the music industry is obviously slumming right now. I spend my nights thinking why? And how? I spend my days trying to make it anyway. My latest thoughts..
It has become too easy to network. And then even easier to make that network evolve, reaching people who straight up, you have no business meeting. Proposing ideas and propositions to people that you can’t truthfully stand behind, but say anyway. Everyone has something they are trying to pitch.
I’d love to use an example involving myself, however due to several factors, including, but not limited to, a mild form of censorship, my best business interests, and the overall well being of my friends, I will not.
Any one can get in contact with anyone. Honestly. You can follow anyone on twitter for example. Any person A can follow any person B quite easily. You can research and then find this person easily with google, or by searching on twitter. Then you can tweet them any message you want; perhaps of why they might want to listen to your music, manage your band, book you on their show, produce a cd.. Yada yada yada
Unfortunately a small percent of these people actually return contact via tweeting or one of many other internet connection tools we possess. FB, email, linkdin, porkappolis, ect..
( my two cents on all this social media bull shit. it’s bull shit. Its all a stupid game. Sometimes you need to be ready to play some games and put up w the the attached bs. So Play the game, and since you are playing, might as well win.)
They have just accomplished in 3 minutes, which back in the day would take 3 months of talking, meeting the right person, partnering with his manager, fucking his PR lady, actually that wasnt the right person, finally meeting the right person, taking him to the best party ever, getting introduced to the vp of sales at a label, by unknown forces finally getting that cd in the right hands, then scoring you and your team a deal, ( this IS a team game). 3 mins vs 3 months, ( or never, those 3 months are a best case scenario when trying to impress and befriend 1 of the 20 key people you need to have on your team to succeed.)
this ease of communication and contanabt and hyper networking are why labels now have one A/R person, not 12. you are taking out soooo soo many of the middle men who uses to be involved in the music industry process. This drives down costs of everything for everyone. CDs cost less. Artists can charge less. People will pay less. That entire juicy meatball of less combined with there being FREE MUSIC everywhere. Music industry=dead.
But there is hope. Teams of brilliant, hustling ass, super cool dudes and dudettes are working round the clock to find a solution. A new way to experience the music live? A new way to transport your music around town? A new way to share it? New music? Something new is a brewing. Keep your ears open and your eyes visine fresh, because you never know when or where the next novel break through is coming from. Happy 2011. Stay classy San Diego