• gary
  • BONAMETAL
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  • From: Palatine Illinois by Chicago
  • Registered: 2006-08-25
  • Posts: 4,767

Topic: Future of recorded music

In an age where the music biz is struggling to stay alive I was thinking of how the future may be.
The music model has always been labels funding bands,involving producers and sometimes songwriters to help refine the finished product.
There are plenty of talented bands/artists out there but the economics if selling the music has changed and I am not sure how many bands will be able to progress with the help of a real good producer in the studio.There is also the sound quality of recorded music to consider and how a greatly produced album makes the music so enriched.Will these things still be able to exist as time goes on? Will most new bands have to record and make there albums with their home studios?
Joe has been with Kevin Shirley and who knows exactly what his music would be like if he had not been involved with a big time producer?Even now he has the financials to work with songwriters as another tool for raising the quality of his craft.
All you hear about is how hard it is for musicians
to make a living these days.I can see its true and it would seem that the money end of the music biz may ultimately have a profound effect on the quality of music that gets recorded and distributed.I have seen some small independent labels ( not so much in blues or blues rock )Market the music by selling  vinyl only and offering a download or stream.
I think they make their money by selling colored vinyl and cool artwork as a means of getting money for a hard product.I am not sure about the market for vinyl but I know it is making a comeback.I would  hate to see the demise of the cd because it still offered a real good sound and portability along with having the smaller artwork and notes to go along with it.
So just rambling in here as I was thinking this morning sue to what I see as the proliferation of music consumption in Spotify,Sound Cloud and Bandcamp.

Your rock candy baby
Your hard sweet and sticky

gary's Website

2 Reply by BansheeUK (edited by BansheeUK 2014-09-23 06:25:45)

  • From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
  • Registered: 2011-08-12
  • Posts: 4,615

Re: Future of recorded music

Kind of see where you're going here, with loads of small independent labels these days or bands opting to manufacture the Cd albums themselves in limited runs. Yes it would make financial sense in smaller cases to eliminate the CD format altogether and distribute the album via paid download from website - then the next step would be to eliminate the "album" altogether and just publish a clutch of songs. I hope not.

I do miss the vinyl album, not so much for the "authentic" sound (my hearing isn't that good these days), but the sense of ceremony as you remove it from the sleeve and protective cover, check it over for dust and scratches as you place it on the turntable and then bring over the pick-up arm etc. There's also the loss of the "cover", the fantastic, iconic imagery that instantly identifies an album.

The CD though, whether it's from one of the giant labels or produced in someone's spare bedroom represents something tangible in an ephemeral artistic media and for that reason I hope it survives another 30 years and more. For another reason, it would be pretty difficult to catch an artist post gig and ask them to sign your download.....

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...