The music business has changed dramatically since my youth when my collection consisted of circular vinyl disks with a groove on either side. Although I did have some of those shellac disks as well. First came the cries that the reel to reel tape would kill the music industry. The the claim that cassette tapes would spell its death knell, which prompted a surcharge on cassette tapes. That worked - not! The of course came the writable CD followed by Kaza and now bit torrent and news groups.
After this plethora of claims that the music industry is dying what is the current state of the industry? Well, simply look at the income of the top artists and you tell me. However....do you want to know what is really killing the industry?
My contention is not that the sharing technologies are killing the industry but that technologies are giving the industry new life. Sure there are issues but not with file sharing but with other aspects of the industry. The pop industry has never been in a worse state. Singers no longer have to sing. With the real time processing available singer don't really have to sing, al they need to do is point their mouth towards the mike, utter some non-descript warble and out some some nicely processed silky smooth sound. Singers no longer have to sing.
On the other hand real music, from real musicians is prospering. With the ability to self publish independent artists are prospering. You tube, Spotify, Apple music are making it easier than ever to good artists to be heard. Even good mainstream musicians who still perform such as Elton John, Dianna Krall for instance are doing as well as ever. Not to mention younger artists such as Megan Washington and Ingrid Michaelson who are prospering on a wave of well earned popularity.
Whilst people are bemoaning the death of music due to technology I see nothing but blue skies ahead for talented musicians who are using technology as an enabler.
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