Music has changed significantly over the past few years and so has the way we listen to it. In today’s market, music sales have hit an all time low. According to Common Dreams, record companies have reported up to a 30 percent decrease in sales over the past three years caused by the unauthorized music sharing websites spanning the internet. Independent music stores are closing at an increasing rate. Artists seem to be torn between pleasing their fans or the music industry.
The problem isn’t the artists, the fans, or even the new technology. The root of the problem comes from the record labels and their controlling power.
Record Companies don’t view music as a vital art form like the fans and artists do. They become so caught up in making more money and expanding their empire that they forget to cater to their clients.
Music prices have increased, but artists aren’t receiving a bigger share of the profits. Record Industries are increasing their prices for their own benefit. According to Steve Albini, a independent record producer, record labels receive upwards to $710,00 while each band member takes in around $4,032 for each album produced. Due to increases in prices, fans have started to look for every outlet they can find for affordable music. Many of them have turned to websites such as Mp3raid.com, MediaFire.com, and 4shared.com to download their music. As a response to this, record companies have started to sue websites that allow peer to peer file sharing.
Many artists however, actually view free music as a valuable self-promotion. At one time artists actually had a real relationship with their labels. Nowadays they are treated like commodities. Free music gives users the ability to download music from bands that they may have never heard before. This is an aspect that record labels lack when dealing with a signed group. It also helps artists get out from under their producers so they can stop funneling their money to their label and be more self dependent.
In the past few years, record companies have stopped branching out and taking chances on unique groups trying to get started. Instead, they stick with their set niche of moneymakers.
This quality is killing the music industry. New bands aren’t getting noticed, so they breakup. Free music gives them the chance to make it just like their larger counterparts. With music websites being cut down by large record industries, indy bands are gaining less support from society. According to Rough Trade Records, at the rate the music industry is going independent bands won’t be around in thirty years.
Music is all about expression and independent bands take the expression to a new level. Record labels force the artists they sign to convert to their way and music styles. With free music, artists are able to show the world their true unedited versions of the songs they write while making their companies just as much money as paid music makes them. In a study done by Google and YouTube, free music can increase a record company’s profits through advertising and promotion. Artists must be treated fairly by the companies that sponsor them. Free music is beneficial to society, artists, and the record industries. If we want music to stick around then we must support it in every aspect.
