The new music industry

The music industry is doomed! Never to return! Now instead of wrecking hotel rooms even successful bands are having to stay in average motels and eat at Dennys. Oh, the horror. And record labels are freaking out. No more money to pay artist and repertoire people! So who is going to go scout for new talent? Why even go to clubs to look for talent when you can dial it up online? So the computer has been the enemy and the saviour of the modern industry. Now Billy in Billings Montana can play his new song online and put it out to the world with no record label whatsoever. But who is going to see it? Unless Billy becomes an expert in Search Engine Optimization in addition to learning guitar chords, Billy is not going to make enough money to buy a carton of top ramen. But maybe Billy isn’t trying to make money in music. Or he’s vaguely decided that perhaps somebody will stumble upon his material and sign him to a major label so he can tour the world and make lots of money for the rest of his life.
These days less and less people are making a comfortable living out of streaming music, etc. When I look at my scans to see what I’ve made on spotify or whatever, it generally comes out to about .0008 cents a song. But to be honest, I’d rather people hear my songs than not. The new paradigm of musicianship in this day and age isn’t about primarily making money off your recorded music, but to use that music to develop fans that will want to see you play live and sell merchandise. When I think of ways that record labels/ record publishing companies can implement change, I understand that these expectations may not fit in with those who are concerned with the bottom line. But how about instead of keeping your eyes fixed on the bottom line you keep your eyes on the prize and think of long term implications for your artist and thereby, eventually, yourselves.

1. Embrace the changing tide. Instead of bitching about piracy, go with the flow. Offer free download cards with a shirt that people can buy. Put your artist out there. Have an app where you can live stream performances, even rehearsals.
   2)Only sign artists that you believe have a long shelf life, not flash in the pan one hit wonders. Find good songwriters that have extensive catalogs. Have an artist web app where you can access lyrics, even have your artist share lyrics of songs they may be currently working on.
   3)Increase the ease of the artist/ consumer relationship. Hire liasons that manage fan databases and keep track of demographics of fans.
   4)Let the artist have input when it comes to marketing. Make sure the branding fits the message.
   5)Make sure the artist focuses on having a banging live show and increasingly find ways for it to be live streamed via the web.
   6)Have special insider extras that people can experience online like extra interviews, band warmups etc.
   7)Make the band web app transferable to Iphones, androids, etc. Leave nothing to chance regarding the usability of band apps. Nobody should be left out because of what kind of phone they own, etc.