Music Industry Discussion

Here's a good article about the state of today's music.
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http://www.themusicvoid.com/2010/04/whe ... -industry/
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It talks about art vs money.
It discusses the industry bean-counters who control what is mass-marketed.

I think that the author has exhibited a total ignorance of the music business, past and present.
This statement alone is an example:


“Before, there was more of a 50/50 split, down the middle, between art and commerce, within the industry.”


When predicated on such an inane premise, anything else this person says is highly suspect.


Another case in point:


“Beforehand, stuff wasn’t forced-fed to the extent it now is. Music was ‘distributed’, not ‘mass-marketed’; there’s a difference…”


Has this person never heard of “Payola”? Probably not.


The music business is in better shape now than it has ever been. Writers are keeping control of their own publishing, technology has armed artists with recording tools that permit them to produce their own product, and musicians can actually make a decent living marketing their music independent of the “Deal”.



I would refer the author to one of my favorite quotes:


"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."


Hunter S. Thompson

Personally, I think the period right after grunge, was where the shift occurred. The "industry" had spoon fed us utter sh*t for years (yes, hair metal and classic rock retreads). then from no where the whole indie/college scene became mainstream and dictated what was cool. Suddenly the big labels were gettin' their flannel on. I think they knew that indie music plus the internet would spell death for their antiquated and easily controlled business model. Notice how the whole britney/christina type thing started just a year or two later? now you have "artists" like lady gaga, the black eyed peas etc. putting very bland vanilla pop crap, dilligently marketed (and digitally protected) and spoon fed with tie in's to google, facebook etc.
The cool thing is, genres like metal while still mass marketed to an extent, was able to usurp some control back and more extreme forms of music became acceptable.
i believe that it woud've happened in the early 80's if bands like Black Flag and Minor threat were (open to being) distributed in a 'traditional' sense.