Nothing Is Safe
Music has never been listened to or shared as much as it is right now, but artists are facing a legitimate crisis. How is this possible? We’ve talked about the evolution of how music is listened to, from the phonogroph to records, to cd’s and cassettes, and now finally, digital files. This sounds like it would be a good thing, now music is as accessible as it has ever been, can be listened to anywhere or anytime, and reach endless amounts of people. However, unlike the physical versions of music releases, digital files are subject to piracy which deems actual purchase of music unnecessary. Despite enjoying and being fans of music, listeners are much more likely to illegally download music given the choice to pay voluntarily or do the cheap thing. Trent Reznor, frontman of legendary band Nine Inch Nails, talks about how he conducted a real life experiment to see if people would do the “right thing” and pay for music he was involved in. He gave out the download code for his album for free, but urged his fans and listeners to do what he thought was fair, and actually pay for the album. Unfortunately, only about 20% or even less of people who used the download paid for the album. These new developments in music sharing are now hurting artists who put their music online, because that makes their music able to be stolen and shared.
With the industrialization of music, businesses and corporate entities flooded the scene, trying to make the largest profit they can off their artists. This meant that artists were losing more and more power in their music, being forced or pressured to make music that would appeal to the widest audience. Creativity was being killed with the expectations and orders of record labels on their artists. Radio-friendly or simple songs were what record labels wanted, it ensured the least risk of not living up to expectations. However, a positive from this now digital music world is that rising bands or bands that don’t want to rely on a label could upload their music on websites like BandCamp and Spotify. In recent years these websites have greatly contributed to the rise of now famous bands. Artists have also started donation sites where people can show their support for artists they like by giving money. Pateron, Gofundme, and Kickstarter are all examples of websites that artists use. Smaller bands can still tour across the country and spread their craft. In recent years what has greatly spread a band’s presence is their merchandise. They can make a good profit off their merchandise, and with interesting artwork or logos/branding, make them recognizable and trendy. In general, one's art and craft in this modern day is in danger: from piracy to record labels, the only way to have control is to come up with inventive ways of spreading your band's presence and hope you attract fans.
