Music Business In Positive Change
Today I am writing about Digital Music and where I see significant changes making impacts that truly count.
I have been a big fan of Terry McBride of Netwerk Records for a very long time. He envisioned evolution, and change is taking place. He dared to make a complete 180 shift of his business model—almost overnight. This takes a tremendous amount of confidence in your vision, and I thank you for being an influence to me and the digital music world.
The computer and 3G phone have now become the de-facto standard in the distribution of music and other content across an infinite supply chain. Thus, creating an environment where good content can have the opportunity to be seen for the first time in many generations by a much broader group. In addition to this has been the advent of multiple video portals popping up faster than any other type of website. This has been accompanied by the era of the citizen journalist.
There is an effect that is making its way through music that is reminiscent to what took place in the 60's and 70's with the live show. One of the most notable digital phenomenons that is sweeping through music is an accountability paradigm of one’s live performance by a well informed audience. The Internet has forced bands to play live what they record. If they can’t really play, then they can never expect to sustain a fan base and have a real, long term career in music. There is a rising necessity for artist and fan to interact; fans want accessibility. One of the best attributes of music from past eras is its ability to remain timeless beyond its inception of creation. One of the consistent reasons that allowed this was that the music sounded the same when it was played live. I don't see that many artists filling stadiums like past eras except for the ones who are able to give the fan a true and lasting impression that is taken from a performance. My own personal example is the very first live show that I ever attended. At the age of 13, I had the opportunity to see the Michael Jackson Victory Tour in Miami, Florida. This was a life changing experience that set my standard for live performance. A live performance—in my opinion—should be something that makes a life long impact on you, that gives you a story to tell, because you were one of the lucky ones who got to see the show. For me, this highlighted a musical pathway for me as a child.
I now have to respectfully disagree with one chapter that Chris Anderson wrote in the book The Long Tail. The second chapter of this book is titled “The Rise and Fall of the Hit”. I believe there has always been the same amount of bands out there as what you see on Myspace or Facebook, but I also think there will be less in the future because people think they are rock stars from playing video games instead of real instruments LOL. Sorry kids, if you can’t play a real instrument then you don’t qualify as a band. Music is getting better at a faster
