Read the original article here: "The Creative Apocalypse That Wasn't" by Steven Johnson
Key Take Aways:
There has been a lot made of the downfall of the music industry. Charts show income and revenue absolutely plummeting for the past 10 yearsIn his discussion, Steven Johnson talks about how, in the heydey of CD sales, right before Napster, the music industry had what would equal about $60 billion in revenue, and now that number is down to about $15 billionBut Johnson posits that in general, the individual musician is not doing any worse financially now than they were at that point - and a lot of his explanation for this has to do with the role that live music plays in the music industryIn 1999, the music business took in $10 billion in revenue from live shows, and in 2014 that number had grown to almost $30While the super-stars to rake in the majority of this, the article goes on to state the the top 100 tours of 2000 captured 90 percent of all revenue, while today the top 100 capture only 43 percentOf course, the article has cause a major backlash in the music industry, especially by those who still cling to the old methods of monetization for music and the artsYes, the music industry, and all creative industries, are changing at a rapid pace. And yes, it can be difficult to keep upBut… the real benefactor to all of this change is the indie musicians/artist!Just think about all of the methods that you have available to you right now to get your music heard by the masses. FaceBook, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Vine, Twitter, Snapchat, Periscope, Meerkat, Google+.Not to mention podcasts like this one. The only way that I could have had a show like this 10 years ago would have been if I was able to land a show in traditional radio, but then I wouldn’t have the opportunity to help musicians that I really appreciate by playing their tracks on the airBasically, there was A LOT of extra fat in the music industry, and most creative industries, and there was a time when that was necessary, as the labels and other big corporations were the only way that musicians could get their work heard by the massesBut times change, and like it or not, Napster and the fallout from it has caused a stripping away of this fat that has been very painful for the music industry - but resulted in more options and possibilities for the indy artistsWe live in circumstances that allow musicians and artist of any kind to create something, anything they want, and get it out to their audience immediately, while maintaining complete artistic control, and essentially being in command of their own destiny. And this is a very, very good thing for musicians and creative types everywhereIf you would like to be considered for featured artist, email music submissions [email protected]
Shownotes: modernmusician.co/037
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