by yourself or with some friends. More people are listening to more music than ever before, thanks to all-you-can-eat subscription services. Meanwhile, the money in music these days is from licensing. If your "patron" is Apple and they put your song in a commercial, great. Or maybe your "patron" is NBC Sports or The Simpsons, and they license one of your songs. Or a beer company is the patron that sponsors your tour.

 

That's the biz these days, not the $0.0000001 from someone streaming your song on Spotify. Just like the troubadours, you need patrons, not so much people listening to your music on YouTube.

 

It may be that the period of "the music business" where people bought physical objects representing freeze-dried sound was an anomaly, and we're on our way back to the Middle Ages Music Biz Model. But is this a bad thing, or a good thing?

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I've had a similar sentiment for quite a while now, the music business returning to vaudeville type of thing. I don't speculate much about whether it's good or bad which is easy for me since it's primarily been a fun hobby although I've made some decent lunch money playing in cover bands. It's been fascinating to watch the amazing changes that have occurred in my lifetime. Whatever happens I'll always feel fortunate that I'd learned to play and continue to enjoy that immensely.
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I love the way it is now. Main reason, AR dudes are no longer controlling what I hear. I love electronic music. If I had to depend on radio and AR execs I would never have discovered Bonobo, Tycho, Hammock, etc... When I find someone I like I still buy their CD's and now I also support their YouTube channel.

 

If the music is good I don't care if it was created in a big studio or in a basement.

This post edited for speling.

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I love the way it is now. Main reason, AR dudes are no longer controlling what I hear. I love electronic music. If I had to depend on radio and AR execs I would never have discovered Bonobo, Tycho, Hammock, etc... When I find someone I like I still buy their CD's and now I also support their YouTube channel.

 

We need some kind of mechanism to reward artists we like financially, so they can keep making music. It's good you still buy CDs and click on YouTube videos. I guess once concepts like Patreon become more developed, financial rewards will be easier.

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We need some kind of mechanism to reward artists we like financially, so they can keep making music. It's good you still buy CDs and click on YouTube videos. I guess once concepts like Patreon become more developed, financial rewards will be easier.

I hope so. Right now the model seems to be they have to tour incessantly to make money. Frankly, I've been struggling lately to see artists I love* when they come through town. On top of that, road life is tough and not everyone wants to do that.

 

* Most artists that I love most people haven't heard of. Having said that, the next concert on my schedule is a little band called the Rolling Stones. :idk:

 

For the little artists that I love, I try to go to their shows, buy their CDs, and pick up a piece of merchandise if they have something I like. Then, I stream their music on Apple Music anyway, hoping they're getting something from that. It's also more convenient for me to listen. But if I haven't bought anything from them except their streams, I doubt I'm helping them.

 

Where should we talk about the artists that got screwed by the whole PledgeMusic thing? I have an artist friend that was one of them. I got my merch, he never got his money last I heard. :(

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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