I wanted to buy Green Day's new album 21st Century Breakdown. I could have downloaded but I desired to touch it, look at the CD art, and own a hard copy. I'm old school sometimes.
Also, I didn't want to wait for shipping from Amazon.com. No, I needed it now. Suddenly, I felt like a complete moron. Where can I buy a CD in Los Angeles? Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard went under, as did the Virgin Megastore. Amoeba Records, the only independent record store -- actually the only record store period still in business in was too far for me to drive to. Oh no! Oh no! I had to go to Best Buy! I panicked. Until now, I had managed not to give in and purchase music at Best Buy.
I bowed my head, sucked in my pride and went to Best Buy. I found the music easily at the front of the store. I didn't fall prey to expensive electronic gadgets beckoning me to buy. I ran out of the store, CD clenched in my hand. I was happy sad. Yes, I do believe there is such an emotion. Happy I had the album. Sad I was lame enough to need a physical copy. Sad my beloved recorded music business was falling into the toilet. Happy that out of the ashes can come new models. Or maybe old ones can be revived?
A quick history lesson: RCA Records, home of Elvis Presely, was initially launched in the 1930s not to sell music, but to sell phonographs, specifically the famous "Victorla." Fast forward to 1999 when Starbucks got into the music business by purchasing Hear Music. The Starbucks honchos put music in stores to sell coffee, not music. They were trying to create Starbucks as the ultimate lifestyle brand; music was simply a part of that. Music executives however thought Starbucks could be the salvation of the music business. That dream came to an abrupt halt McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts started boosting their 'gourmet' coffees. Starbucks had to refocus on their core and cut their entertainment initiatives almost to nothing.
Itunes. Yes. Music sells iPods. Best Buy is not in the business of selling music, they want to sell flat screen TVs. Music is a lure -- a lure that is not working. Big box retailers are such as Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart have dramatically cut music retail space. Some will use mobile devices and gadgets at front of store to seduce customers instead of music.
What is recorded music worth? Note I say recorded music. Sales are plummeting -- both digital and physical. In part, this is due to the economy -- if a consumer has to choose between dinner and a CD, most will choose dinner. Also, an entire generation of music lovers do not value recorded music as a product to buy. They grew up stealing it off the internet and became accustomed to poor sound quality. Musicos take great care in the perfect mix, the perfect sound quality, and the perfect equipment to get the perfect sound. However, the average consumer could care less. They are accustomed to listening to music on mobile phones, cheap MP3 players, or through computer speakers. Nothing fancy. Nothing hi fi.
Fact: Artists need to make recorded music. An act lives to make their art and have people hear it. Fact: Artists need to make money to live. Do artists need to make their money off of recorded music? Not necessarily.
Let's take a developing band looking to make it in today's marketplace. They have to be good. This may sound like a silly caveat, but it's surprising how many mediocre and often downright horrible acts are signed to record labels. The band has to be able to play live. Gone are the days of made-up over produced bands, fans want the real thing.
Despite the current downturn in ticket sales (stay tuned for another blog entry devoted to ticketing), smaller venues, booking good bands, offering affordable tickets are selling out. Those same fans are buying tshirts because they want everyone to know they were at the show. True fans may even subscribe to an online fan club if they could get tickets before the general public, video blogs from the band, and yes, FREE recorded music to download.
Or, what if Coca-Cola were to become the new "Victrola"? A brand could pay an artist to record music and then offer the tunes for free to all the consumers who purchase the product. Why not give away free downloads with cans of soda pop? Artist makes money. Fans get free music. More people are drinking soda pop.
This model can work, but there are few requirements: the artist has to actually like the soda pop, the artist has to be very active with fans online, the brand has to allow for the artist to grow slowly and not slap logos on everything. There is one company that is trying this model -- Red Bull. Yes, Red Bull has a record label and they are developing a few artists under the radar.
Once upon a time kings and queens commissioned artists like Mozart for musical masterpieces. Perhaps, brands will be the new patrons of the arts.
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The industry is in transition to HD Audio - meet the future today - 96/24 FLAC format which I personally like - the CD it self is basically dead at this point. It would be nice if your Dad's music would be re-released in 96/24.
96/24 is available here:
http://www.hdtracks.com/
Sincerely yours
Peter Albrecht
P.S. I would be very happy if you would be so king and accept my friends request @ FB
I also agree with previous posters. It's the "using music to sell something of perceived actual value" which is degrading the value of music. Let's give away Coca Cola and Red Bull for free when you buy a CD, not the opposite.
But having said that, if your music career depends solely on the USA market, you are doomed. However, true interenational music stars can still sell 3-4-5-6 million copies of their CD's worldwide. In the US, most are lucky to get near GOLD status now.
One of my heroes is Little Steven Van Zandt. His syndicated Underground Garage radio show is one of the only outlets where these indie bands can get a hearing without selling their souls to big labels or corporations. Believe it or not, there is still good music being made today. Look for his syndicated radio show locally or check it out online at his Underground Garage website.
There's still hope for good non-corporate bands to find an audience. Help 'em out.
I think that in the long run making music downloadable will take power from the corporations and give it back to the artists. We may not have as many superstars like Michael Jackson (no real loss), but we will have more real music with creativity and talent behind it, although we may need to do a bit more work to find it. But I wouldn't expect someone like this author who thinks the future of music is RedBull, BestBuy, and Coke to have a clue about any of that.
My point is - the notion that brand sponsorships can effectively provide revenue to recording artists is doubtful. Many artists won't sink to that level.
You could have fooled me.
You'll just get artists/bands/songwriters going after the same demographic and thinking demographics - NOT good songs.
That's some of what's happened now. (Recalling the brand name dropping that was vogue in hiphop).
Live will not be the saviour of many indie bands either. That won't be enough to cover recording costs (it's not just about the artist/band but the producers, engineers, songwriters and additional musicians often used). Heck, live gigs will barely cover the overhead of the gigs (gas, advertising, travel, food, possibly sound and additional musicians). Not only are ther smaller venues, but this has become a DJ culture, further lessening the venues available for play.
No, artist/bands will need to make good songs that touch people and they will buy - as is - no other product need be attached. That income and songwriting income will be needed to make ends meet for the professional artist.
When you say "artist" making money off of recorded music, the recording artist may need to pay other musicians, engineers, producers...it's not just the artist/band involved in a recording. Many don't write their own songs (even if they get credit for writing). That's a skill that many a great singer or musician doesn't have.
Live? Not only are the venues smaller but you need to advertise your date, get to your date, possibly pay for sound or additional band members singers for the date. COSTS MONEY! A band has to split the money. And most of all - this has become a DJ culture, further reducing the places for bands to play "live".
An artist and people working to make the artist succesful will need to make money off the recorded product...it's the calling card for the live gig.
People will always buy a song that touches them or they like.
If artists want to sell their music, they need to make it worthy.