I see a lot of articles and social media threads about how music is being devalued and how due to technology and the way things are going it’s all but impossible to make it as an artist and how the quality of music is much worse than it used to be.
I’d like to play devil’s advocate and offer an alternate point of view for discussion.
First, “technology is ruining the industry”. One could argue technology is wonderful in that it has made the entry bar into the music profession so low that just about anyone can do it. That’s a wonderful thing for those who have talent and drive and ambition and social media savvy because they can reach an audience and build a brand in a way that they never could have before. If anything one could argue it has opened the doors and in many ways circumvented the gate-keepers creating more opportunities than before, which is a great thing.
Second, “music is being devalued”. One might ask if it possible that music was over-valued? I know a lot of people may think I’m crazy to suggest this, but is it right that someone who is a successful entertainer (which is hugely important and valuable in society) becomes a multimillionaire while soldiers who literally put their lives on the line to protect us barely make ends meet? While school teachers have to spend their own money for classroom supplies and drive shitty cars? While fire-fighters and cops and first responders etc. make a descent living where there’s literally saving lives? Is it possible that what technology has done is level the playing field and so while it’s true that music is being devalued compared to how it was before, the market is simply correcting itself? It’s simply the forces of supply and demand and we have a lot more supply than we ever had.
Third, “the quality of music is worse”. I don’t think so. I think there is still plenty of great music being made. There are innovative artists doing great things, and in our specific profession writing gorgeous innovative scores. I think what’s happened is that since it’s so much easier for people to get into the field and get their material out (see my first point), the downside is that we now ALL have access to a lot of the crappy work that previously we never would have heard because it wouldn’t have made it past the gate-keepers. It’s not that the quality has gone down, necessarily, there was always bad music out there, it’s just that we now have access to material that previously wouldn’t have gotten mass distribution.
Finally, those artists who rise to the top find ways to use these tools to their benefits. In our field, I’m thinking of Bear McCreary, for example, who brilliantly used (and still uses) social media to create awareness for himself and build a career. I’m thinking of things like the Women Who Score concert, which I have a hard time imagining happening 10-15 years ago. Or Tori Letzler’s The Future Is Female concert, which was crowdfunded! Hell, I crowdfunded my own debut album of concert works (Musical Fantasy) which never would have seen the light of day under the old system and has now earned radio-play around the globe and two live performances so far!
Is it harder in many ways to make a living as a composer or artists than before? I’m honestly not sure. I think if one relies on old models to do so then the answer it’s a definitive yes. Sales are down, streaming is up but pays a fraction of what sales did film scoring fees are down for the most part. So in those regards, yes it’s harder.
On the flip side, it’s much easier to become a working artist or film composer today. There is much more music education than before making those entering the field far better prepared than before and having alumni networks to help open doors. Just about anyone can buy a laptop computer and some software and be up and running with very little investment as compared to days of old. There is more content being created today than ever before, which means more opportunities. There is more sync licensing, concerts and other revenue streams available to artists than ever before. So in those regards it’s easier.
Bottom line, while I think there are very valid concerns about the changes we are experiencing in our industry, there are really two types of approaches to what’s happening. Bitch about how bad it is and try to stop the change, or embrace the change and be part of the change (which includes affecting how changes are implemented) and figure out how to make it work for you. I choose the latter.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.