What is the future of recorded music/video?

[bobwhite]

Those of us who are older have lived through many stages of recorded music. Early on, labels signed you, gave you advances, and you worked for the "Company Store" to pay them back. You could still live very well--just ask Elvis--but you did not own your music and did not get licensing fees.

In the 1960s and then the 1970s, bands like The Beatles and then Steely Dan basically stopped touring, put out fine records, and made a fortune doing it. Others still put out LPs and toured to support the LPs, but had healthy album sales. Many musicians learned to keep a piece of the licensing money. Many artists began hiring their own lawyers and got out from under the old label system or had it modified to work better for them.

As we have come into the digital age, recorded music is downloaded, file shared, torrented, etc., ad infinitum and popular musicians seem to make most of their money touring, which is by far the harder and more grueling way to make a buck. Bands can self-promote online today, but it seems hard to make much money doing so--touring is required. I personally would long for the good old days when you put out an LP every year or two and make plenty of money doing so.

So, where do we go from here? Is recorded music/video doomed to be an hors d'oeuvre for the tour coming to your town in 6 weeks? Will any new artists be the multiplatinum bands of the future? Is there new technology on the horizon that will affect how we interact with recorded music/video?

In short, what does your crystal ball say?

[stratovani]

I'm thinking that in the future bands are going to have to do a lot more heavy lifting. I'm in a Contemporary Christian band playing original music that's just starting up. We've been rehearsing since last April and we played our first show last month - an hour-long slot at a local church Bazaar. We'll be recording a demo in a couple of weeks and shopping it around to Christian coffeehouses in our area. Our first objective is to build up a following. We've got a website set up, we're on MySpace and Facebook, and we'll be looking at some studio time in the fall so we can have a CD to sell at shows. We're going to have to foot the bill for all of this so we'll have to look for the best deals around. But that comes with the territory, that's the price you have to pay to get a good following, besides, we'll recoup it at a future time. Our eventual goal is to play at Soulfest in NH next summer. After that, who knows?

So that's what we're looking at. I think all bands will have to do the same thing we're doing - start small, work hard, build up a following, and sell yourself like a car salesman. I think the days of bands being discovered, signing big contracts, and cutting albums every year are largely over. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, all I'm saying is that the way of doing business these days is much more hands-on for bands who want to make it.

[WardEarth]

Originally Posted by stratovani

we'll be looking at some studio time in the fall so we can have a CD to sell at shows. We're going to have to foot the bill for all of this so we'll have to look for the best deals around.

Have you considered recording on your own at all? That is basically all that my bands and I have done, I haven't yet gone to a studio. The startup costs are probably greater, but they can be minimized. I have a very decent pc setup with protools and it all (used) cost me a total of around $550. That is alot, but its a computer, monitor, and mbox mini interface.

I think that it really helps to have a place to lay down tracks whenever I want and its easier to polish the music when you can playback, edit, add effects, etc.

I totally agree with you when you say the hardest working musicians are the ones that will make it. Its a fact, although im sure there are a few lazy but talented musicians out there.

The future of the music biz will probably be about putting on renegade events away from the city. Get a generator, 15+ badass local bands, and bring the tribe to the desert/mountains. We've thrown 2 so far and they've been great. We're still growing under the radar.

[flypejose]

Originally Posted by stratovani

I think all bands will have to do the same thing we're doing - start small, work hard, build up a following, and sell yourself like a car salesman. I think the days of bands being discovered, signing big contracts, and cutting albums every year are largely over. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, all I'm saying is that the way of doing business these days is much more hands-on for bands who want to make it.

Absolutely true!
But IMO, unfortunately this is a sad state of the affairs as far as support is concerned. Wouldn’t it be cool to be taken in charge from start to finish by a super big production structure and concentrate exclusively on your art? State of the art studios + best of the best studio musicians, arrangers, producers and engineers+ promotion geniuses + touring logistics + excellent lawyers + big bucks…

To me this model could still work perfectly as long as they find a way to protect their intellectual property in a way that is adapted to the evolution of technology. Yeah I forgot, + find a way to get rid of exaggerated greed and tyranny of theses record production executives on one hand, as well as the disrespect of intellectual property that is now prevalent on the other hand.

Once we do that, everybody will be happy!

[Chrisk-K]

So many singers will use "auto-tune" that their recorded voices will be virtually the same.

[WardEarth]

Originally Posted by Chrisk-K

So many singers will use "auto-tune" that their recorded voices will be virtually sound the same.

Not going to happen. There will always be a few that can actually sing.