Why the music industry is killing the music..

[vis4victor]

Easy for you to say, Mr. Skin-In-The-Game.

i dont make music,therefore your comment came form nowhere .
you might wanna research ,what skin in game is lol

[moecurlythanu]

Where's that face palm meme?

[vis4victor]

Where's that face palm meme?

Do you not have any idea ,Who your talking to about memes?
Trust me ,you do not wanna get on my bad side.
i use Sosi when that happens.
Sarcasm Over Someones Ignorance! and in Insulting Manner

[Splicer]

The answer for artists isn't that consumers have to adopt a lifestyle that rejects modernity. Everyone has to recognize that corporations and investors, like the ones who wrote the paper that was linked in the OP, only "care" about artists because they see an untapped potential to monetize the paradigm shift in the way music is consumed.

[Frumious B]

Oh for sure, I would like it to be. Pick the genre and the music was light years better in the 1970's. Rock, Hard Rock, Folk Rock, Jazz, Jazz fusion, Folk, Blues, Southern Rock, Reggae, Ska, singer songwriter, R and B, funk. Even rap, I'll take Steven Tyler rapping "Walk this Way" from Toys in the Attic over any rap today. Even hip hop was originated from funk grooves from live drummers in the 70's. I'll take Carole King over Taylor Swift any day. I'll take Kate Bush over Lady Gaga. The music being made by the millenial generation isn't even in the same discussion.

You can say Snarky Puppy and I'll say Chicago Transit.
You say The Killers and I'll say The Who.
You can say "One Direction" I'll take The Beatles.

I still love hearing and discovering new music, but I’ve actually never, ever been more proud of being an out of touch f*cking dinosaur than I have been lately. I’m not interested in new music just for the sake of new music. If it doesn’t sound good to me and bring me joy then there is no point. “New music” for me might end up being something amazing from decades ago that I’ve never heard before rather than something modern because so much of that contemporary software driven production style just sounds completely dead and sterile to me. I need to hear some instruments, imperfections and some air in there.

The other day I even heard a “bro country” auto tuned cover of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’s “Straight To Hell” and it was TERRIBLE. I’m glad Kevin Kinney is getting paid, but the world was certainly not crying out out for that.

[moecurlythanu]

Do you not have any idea ,Who your talking to about memes?
Trust me ,you do not wanna get on my bad side.
i use Sosi when that happens.
Sarcasm Over Someones Ignorance! and in Insulting Manner

Oh my. Well, I'm clearly dealing with one of the keenest intellects of the 21st Century here, so..discretion being the better part of valor, I'll take your advice and quit while I'm behind.

[JKL2000]

Frumious B, I don't know what 'bro country' is and I don't wanna know! Any ideas that conjures up just do not seem good. Must... resist...urge...to...Google...

EDIT: I couldn't resist, and read this: 'The popularity of the genre opened up a divide between the older generation of country singers and the bro-country singers which was described as "civil war" by musicians, critics and journalists."

Awesome! There's a Country civil war a brewin'!

[Frumious B]

Frumious B, I don't know what 'bro country' is and I don't wanna know! Any ideas that conjures up just do not seem good. Must... resist...urge...to...Google...

It’s a style typified by very polished and sterile songs about beer, trucks, women and general redneck type stuff with auto tuned vocals that probably has more in common musically with Bon Jovi than it does with Johnny Cash.

[Vic2012]

I read something about a type of modern country music call "Hick Hop." ..... God help us.

[Yodelgoat]

My last CD release was in 2005. I have been waiting for something in the music biz to change. It has, but only for the worse. It drives me crazy that Amazon keeps asking me to sign up for their "service" unlimited listening for a monthly fee that would not pay for even one artists release. Its crazy, and I can see why making a living off recording music is so difficult, At least there are no more superstars or supergroups being hatched - name one in the last say 5 years. If someone can actually enjoy music written by a machine, you cannot argue with that. Why not visual Art? why not Novels? Tolkein, Solzhenitsin and Vonnegut were/are not machines.

Just in the past couple of months, I have started playing my original music live, just me, and an acoustic guitar. I have Only done a few gigs, but I have enjoyed it. I figure this is good enough for me. Ive only played before maybe 100 people total, but for the most part, it was fun, it was original, and so far no one has asked me to play free bird. I try to explain during the show that the only way to hear my music is right there. No facebook likes asked for, no attempt to get them buying CD's or something they dont need or want. Just music, which when performed acoustically, is actually quite different from how it was originally written. A Full band, reduced to just acoustic songs. It is very interesting to break down a song into its most basic parts, and still try to have something meaningful. So far it's working ok, I am the most picky listener. Once I get it all good and polished up, I'd like to have a show taped. Then perhaps I can maybe travel a bit and do shows around the country. That's something worth working towards. Just putting out a CD and wondering why its not getting any interest is what I tried, and failed at.

This is how it was for most bands/artists before the advent of the CD, and the digital age. If the show sucks, and people dont like it, I will eventually not get any gigs. Right now I am turning down gigs because I do not want to play every week. I could get sucked into playing a bunch of covers I hate, and not ever get to play originals. I'm not into that. I do play a few covers - Goin to California by Zep is a crowd pleaser. A few old Gordon Lightfoot songs and some even older bluesish - semi funny tunes like "seduced" by Leon Redbone... It seems to take people by surprise, to see someone not doing the "hits" but right now 90 percent is original. I may start using some backing tracks, or have some musicians come and play with me, but right now when I try backing tracks it doesnt sound right, so until I get it figured out. Its all acoustic.

This is how I am dealing with the digital age of music. Avoiding it.

[moecurlythanu]

^ The current malaise sucks, but if you ever travel and come up here, I would come see you play.

[Steve983]

So here in the UK, HMV, the last cd/lp/dvd chain store has now fallen into administration again. To be honest I doubt it will survive this time, only maybe in a vastly shrunken form. I think for now there is still a market for physical product but not as it was obviously. However it makes me wonder if Spotify and the like can survive because if the big selling mainstream acts are unable to make any money anymore surely this model cannot last?

[Yodelgoat]

^ The current malaise sucks, but if you ever travel and come up here, I would come see you play.

Not sure when I'll be in Crimea next, but I'll keep you posted.

I wonder when we will see a full stop on new releases from most of the current prog bands. I have noticed that 2018 was a little light on new releases. It may just be a short term thing, but we aren't going to see any established bands still pushing CD's or even downloads. As long as Amazon will let anyone stream everything basically for free, I just don't see where its advantageous for established bands or artists to do anything new. We may see some live shows released, but new original material? Not likely. I wonder how Spocks Beards latest album did. That was a 2018 release right?

[Skullhead]

This is how I am dealing with the digital age of music. Avoiding it.

I wish there were more like you. The world would be a better place.

[Skullhead]

Not sure when I'll be in Crimea next, but I'll keep you posted.

I wonder when we will see a full stop on new releases from most of the current prog bands. I have noticed that 2018 was a little light on new releases. It may just be a short term thing, but we aren't going to see any established bands still pushing CD's or even downloads. As long as Amazon will let anyone stream everything basically for free, I just don't see where its advantageous for established bands or artists to do anything new. We may see some live shows released, but new original material? Not likely. I wonder how Spocks Beards latest album did. That was a 2018 release right?

If I were king, anyone found participating in digital streaming of music would be jailed and have their personal job salaries confiscated and re directed into the Universal School of Music which I would be in charge of. A much better world.

[Steve983]

If I were king, anyone found participating in digital streaming of music would be jailed and have their personal job salaries confiscated and re directed into the Universal School of Music which I would be in charge of. A much better world.

I'm with you there. I'm still optimistic, perhaps naïve, but I hope that people who still want to listen to quality music will mostly want to buy physical product, there may still be enough of a market. Those who listen to dumb disposable bubblegum pop/pap can stream all they like and it will only harm the people who make crap music.

[Poisoned Youth]

I wonder when we will see a full stop on new releases from most of the current prog bands. I have noticed that 2018 was a little light on new releases.

And you're basing this on what evidence? In the 2018 thread, our small sample size of music fans seems to think the year is overflowing with great music.

On Gnosis, the raters have added 1,266 album entries for 2018 (to date so far). For 2017 it's now up to 1,674. Gnosis raters are first and for most fans of progressive music, so it appears they are finding music in spite of your observation.

If I were king, anyone found participating in digital streaming of music would be jailed and have their personal job salaries confiscated and re directed into the Universal School of Music which I would be in charge of. A much better world.

I'm with you there. I'm still optimistic, perhaps naïve, but I hope that people who still want to listen to quality music will mostly want to buy physical product, there may still be enough of a market. Those who listen to dumb disposable bubblegum pop/pap can stream all they like and it will only harm the people who make crap music.

Curmudgeons of the world unite! Oh my.

[Kcrimso]

And you're basing this on what evidence? In the 2018 thread, our small sample size of music fans seems to think the year is overflowing with great music.

Indeed! 2018 was yet another tremendous year for new music. We, as a listeners, are living in a golden era of new music.

[Rarebird]

Indeed! 2018 was yet another tremendous year for new music. We, as a listeners, are living in a golden era of new music.

But it doesn't sound like and it isn't recorded the way they did it in the 60s and 70s, which makes it bad in the eyes of some people here.

[moecurlythanu]

We, as a listeners, are living in a golden era of new music.

Let's not get carried away.

[aith01]

Curmudgeons of the world unite! Oh my.

[Steve983]

And here's another depressing story:

Gaming worth more than video and music combined

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-46746593

[Buddhabreath]

Well, I think it's depressing. Somebody in the comments was attacked for calling gaming a "monumental waste of time". As the father of an 18-year old that spends most of his free time on gaming I think I have a right to say that it's a monumental waste of humanity without being attacked for my opinion. That being said, I know it's an amazing world of entertainment, cutting-edge technology and has the potential to make positive contributions, but not for me. Maybe next life.

[aith01]

Well, I think it's depressing. Somebody in the comments was attacked for calling gaming a "monumental waste of time".

Sounds like that guy doesn't understand the whole concept of entertainment.

[Buddhabreath]

I don't think that was it. I think the context is people spending all their free time on gaming and not reading, listening to music, watching films or (perish the thought) interacting with other human beings face to face.