I have a slightly different view to Patrick. I think that this whole moment is a natural evolutionary extinction. Empires rise and fall, species come and go, there are huge seismic cultural changes going on but- so what. Its natural. Its happened. So- now what?
Yes- sales are as good as dead. But music itself is thriving, and what we have now is the widespread appreciation of music, of all types, by a generation with the greatest free musical banquet in history spread out in front of them.
Sales are dead- but live and ticket sales, merchandise... all healthy and thriving, bigger than before.
There is no point, no matter how well intentioned, to pleading for people to develop a sense of guilt and cease free sharing. I've said before- thats King Canute behaviour. Its too late, the genie is out of the bottle.
The reality is that now, musicians have to go out and play to make money. Your single, or album, is now a 'flyer' for the live experience.
And by living like this, musicans are now returning to the life of a musician, the real life that countless endless musicians lived over and over throughout history, since music was invented. You see, before this brief 'silly money' period of the last 60 years, musicans, like actors, or variety performers, or circus folk- had to go out and perform to survive. And if you wanted to hear it- you went to see it. Thats how it had been since somebody banged two sticks together around a fire.
Thats the real 'norm' of being a musician- thats the truth of it. The last 60 years were an exception to the rule. This is not the end of music- just the end of a strange era within musical history- the Pop era. Things are now going back to normal. To finish, I'll tell you why this may be good:
(1) To do it now, you have to love it.
(2) You will have to suffer to do it. This means the fakes, the opportunists, the fame-hungry empty souls, all no longer have any reason to clog up the air. Evolution is thinning the herd.
This puts the new musicians in the same boat as Leadbelly, or Robert Johnson, or the Jazz purists still carrying a torch since their era ended with the 1950's. Mozart died poor, remember? Basically- now you really have to BE a musician. You will do it because you love music. No frills, no Lear jet, no Ferrari collection. The surreal 20th century party is over.
Sure- moneys nice. But that not why I started, and you wont catch me whining online about my lawyers fees and the fact I cant buy a nice detached house in the country. That was never my mission objective.
I'll end this where I started- evolution:
Survival of the fittest is a powerful evolutionary force- it creates new forms, and it always pushes onwards, upwards.
How can that be a bad thing?
Nathan
Berlin
Sept 09
HERES PATRICKS BLOG:
FFFe-- I woke this morning to see Lilly Allens blog about the music industry and file sharing...
Well, I try to maintain some kind of private life, but certain issues, when the message isn't coming across through all available media, have to be spoken about.
I think to myself that my money shouldn't really be any bodies business but I look at what I knew about the industry before napster- came along and it was a very respectable encouraging place where people on independent labels could live a good life and create great art and music and use the profit they made to invest in other talent or other future creative projects... some musicians were lucky to get a mortgage or if you were lucky and had been through the britpop days, you could buy a house. major labels and indie labels sat side by side quite comfortably.
When my first album came out.. there was a whisper or jokes, but alot of speculation about what might happen in the future, what with file sharing and this new thing called myspace... I fast forward to 2009 and the only income any artist will see now is by doing live performances, I have friends who have been to number one for weeks on end and seen no profit due to marketing. Most major labels are in more debt than you can ever imagine. And its not very funny as all these people who work there (and there are many, many, many) are people with jobs who went to school like you and I did and wanted to work and earn a living. I still don't understand how spotify is meant to make up for this, I don't know anyone who has actually bought an account. When theres no money coming in.. then no body gets paid... then no one can pay their bills and then you are homeless.... its very hard for everyone right now in the current economic climate and I have total sympathy with all of you, but im making a plea on behalf of all the fantastic musicians and people within this fabulous industry which was built at the end of the day, not to make money off you but to inspire you... what is life without music??
I don't have a liberace helicopters and limousine lifestyle. I'm currently deciding wether i spend the last of my earnings this year from touring on recording the string and choir section of my new album or on the rent until december, just an example of how alot of other musicians have it. I dreamt as a teenager I would be able to buy a house one day, somewhere peaceful so that i could focus on writing and composing and perhaps set up a gorgeous studio with all the instruments I have collected to record and produce other bands. in the early 2000's it seemed likely but file sharing means that most musicians will probably just make ends meet their whole life now and most musicians dreams will have to be put aside for need for part time work and doing the odd gig and free download only single made on garageband.
As musicians, to make big and small music, we all have other musicians to pay and crew to pay and managers and on top of that lawyers and accountants.... if you don't pay for music, how can the musicians of tomorrow and of today survive and learn our craft. In my 7 years in this biz I have seen countless record companies fold and recording studios close and sold for real estate to make a luxury apartment complex. For instance, the townhouse, a legendary studio in shepherds bush where I mastered wind in the wires and the magic position had to close down because record companies cant afford to put bands into studios and get them playing with beautiful acoustics and great sound engineers and vintage gorgeous mixing desks and grand pianos. When I was last at Abbey road studios, I was told by a mastering engineer that it was close to being turned into a museum because there is no REVENUE in the music industry because in the last 5 years people have stopped buying music. Please.... Even if you just go out and buy your favorite Joni Mitchell album on Cd or Buy a Bob Dylan Vinyl from HMV or FOPP something. Think of the music industry like a food chain.... it goes right from from madonna, elvis to beyonce right down to the boy behind the counter at hmv via billions of peoples wages.....
I would also like to tip my hat to music retail too... I am so sad there are no more record shops in London. my church used to be a place called tower records, picadilly circus, and every sunday I would go to pray at the alter of the listening post. There are no part time saturday jobs "at the record store" for anyone now.. the U.K is a sad place in 2009 I think. Sorry to sound depressing, but i think it really is time we as musicians spoke out more about these issues, I have been really inspired by Lilly writing the below piece on her blog. I can only do my best in saying I am on the same ship as you all and the ship is sinking, sinking.... But what is life without hope!! Lets start a new future... think about where all the lovely music comes from... Do what you can to protect the music you love, invest in physical purchases, think about the machinery that goes on behind making your favourite band so fabulous and inspiring.... and how they should be able to make a living as well as you too... There really is a need to call an end to the bling bling flash in the pan soulless simon cowell world of money rubbish. I beg of channel 4 or BBC one to bring back a TV show that shines a light on new talent. Lily.. take it away,,,,,
xx patrick wolf