William’s comments are right on. Speaking as an independent musician/composer/producer, I agree that there are pros and cons attached to the “new” music business paradigm.
On one hand, powerful and relatively inexpensive technology has given musicians the power to do their own recording and producing (myself included). On the other hand, anyone that has that technology can also abuse it. Creating music is not about the technology- that’s only a tool. Learning your instrument(s), developing an ear, and acquiring a sense of “taste” are crucial. I listen to a lot of music on the ‘net (my tastes are very eclectic), and there is a lot of junk out there- just because someone can create “beats” or remix something doesn’t necessarily make that someone a musician or producer. The song is everything. And production can make or break the song commercially. All that being said, there is also some really good music out there.
Radiohead is a great example to use in discussing the possibilities of the “new” model for the music industry and the internet. However, it has no basis in reality for thousands of independent musicians who did not first gain fame and fortune via the “old” business model. Established artists can do what Radiohead did easily- their customer base is already built in, and they have the money and contacts for the necessary promotion and marketing.
The main problem for the independent musician is the marketing and promotion. Now that there is such a huge abundance of music on the ‘net, how do you get someone to notice you and hear your music (and also buy it!)? If you are a DIY person like myself, you’ve got a long road to hoe. There is not enough time in a day to promote yourself and also continue to write, record, and produce your music. So where does that leave us independents? Guess what- you need to hire a promotion company, a web maintenance person to develop a web presence, someone to do the art design and packaging for your CD (if you go that route), CD duplication and packaging, etc., etc. Not counting the costs of the technology to produce a quality product (computer, audio converter, speakers, software, microphones, etc.), money still needs to be paid up front before you seriously sell any CD’s or downloads.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that anyone can make music on a computer and create a MySpace page and become a rich and famous artist. I seriously doubt that the article author’s nephew is producing “professional quality” tracks in his bedroom, and the only reason that “obscure young woman” sold any tracks was because of the political scandal (if it smells it sells).
The irony now is that MySpace Music and other sites have been taken over by the larger record labels who have staff that maintain their artists’ web presence, promotion and sales. MySpace even has their own record label and touring shows!
And so the struggle for the independent artist continues….but I still stubbornly maintain hope for a brighter future for all struggling artists.
