Thus this is a sobering dose of the reality that the music industry faces. I applaud Drake for his success, 470K ain't so bad. Yet many might consider this a failure given the high standards that were placed on him. I disagree. Music consumption has been on a steady decline since the early 00's and its just going to get more dismal. Sad to say but first week sales are slowly becoming an extinct thrill. I admit that I had high hopes for Drake but not much can be done about the fact that consumers don't buy music anymore. It has shifted from being a luxury to a commodity and thus people treat it as such.
I'm not even sure why this saddens me... Maybe it is a change that is hard to accept. Music isn't just as important as it once was. To me, as a music aficionado, its like my passion is losing its fire. Sure its still exciting to get something new, but I no longer can share this excitement with as many people as I once did. Usually a front runner and trend setter in being the first to have the hot new music, I'm usually the 2nd or 3rd to know that something has been leaked.
I have exhausted breath telling friends to buy music and support the industry, but it seems like that falls on deaf ears. The industry is slowly losing its exclusivity and its ability to present fresh new ideas. It's not necessarily a bad thing that the artists, who are now in the driver seat control how things come and go, but as we move further and further away from the traditional nature of the industry, I think the newer artists are losing sight on what made music such a big deal. I understand that you as an artist are anxious to share your message with the world, BUT with your lack of patience comes an expectancy to get music immediately and when it can't be acquired, it is taken. Thus the consumer is less enthused by new projects and sort of haphazardly listen but are not truly connecting with the music anymore.
I guess the point of this post is for you artists to exercise a bit more control and have a little more restraint when it comes to your music. Blogs are equally responsible too. It is a beautiful thing to see so many artists getting the chance to get their music heard but with ALL of you dropping new music EVERYDAY, the consumer is now overwhelmed with music and has developed ADD of sorts and cannot give your music an honest listen like they used to. So please, do yourself a favor and fall back just a touch, make us wait a while, it will be beneficial not only for yourself but for the industry as well.
The Thoughful 1 has spoken
most consumption has increased rapidly. Music is in more platforms and more areas than ever before. Video games, TV, cell phones, apps, and social platforms, and streaming services heavily promote and allow consumers to music. The problem is that because music is so freely legally available sometimes purchasing the CD is not necessary. I can stream it on demand, download a single from iTunes, stream it on pandora, youtube it, listen to it on his iphone app, hear it on a video game and etc.
ReplyDeleteThere are more ways than ever to get music today than before. Back in the days you could only purchase music on tapes or listen to it on the radio. Now there are a thousand and one LEGAL ways to hear your favorite song. The market is fragmented. Now as to why people choose these other platforms over traditional CDs is another topic Im up to debate.