English 101
Ms. Laura Darrow
04-11-2010
-Today’s Music Industry-
In this day and age, the music industry is something that has been revolutionized.
The transformation of the music industry is one of a massive magnitude; Universal Music Groups is possibly the most well known music company- since their founding in 1898 they have grown to be a massive company- Providing young artists with the record labels, managers, producers, and contracts that they need to become successful. The Universal Music Group is the founding fathers of the music industry in a way; they have revolutionized the way artists enter into the music business. They provide many job opportunities for the open public, with proper, specific, career training.
MySpace music is great revenue for artists, they provide a website for musicians to build a profile page and market their own music and music videos. It is a professional atmosphere for non-professional artists to make themselves known and become successful in an almost impossible industry to break into. Colbie Caillat is one famous artist that made it off of MySpace music and nothing else. Anyone can do what she did. You just need to start with a little faith and a big profile page. She is not alone in this endeavor many artists are picking up on this MySpace music deal.
I believe that the music industry is constantly growing and producing more artists and entertainment; because of this it is a constant struggle for musicians to keep up with the times and continue to be the audiences’ “favorite.” It is an industry where the product must be kept fresh and renew itself constantly. Artists must always be searching for the next big thing- the next best song. That one thing that will make a person stop and actually think about whom the artist is, and what they are actually trying to say with their message.
Because of this, artists must find and become accustomed to new revenues for their talents. Such as moving from the position of a performer to that of a teacher. There are many schools and companies that hire voice coaches. I observed such an academy and even attend this particular one. My vocal instructor is an older woman who was a singer from New York. She worked her way up and once she was older she became a teacher instead of the performer that she originally was.
An artist must be prepared to move on from one site of the music industry to a completely different one. It is a field of work that is not always stable nor does it hold any loyalty whatsoever to any one person. When it is finished with the artist the artist must learn to move on and work in another field of the industry.
There are many ways for artists to learn about the music industry; hundreds of thousands of websites and sources are ready for young creators to stumble upon their information. There are many professionals who want to teach the next generation on the workings of this particular industry. Where to go, who to see, when to talk and when to sing.
There are so many different rules and regulations of the music world; someone needs to be willing to instruct the people about the information. Many people in the music industry are now providing ways for young people to learn the industry; YouTube is full of videos from producers, managers, and agents providing information to artists on the workings of the music industry. With this information young artists are able to learn the new ways of this industry; and are able to even be successful because of this important information provided.
The future of the music industry is something that will not dwindle but only grow. People are always looking for fresh, raw, new talent. It is something that is required for this future. We will not have a music industry without it; the old must make way for the new. Often young and new artists must find a brand new way of marketing themselves; they are now forced to make people think about not only the music but also the style, artist, and lyrics.
I believe that people constantly need to be refreshing themselves as a musical personality to enjoy the success they desire.
Pirating is a massive issue in the music industry; many people pirate music and sell it or give it to friends and families. Piracy is almost the same magnitude of the act that pirates use to perform on the high open seas, stealing that which does not belong to them.
We need a revolution against piracy, it is something that can be stopped it just takes people choosing to do the right thing. It is detrimental that people not pirate mp3s and music downloads, because this kills the income of the artist and all involved in that artist’s life. It is something that can be changed it does not have to continue its downward spiral. It is a problem that can and needs to be rectified, and controlled.
As an up and coming artist I hope to use all these services to the best of my ability. It is my belief that with all the sources provided on the internet it is not only in reach but is also very plausible to break into the music industry.
It is my belief that a young artist can make it on their own with proper and appropriate use of the internet and space around us. Many new artists are able to make it in the music industry from their very homes and do not have to travel thanks to websites like MySpace music and Pandora radio. Pandora radio lets you send in demos and they play the demos on their radio it is and incredible new way to have your name put out in the minds of the public.
There are so many wondrous sources we have use of; these sources can change our world and our view of this world. We are able to build ourselves up from nothing. And many are there to support us, such as colleges and other programs. People are willing for the success of new and upcoming artists. They want to be part of the newly revolutionized worldly music. An industry that crosses time, people, nations and ethnicities, to change the world and become being anything any person has ever imagined.
I hope to be a part of this new and improved wonderful change in this industry. It is my dream to become a leader in this revolutionizing nation.
People will always want to break into this industry, but it takes action, hope, and a lot of faith. As artists we must be willing to take chances and revolutionize ourselves so that we appeal to the public. But, we should not sell ourselves short and change who we necessarily are, just change how we view the world and how we view this majestic industry itself.
- Works Cited –
"Concord Music Group Acquires Celebrated American Roots Label Rounder Records." ProQuest. Library. Web. 18 Apr. 2010.
"Course Examines Music Pirating, Cyberspace Ethics ()." Mississippi State University. Web. 22 Apr. 2010.
Music Business Blog by Jason Feinberg. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.
"MySpace Music: Bands, Music Videos, Concerts, Tour Dates, Musicians, Artists." MySpace. Web. 22 Apr. 2010.
Universal Music Group. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
"Where Did the Musicians Go?" Personal interview. 25 Apr. 2010.
