A Good or Bad time for Music?

In many ways it's never been a better time to be an artist as the 'democratisation' of the 'industry' means anyone - and I do mean literally anyone - can make a record andput it out for sale. The ready availability of computer sampling software and the like even means there is no longer any need to be a skilled musician in the traditional sense. Moreover low cost digital distribution outlets such as itunes etc. provide a non-discerning open outlet for music to be put on sale. Literally anyone can now be 'in the music business'; no longer are there the old barriers relating to production and physical manufacturing costs associated with the old 'vinyl' industry where, unless you were signed by a record label, it was as good as impossible to make a record, let alone market it. 

So, that's the upside, but with this opening of the floodgates has come - unsurprisingly, of course - a deluge; a deluge of self made, self produced and self marketed music. So much so that it's almost impossible to sort the wheat from the chaff and, worse still, because all music is now so readily available, it is no longer a scarce commodity and, by dint of the laws of economics, has largely become financially valueless. 

Music is now, by and large, simply given away. Spotify, soundcloud, myspace, youtube, facebook and/or by the many dozens of other 'social network' and download distribution channels - let alone the thorny matter of illegal downloading - make everything so freely available to the extent that why would anyone actually go to the bother of buying it? And of course people aren't buying it and so revenue streams for artists, both real and potential, are drying up at an alarming rate. Music itself will survive -  people will always make music and people will remain compelled to self express as long as there is a sun  in the sky - but, for now at least, the ability to make music for money seems severely curtailed. It's a

bit of a win win for the consumer - we can have whatever music we want, pretty much however we want it, for zero cost - but a far less rosy outlook, I would suggest, for those seeking some financial reward from the creative process.

Agree or disagree, we'd love to hear your views.