Thoughts

Moby on the Future of the Music Industry
bigthink.com

Moby had several thoughts on the music industry. Some of which I agreed with and others I did not. Some of his comments were: 
    
     - most musicians have day jobs
     - many musicians are becoming DIY, starting own companies, producing own albums
     - music is benefiting this because people who love music are making music (Indie is rising)
     - ...10,000 records here or 50,000 records here...
     - blame is at the record companies (price they take out-musicians don't make enough royalties)

By him saying most musicians have day jobs, I believe he was referring to many Indie musicians. The big artists don't have second jobs. When I heard Moby say many more people are becoming their own producers, as much as that kills the producer inside of me, I do agree with that statement. Equipment is relatively affordable and it can be reasonable to try to produce your own music. At the same price, as the musician, you have enough to worry about with the band or yourself do you really have time to be worrying about how it sounds too? There will always be a need to have studios, I believe, because there comes a point that the studio sound just sounds better. Yes, Moby said music is benefiting because people who love music are making it now but there are plenty of lower budget Indie labels on the rise to make the studio sound more accessible. People are 'making it" now a days because they can sell 10,000 records here or 50,000 records this time. "No one is selling a million records anymore" Moby said. I would go as far to say no one is making the right amount of royalties. That's where a band can make the money and unfortunately they just don't make enough. I do like that Moby made a comment about going after the record labels. An artist makes less than a dollar from a $9.99 CD. Leaving $8.99 or more for overhead and the labels cut? I don't think so. If we want new artists to last longer we simply need better contracts.

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How to Fix the Music Industry
vimeo.com MUSEXPO

Before I discuss How to Fix the Music Industry I really have a problem with the way this was produced. I feel like they just traveled the world for no answers while wasting a half an hour of my time. I really struggled to find points in this other than peoples opinions of what's wrong with the music industry and how they think they would fix it. To the producer, why? What did going around the world asking people what they thought achieve? This seems like a very half-done Michel Moore documentary.

The only thing I really understood from this video was that no two answers are the same and I don't agree with any of them. Hoping to go into the industry myself, I have a better understanding of the process and the industry than the average person. I'm not defending it and saying there is nothing wrong with it but some of the suggestions people had would not be effective at all.

What would making all music free do? How would that help anyone. Say we tried that for a year. I am fairly sure that would be the death of the music industry. The labels would not make money and the bands would get tour sales (many contracts give artists a majority of the road sales). So now the labels have to charge more to record and while the bands made money on the road it would not cover the cost of a studio for 6-10 months or more.

More restrictions was another thought. Well, I hate to say this but there are plenty of restriction on the artist and the people, the issue is the recording label. Many labels are just stealing from the artist and its a catch 22 for the artist. Sign the contract (aka - your life away), record, sell albums (for the label to profit on, tour, do it all again... and oh wait.. you're still broke!

I wish there was an easy fix for this broken industry. Music is such a vital part of life. I was once told "if it isn't music it is silence" and I really like that. Everything is music. Casual conversation is a dance with words set to sounds. I guess I'm trying to say if there was an easy fix, it would be fixed. There is no easy way for everyone to be happy and this is why there are "starving artists" who would do it all again because they truly love it and wouldn't trade it for the world.