There is always talk in any sector about the "state of the industry". Over the next weeks I'll be posting about this big-bad thing we call the "music industry". I'll admit I've gotten rather jaded in posting about this particular business sometimes. I'll try to keep the industry-bashing down. Just the facts here, folks.
Maybe jaded isn't the right word. I get frustrated with the music industry, then become vague in my descriptions of exactly what's happening, then turn into a sarcastic, cherry-picking underpants gnome. Instead, I want to write some objective posts about what many "analysts" say is a bright future for those of us who can play 100+ live shows a year and tour their cajones off. (A cajon is a Peruvian drum, people. This is a family friendly blog. Get your minds out of the gutter).
This 100 show a year thing doesn't make a lot of sense to people. Don't musicians sell albums to make money? How can spending half your year in a van, traveling to small towns with other sweaty dudes (or ladies), be a profitable venture?
Well, it is. Especially now that gas isn't $4/ gallon. That is the state of the industry: fresh touring acts.
The Rolling Stones are getting pretty old, just like many high-grossing acts who the industry has relied on for years. On the same token, no one will even know who or what The Jonas Brothers or Taylor Swift are in five years. Quite the conundrum for the recording and promoting industries, no?
The process of how we got to this point is interesting to me, if I can overcome the greed and general ignorance of the music itself that has led the record and promoting industries down the tubes like Drain-O.
We'll talk about things like streaming music, iTunes, Apple, major record labels, indie record labels, Kurt Cobain, Radiohead, Phish, 8-track tapes and a music industry which now makes every song (whether Cobain or my 5-year old cousin wrote it) available for the same price as a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger at Wendy's.
I can't wait.
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