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The Resurrection of Trust in Music
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It's Sunday again when I'm given to speculation about things on the upside rather than downside. Over the past months [and years] while looking at the business side of the music industry, I see an entire ecosystem that has lost its compass, morally and economically. This lack of direction is creating both hardship and opportunity.
At thecapitalclinic, I found that, by looking at the negative side of things, you can find the positive side hidden underneath and in contradistinction. What I see all around me in the music industry in transformation is a lack of trust among all of the constiutent parts of the system, the Artists, Fans, and the necessary Intermediaries/Facilitators. I, thus, ask myself: Can Trust be resurrected in the moral and economic wasteland where we now find ourselves?
I was struck by John Tooker's blog and T-Cub's observation today [correct and candid though they were - as usual] that there is a downside to the Artists calling and "It Don't Come Easy". What these experienced folks were saying is that lack of trust kills the creative music process completely; that Artists don't ask for much, they only want trust [but it don't come easy]. The example JT shared with us is compelling in its negativity.
On a similiar note, but perhaps not so dramatically, Paul Resnikoff at digital music news blogged today about (i) a corporate montrosity stumbling badly in the digital era; (ii) a vast majority of consumers are grabbing their enjoyment for free; (iii) something insidious is plaguing iTunes rivals - lack of trust (iv) consumers getting burned, and so on.
Hey, Guys, it's Sunday! Kidding aside, and I know that you folks are at core, optimistists who "get it" and are striking your own directions in the new digital landscape faster than most who "wait and watch."
The optimistic note I would like to end on this Sunday is that these compelling stories do have an upside that in fact decries the negative specifics presented. That is, what these stories tell us is that when everything hits bottom and the reason is obvious what is needed: Trust will be resurrected.
At thecapitalclinic, I found that, by looking at the negative side of things, you can find the positive side hidden underneath and in contradistinction. What I see all around me in the music industry in transformation is a lack of trust among all of the constiutent parts of the system, the Artists, Fans, and the necessary Intermediaries/Facilitators. I, thus, ask myself: Can Trust be resurrected in the moral and economic wasteland where we now find ourselves?
I was struck by John Tooker's blog and T-Cub's observation today [correct and candid though they were - as usual] that there is a downside to the Artists calling and "It Don't Come Easy". What these experienced folks were saying is that lack of trust kills the creative music process completely; that Artists don't ask for much, they only want trust [but it don't come easy]. The example JT shared with us is compelling in its negativity.
On a similiar note, but perhaps not so dramatically, Paul Resnikoff at digital music news blogged today about (i) a corporate montrosity stumbling badly in the digital era; (ii) a vast majority of consumers are grabbing their enjoyment for free; (iii) something insidious is plaguing iTunes rivals - lack of trust (iv) consumers getting burned, and so on.
Hey, Guys, it's Sunday! Kidding aside, and I know that you folks are at core, optimistists who "get it" and are striking your own directions in the new digital landscape faster than most who "wait and watch."
The optimistic note I would like to end on this Sunday is that these compelling stories do have an upside that in fact decries the negative specifics presented. That is, what these stories tell us is that when everything hits bottom and the reason is obvious what is needed: Trust will be resurrected.
Comments
In the music industry, trust is such a hit and miss phenomenon that there are people who have a great deal of experience whithin the industry who warn others to simply stay out of it. Those who offer these warnings are mostly attempting to protect the novice or newcomer from hurt, loss of capital, or some other deep disappointment.
For those that forge ahead in the music industry regardless of the warnings, the negative experiences are hopefully outweighed by the positive ones, or at least settle onto an even keel. Let's face it, it's hard to find and earn trust in an industry such as music. It, just like life itself, does not come with a book of instructions to fall back on for guidance. So, if one finds some trustworthy persons to work with within the music industry, then they are the ones to keep close to the vest while attempting to advance a career in music.
In the music industry of today's digital world, there is many a lesson to learn about the trust between the artists and the labels they may belong to, the trust between the labels and the consumers, and the various combinations of music industry trust thereof. There may come a time where there is the feeling of a solid platform to work with on many levels. Those would be quite the days of reckoning indeed. I can only hope that I live to see such an era.
There are countless stories of artists placing too much trust in labels and managers who have abused their power. Many artists have in fact left the industry in disgust. However, I'm seeing that in this new era, many artists are realizing that they are better off pursuing their careers on their own. The mindset has evolved from that of the victim to that of the empowered individual who realizes that there is no one to blame but themselves if they are not successful. Sure, perhaps this is an ideal situation, but I've personally come across numerous self-managed, self-produced, self-released and distributed, self-marketed, and self-sustaining artists that represent the true spirit of what I believe will save this industry...
So, yes it is Sunday, and trust thyself... carpe diem