What Is Happening To The Music Industry?

First there are so many things wrong with the music industry as a whole, where do I even begin? The BIG 4 distributors (EMI, Universal, SONY/BMG, WEA) continue to push their agenda forward, of finding new and better ways to rape artists of their rights, their art, their sanity, and even their ability to enjoy an honest living in this business. No one holds a gun to these artists heads, and forces them to sign anything. But the problem lies right there. If more artists took the time to find out what they are signing, maybe they could have more control over their art, and the choices that are made with it. Until that happens the distributors will continue to find ways to push out "assembly line" music.

You've seen it, heard it, and even possibly have come across it in passing somewhere. The concept that is used frequently in the automobile industry. When GM comes out with a model and body type, other car manufacturers, go to their design teams and have them create similar looking products as the competition.

I can remember being in a board room meeting, and one of the topics of a conversation had to do with the state of the industry at that time. A heated discussion turned to Eminem. An executive from the distributor was concerned about Eminem's legal troubles at the time. Another executive stated that if was the distributor that he was employed by that had a similar situation, they would find another Eminem clone, and push him to the consumers. I can't say I was shocked because after working in the industry for so long, it was a regular part of conversations at board meetings.

This is the number one reason this industry has folded inside itself. The executives only care about the bottom line (revenue). Consumers are spoon fed the garbage that these stuffed shirts think you want to listen to and buy. They are pleased with sales numbers of a releases first week being in the hundreds of thousands. That is at best a laugh compared to albums that were released during the period between 1989 up until a few years ago that shipped platinum or gold.

I've been working in this industry for over 18 years now, and the industry died in the early 90's due to "greed". The Big 6 distributors (EMI, WEA, SONY, MCA, BMG, PGD), were more concerned about profits than content, and began a long standing relationship with one another in order to fluctuate the price of their product at the retail level. They became too satisfied with raising this pricing at levels that even consumers could not keep up with.

It became less important for a label having an artist development department, that would develop artists with true talent, writing something to say that edifies, staying power that would attract an allegiance of fans, because they (the fans) appreciated their talent and art. Not because they see them in a video blinging like a 70's pimp, in a strip club balling out of control, "making it rain", demoralizing women with derogatory lyrics, polarizing both the African American and Latino American communities with their behavior, drug use, womanizing, criminal minded innuendos, leaving millions of teenagers that live and breath on their every word, believing that the content of their songs are reality.

I can remember bands, groups, rappers, etc., having their own unique signature sound, and they really worked at their craft as real artists, real musicians, real people. That don't exist in today's music industry. Who would have ever thought that a little tech wizadry by Roger Troutman in the early 80's with his vocoder talk box, would have a roaring comeback with auto tune today?

Anyone can post a wack, corny, garbage song on MySpace, You Tube, Reverbanation, Itunes, Amazon, CD Baby, etc., get a gazillion friends, sell a "few", count them, "few" mix-tapes, and in their eyes they've made it. It's just like being a dj and spinning with vinyl, the feel, the smell, can't be replaced. Now dj's are spinning with laptops and software, and don't have a clue of what the "culture" of Hip Hop represented or meant for urban America. That is just as much a part of the "culture" of Hip Hop as break dancing, graffiti, emcee battles, the fashion, the closeness of being part of one big family.

There was a "culture" that birthed the music of America , a true movement of real artists that worked, sweated, hustled, lived, for real music. What happened to that movement?

Do I listen to theses artists, yes I do. Do I have to like what they rap about or what they represent? No I don't. Consumers are just as much at fault at these labels for pushing garbage out here. If more consumers would make their voices heard by simply not supporting, buying or downloading some of the garbage that is out here. A statement to the BIG 4, would be made, that you want more options when it comes to your music choices.

I will touch on radio briefly, but that is another topic altogether. I will say this. A few boards at the major radio broadcasters like Clear Channel, Beasley, Cox, etc..., pay consultants to direct program and music directors what their playlist should consist of at a station in a particular market.

These corporate boards control the content of what goes over the airwaves, and the stations heads must follow that playlist and not deviate from it. This is why I also think radio has died. Just take a look at the smooth jazz format around the country. What happened to even those stations that played traditional jazz for so many years?

How boring it must be when you are traveling, and you cross the border from one state to the next where the same music is being played as a radio station from the previous state because it's a Clear Channel network. This is why very few new independent artists are being broke on traditional radio these days. There is some good music out there, but the masses have to start demanding it.