Looking at the world we live in, twisted and tangled with hidden agendas, I find solace in truth and knowledge. The music industry is no different, than the corrupt back offices of the business world. Even at the lower echelons of local music scenes, the very core of who people are is shaken by choices to get ahead or screw someone over. Some artists follow very ethical practices and many just want people to listen and enjoy their music. Talented kids can be a prime target for scammers as many don't know the ropes yet, and scams have gotten much more sophisticated. This blog is your place for the Ethical REVOLUTION in music happening right now amongst those who realize money is just an empty promise to spend it. Money is the byproduct of an economic system that continues to contract and fail to meet the needs of a starving population.
How then is music to survive in an ailing economy? There are many theories and business plans I have seen that are changing the face of this industry for the better. However, many of them are still highly dependent on money. In the Independent scene we have found sites like "Indie on the Move" that help bands book their own tours and at times find lodging for artists that need a little extra help. Most low level bands are happy to do something like this. Big name artists require ridiculous amounts of money and resources for one person. Instead, how insanely amazing would it be to see Lady Gaga crashing at your pad in your spare room for free while you cook her breakfast in the morning. What a cool reward to offer fans and it saves money on expenses. These expenses are only a fraction of the issue.
Artists have seen a rapid decline in the money funneling back into the coffers partly because of the dwindling percentages and partially due to the increase in illegal downloads. Asking the public to stop getting things for free is like telling them they have to take a pay cut unfortunately and much more daunting a task than one realizes. The only way to truly change any of the problems we have seen with digital distribution is with companies like apple and other companies that are providing proprietary software to track how many times an artist gets played. Sites like myspace, reverbnation, Facebook and others have to disallow free downloading. Musicians will ultimately form a stronger union and understanding about business and the need to remove that FREE expectation from the consumers vocabulary. By downloading illegally consumers are shoplifting from their favorite artists. Remember rockstars are just people who play music better than everyone else but they are just people like you and I.
Next week I will provide a detailed look at pay to play philosophies and how certain practices are harming artists even more.
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