Why This is a GREAT Time to Be in Music
These days, we hear a lot of gloom and doom about the state of the music industry: Major record labels are going the way of the dinosaurs! Many orchestras are struggling financially; some have closed their doors! Arts funding is drying up! Old career models are fading away! The ship is sinking!!! Surely these are dark signs for the future of music, no?
Well, there are two sides to every coin. True, the realities of the music world are changing at breakneck speeds. But the contention that music is in trouble is one with which I could not disagree more vehemently. In fact, in some ways, perhaps we are living in a Golden Era of Music. Consider the following:
- Access. For the first time in the history of the world, just-about-anyone just-about-anywhere can access just-about-any kind of music just-about-any time of day.
- Mediums. There are now more ways to experience music than ever before. No longer are we limited to concerts, TV, FM/AM radio, and CDs. Today, people can hear music through Internet radio, TV radio, XM radio, instant downloads, artist websites, social media, video sharing, iPods, iPads, iPhones, ringtones, video games. And the list goes on. And on. And on.
- Taste. Twenty years ago, most of us identified primarily with one style of music. “I love country.” “Hip hop’s my bag.” “Consider me an opera fanatic.” “I’m a jazz man.” But now, in this iPod Shuffle generation, many people are open to just about any musical experience (with perceived relevance). The hippest folks are cultural omnivores.
- Stardom. Never again will we see a musical super-duper-megastar the likes of Michael Jackson. That was possible only in an environment where few channels of musical access controlled public taste. Our new paradigm leaves much more room for mid-level artists—of all genres—to cultivate their fan base.
- Participation. Many audiences are no longer satisfied with a passive role when it comes to music. They demand interactive concerts. They’re excited to post comments or photos on their favorite group’s blog. They want to vote for the next members of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. They love to remash tracks from interesting groups. Heck, they’re ready to make the music themselves (even if it’s through a video game like Guitar Hero. How about Bassoon Hero…).
- The artist perspective. It is now easier and less expensive to record music, disseminate music, and market music than ever before. No longer necessary to have the backing of a major record label or management to create an international reputation, savvy musicians can do this largely from their own home.
Music is everywhere. Music is healthy. Music is thriving. Music is celebrating.
But what does all this mean for musicians?
Well, the paradigm’s shifting, that’s for sure. Whenever that happens, there will be new winners, and new losers. The people who come out on top will be those with the entrepreneurial foresight to spot and act upon new opportunities. Finding them may not always be easy, and requires imagination. But surely, in this Golden Era of Music, they do exist.
So the next time you feel depressed about all the gloom and doom, take that energy and focus it on finding positive solutions. Look for the bright spots.
97 Responses to “Why This is a GREAT Time to Be in Music”
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DAVID CUTLER balances a varied career as a jazz and classical composer, pianist, educator, arranger, conductor, collaborator, concert producer, author, consultant, speaker and advocate. Dr. Cutler teaches at Duquesne University, where he also serves as Coordinator of Music Entrepreneurship Studies.
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Bassoon Hero. Love it!
I think that most people view this as a bad time to monetize music. I somewhat agree. Today’s recording model doesn’t facilitate making a living. Granted, there are ways to make money at music, seems like I read a whole book of ideas
, but the model has definitely changed.
Now is the time to shift focus and find new streams of income. People want their music for free and we, as musicians, need to find a way to capitalize on the those desires.
Talking about new business models for musicians, I imagine most readers of this blog have seen Michael Masnick’s very interesting presentation on the state of the industry at NARM 2009.
Just in case, here’s the link:
http://vimeo.com/5229486
[...] Why This Is A Great Time To Be In Music Despite all the turmoil that’s going on within the music industry, David Cutler, the savvy musician, tells us why it’s a great time to be in music. Download Your Free Copy Today! Related PostsJanuary 16, 2011 — Never Mind Genre, Learn The Lesson!November 22, 2010 — Music Industry Daily 11-22-10October 26, 2010 — SponsorshipsJune 29, 2010 — How to Make Great Music Industry Contacts Posted by Wicked D at 8:20 pm Tagged with: diy musician, endorsements, entertainment attorney, music career, samick guitars, signed to a label, sponsorships [...]
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This really IS a great time to be a musician. I just started a website and now I get to use Facebook and Google to help promote it. Sure I have to pay out of pocket to do that but the exposure is worth the money. And this type of exposure could lead to sales. And once I am earning income on my music, then I will have achieved my goal: a career. Isn’t that what we all want?
this is my first visit and I just wanted to stop by and say Hello!!
Indeedly deed David!
I just want to go outsomeday and play instrumental solo fingerstyle pop, blues and jazz stuff but I always love to read your ideas. Great inspiration.
Thanks D !
I completely agree and I’m glad you’re advocating this point of view. In my first years of teaching middle and high school music I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see that, contrary to popular belief, the majority of the music my students listen to is quality stuff. They listen to a very wide variety of styles and genres, are discriminatory in their tastes and are passionate about sharing their music with others. They are engaged in the music they listen to because they have so much control over what they get to hear and what they do not. This engagement in listening to music leads to an uptick in curiosity in creating and understanding music. Of course, the more music students can create and understand, the better their perception of quality will be. This is great news for a musicians–from classical to jazz to pop….quality music is quality music and that’s what these students are responding to. It is very democratic and almost Darwinistic–an increasingly engaged and knowledgable consumer base will begin to increase the quality of music in all areas of the industry and the profession.
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