If you haven't heard the hoopla regarding the newest bit of battling over musical content on the internet, check THIS out.
I am more or less outraged by the RIAA's push to suck internet radio stations dry by imposing ghastly royalty rates on them, but this post is not entirely about that; it is about the fact that I feel that this a pristine example, an uncomplicated omen, another point of light in a constellation spelling ultimate doom for the record industry as it has existed and been known to us in our lifetimes. There is a new direction on the horizon; a cultural revolution involving artists, society, and the corporations that have traditionally linked the two.
What, then, will the new direction be? I will not (and can not) offer speculation- I can only say that it's an exciting time. It is my hope that artists continue to push the envelop, inventing new means of circumventing the powers that be in order to see a more direct flow of revenue straight from the hands of the listeners into the pockets of the creators- middleman be damned. We need to realize as a society of music listeners and music makers that we exist at a point in time that is unique in the fact that we no longer need record companies to act as brokers in what could be an extremely beneficial relationship between artist and public; so, why don't we start dealing directly with the artists whose work we love instead of with the record companies and groups like the RIAA whose work is becoming an increasing intrusion, as well as an assault, on our personal sensibilities and listening liberties? We don't need anyone telling us what music we should or should not be listening to, what we should or should not be buying, and overtly attempting to corral us all into some sort of top-40 vacuum that profits only a few to the detriment of music as a whole.
I believe the problem, however, is that too much of what would be called the 'opposition' to the aforementioned Goliaths is comprised of a largely disjointed populace, yet without singular vision, not united and, therefore, still without the power to invoke necessary change. The internet, for sure, is full of independent music, but a large chunk of it is made by people like me. So? What's the problem? I think a lot of artists like myself are just looking to put their music out there and get heard. We've been making music for years at home, with friends, in private, and at drunken parties; we've been lucky to scrape together enough dough to dip into a studio and cut a demo of blandly produced snippets of our 'best stuff,' or to have a friend with a four-track we could use to record a few extremely questionable, quality challenged opuses that would largely be considered unlistenable to most people. We are the huddled masses finally breathing free via the conduit of affordable home-recording software and the ease of making digital media available on the web, the everyman (and woman) who once stood mute behind an invisible podium now handed an open-ended ticket for a center-spotlight performance and top billing at an online 'open-mic night' that at any given moment might play to one solitary listener or to an audience of thousands. Because we are basically 'weekend warriors' and so have minimal expectations and no power or pull within the 'industry,' the question of the future of music only lies with us as much as we can become united under one flag.
Likewise, a great deal of the responsibility for change rests on the shoulders of professional artists. It is for those intent on making a living in this crazy business to forge new means of contenting all of us who have been so accustomed to the ease of getting new music online (often, ahem, for free) while somehow simultaneously turning a profit. I am not trying to pass the buck here, either. I believe this is a natural progression that will inevitably be felt out anyway as artists seek to rectify the gross inconsistencies plaguing their profession of choice and attempt to take advantage of a changing marketplace that will not continue to play by the archaic rules of an obsolete game. How this will come about is not clear. Maybe it could be from artists using the internet for self-promotion (MySpacers do it all the time) and making the actual scratch from live shows and merchandising. Perhaps, the biggest hit and the scariest prospect to artists who decide to cut out the middle-man 'play ball' with internet users is not the lack of revenue from CD sales (since most of that goes to the record companies anyway), but it's the absence of that old cliche of getting 'discovered' and being offered a 'big record deal' and a gargantuan fistful of cash.
However, as times change, more and more brave souls will just wing it and work the system as best they can. Plus, a new generation of artists are emerging who have known little other than the market that now exists and will no doubt bring about innovations in the way that music is thought of and handled, innovations that for now are just barely beyond visibility out there on the horizon. I, for one, am hanging on the edge of my seat waiting to see who comes out and turns the industry (and the world) on its ear.
Bye bye, Evil Empire. It's only a matter of time.
I am more or less outraged by the RIAA's push to suck internet radio stations dry by imposing ghastly royalty rates on them, but this post is not entirely about that; it is about the fact that I feel that this a pristine example, an uncomplicated omen, another point of light in a constellation spelling ultimate doom for the record industry as it has existed and been known to us in our lifetimes. There is a new direction on the horizon; a cultural revolution involving artists, society, and the corporations that have traditionally linked the two.
What, then, will the new direction be? I will not (and can not) offer speculation- I can only say that it's an exciting time. It is my hope that artists continue to push the envelop, inventing new means of circumventing the powers that be in order to see a more direct flow of revenue straight from the hands of the listeners into the pockets of the creators- middleman be damned. We need to realize as a society of music listeners and music makers that we exist at a point in time that is unique in the fact that we no longer need record companies to act as brokers in what could be an extremely beneficial relationship between artist and public; so, why don't we start dealing directly with the artists whose work we love instead of with the record companies and groups like the RIAA whose work is becoming an increasing intrusion, as well as an assault, on our personal sensibilities and listening liberties? We don't need anyone telling us what music we should or should not be listening to, what we should or should not be buying, and overtly attempting to corral us all into some sort of top-40 vacuum that profits only a few to the detriment of music as a whole.
I believe the problem, however, is that too much of what would be called the 'opposition' to the aforementioned Goliaths is comprised of a largely disjointed populace, yet without singular vision, not united and, therefore, still without the power to invoke necessary change. The internet, for sure, is full of independent music, but a large chunk of it is made by people like me. So? What's the problem? I think a lot of artists like myself are just looking to put their music out there and get heard. We've been making music for years at home, with friends, in private, and at drunken parties; we've been lucky to scrape together enough dough to dip into a studio and cut a demo of blandly produced snippets of our 'best stuff,' or to have a friend with a four-track we could use to record a few extremely questionable, quality challenged opuses that would largely be considered unlistenable to most people. We are the huddled masses finally breathing free via the conduit of affordable home-recording software and the ease of making digital media available on the web, the everyman (and woman) who once stood mute behind an invisible podium now handed an open-ended ticket for a center-spotlight performance and top billing at an online 'open-mic night' that at any given moment might play to one solitary listener or to an audience of thousands. Because we are basically 'weekend warriors' and so have minimal expectations and no power or pull within the 'industry,' the question of the future of music only lies with us as much as we can become united under one flag.
Likewise, a great deal of the responsibility for change rests on the shoulders of professional artists. It is for those intent on making a living in this crazy business to forge new means of contenting all of us who have been so accustomed to the ease of getting new music online (often, ahem, for free) while somehow simultaneously turning a profit. I am not trying to pass the buck here, either. I believe this is a natural progression that will inevitably be felt out anyway as artists seek to rectify the gross inconsistencies plaguing their profession of choice and attempt to take advantage of a changing marketplace that will not continue to play by the archaic rules of an obsolete game. How this will come about is not clear. Maybe it could be from artists using the internet for self-promotion (MySpacers do it all the time) and making the actual scratch from live shows and merchandising. Perhaps, the biggest hit and the scariest prospect to artists who decide to cut out the middle-man 'play ball' with internet users is not the lack of revenue from CD sales (since most of that goes to the record companies anyway), but it's the absence of that old cliche of getting 'discovered' and being offered a 'big record deal' and a gargantuan fistful of cash.
However, as times change, more and more brave souls will just wing it and work the system as best they can. Plus, a new generation of artists are emerging who have known little other than the market that now exists and will no doubt bring about innovations in the way that music is thought of and handled, innovations that for now are just barely beyond visibility out there on the horizon. I, for one, am hanging on the edge of my seat waiting to see who comes out and turns the industry (and the world) on its ear.
Bye bye, Evil Empire. It's only a matter of time.
2 comments:
To follow up on the Zietgiest. Which was spelled incorrectly:
It looks like the integrity and hard work that Merge Records put in to making consistently excellent music has paid off.
Even though the billboard charts are chronically cataloging the dying of a new empire, merge artists Arcade fire just debuted at the #2 position for their second album. Well done Merge and Arcade Fire - and all those poor major label riaa members - get ready to go broke.
Also - i'd like to underline that Merge is NOT a member of the RIAA. With good reason.
Snap.
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