Creativity Will Save The Music Industry
An interesting article came out recently on BBC featuring comments made by Radiohead guitaris Ed O’Brien in a video message to the Midem music converence in Cannes.
“I sense, and many artists sense, that it’s become dominated by money, and the need to make more money”
“And I think that’s fun and creativity. That was the main thing. And I think the problem is that in the last 10-15 years it’s become about money and the money men are now running the companies, whereas traditionally it’s always been the creatives.”
Things have become quite interesting these past few years as a disruption in the music industry has occurred. Many of today’s technologies that allow artists to make music without the need for a professional studio as well as the rise of web 2.0 and its emphasis on word of mouth through social networks have put a strain on the old business model and opened the door for many independent artists. New start ups with new business models and creative distribution tactics are becoming more common every day. I am absolutely astounded that the major labels are still playing catch up.
One thing that remains obvious is the stranglehold that corporate governance has placed over the industry. Much of the music you hear through major networks have been generated through careful market research to capture specifically targeted demographics and to maximize on profits. At this point this is where you begin to see a lot of cookie cutter music, pop stars, auto-tune, with a touch of audio engineering to mask an undeniable lack of talent. Who here hasn’t seen or heard the actual Brittney Spears recorded vocals in concert on YouTube? Check out this recent article touching on the creation and the rise of Jay-Z’s Empire State to number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The song was engineered not by the main artists (Jay-Z/Alicia Keys) but by a team of songwriters, producers, and performers. Each lyric, verse, and chord progression was designed for mass consumption.
On the business side that’s an amazing feat to accomplish. On the creative end it’s detrimental. Many artists that are actually making music today aren’t too concerned with anything else but creating great pieces of art. The most amazing thing is the huge impact that the internet has made. Artists can actually reap the benefits themselves rather than losing million in marketing, music writers, producers, and other expenses that may be incurred in a major label release.
The current state in music as I see it is that music is becoming more of a marketing tool. P2P networks are creating word of mouth. Album sales cannot be relied upon as a main source of income. There are other streams that can be tapped such as live shows, merchandise, licensing deals, etc. New streams are being created everyday and many remain untapped. If someone casually listens to an artist’s music that they found online for free and they liked it then they’ll most likely spend money on concert tickets, merchandise, or future releases. To make things easier I believe that the maximum numbers of income streams should be researched and tapped instead of putting all eggs in one basket. With everything in place and all the tools that are being created every day, creativity will remain the primary focus and driving force behind the industry.
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