The REAL Death Of The Music Industry

[moxham123]

The REAL Death Of The Music Industry

http://www.businessinsider.com/these-ch ... try-2011-2

[Jim Price]

This is consistent with two themes that have been discussed at the Millennium Music Conference in recent years. First, that musicians and music are no longer the "product," but the "brand name" that is used to sell other things, such as T-shirts and merchandise, concerts and live performances, and other things.

And second, it's more and more about the single song. If people like a single song, they are more likely to purchase the single download of that song rather than an album that has that song on it. Album sales have diminished because people don't want to take the risk of shelling out for an album to find out there is only one song they actually like plus a lot of filler.

[Hawk]

And second, it's more and more about the single song. If people like a single song, they are more likely to purchase the single download of that song rather than an album that has that song on it. Album sales have diminished because people don't want to take the risk of shelling out for an album to find out there is only one song they actually like plus a lot of filler.

This is interesting because in the late 1950's and into the 60's the single was all it was about for pop music. The "45" singles were sold in nearly every downtown store. It seems to me that it was The Beatles who really started selling songs by the album (as well as 45s).

[bassist_25]

And second, it's more and more about the single song. If people like a single song, they are more likely to purchase the single download of that song rather than an album that has that song on it. Album sales have diminished because people don't want to take the risk of shelling out for an album to find out there is only one song they actually like plus a lot of filler.

I've talked about this on RP before, but this personally makes me sad. I remember purchasing entire albums and experiencing the album as a whole with art, liner notes, and an overall artistic theme running through the songs.

While I think the Internet has positively revolutionized music in a good way, particuarly taking some of the power from record companies and putting it in artists' hands, the commodification of single songs rather than entire albums is something I don't particuarly like.

[Blue Reality]

I think there is far more to this than just sales of singles and albums. The entire cultrure of music as we have known it has disolved. Going to see a band was a social event. People went to meet friends and maintain relationships and social networks while enjoying music. The music of the 60's and 70's was point of identity for multiple generations.

Now we relate over technology. People don't go out to socialize nearly as often as they used to. All of your possible entertainment options are piped right into your house and friends are just a text away. Music doesn't have the place in people's lives as it used to. Technology has moved into a very large part of the place that music has held in the past. My guitar students purchase Aps for their phones like I used to purchase albums. Money is going elsewhere.

Music will never totally disolve. There will always be some space for it in peoples' lives. But the cultural model we had known and relied upon has moved out from underneath us and the economic frame work has gone with it.

[f.sciarrillo]

I like all your statements and back them up, I would also like to add that I think it has a lot to do with what they are putting out. If you listen to a lot of today's music, it is about marketing and profits. There is not talent in music anymore. They are giving people who can't carry a tune in a bucket record deals and making them think they are good by giving them money and grammy's. All you have to do is look at the people they are passing over in the R&R hall of fame, and the people who are getting awards at the American Music Awards and The Grammy's to see that today's music industry has no clue as to what they are doing.

I would say that the Peoples choice awards are a good because the public gets to chose. But, the music industry chooses the list of people to be nominated, so it is still not the peoples choice as to who gets the awards.

I guess the same can be said about movies as well. Just looking at how they are remaking all these classic films should be enough proof for that.

Note: This is just my opinion, so please take it as such.

[Jasaoke]

A lot of attitudes about music have changed. Very few people consider listening to music as an activity unto itself anymore. There was a time when albums were meant to be heard like a book is read, but now it's mostly background music and hook.

[songsmith]

The later page of data is also quite useful.

http://theunderstatement.com/post/33778 ... bum-prices

It covers pricing of albums and singles (adjusted to 2011 dollars). Album pricing peaked in 1979, possibly due to that time-period being the era of the double-album. It appears by amalgamating all this data, that the recording industry as a whole has been in decline since 2003, when digital downloading, both peer-to-peer and iTunes, made it popular to get music ala carte (you no longer had to buy a record with 8 crappy songs to get the 2 good ones). Singles drive sales, but albums are more profitable to the seller.
From this info, I get the idea that you either have to make records with 10 strong hits on them, or find profit in other ways, like merch or ticket sales. There's a post in the comments section of the first linked page, where the poster claims that B-level acts are the live-act profit-leaders right now, because they have name recognition and back catalog, but don't have the overhead of a Lady Gaga or other act who carries a crew of a hundred. It seems like the way to make money is to shut up and play your guitar, and maybe sell some t-shirts.
I kind of like that. The way to make a living is to cut the record company out of the deal. Now who's been saying that since the Seagrams/ Universal takeover of the industry in 1997, hmmmmmmm...