I'm going to try and write an essay on this topic - clearly the Internet is one reason (enabling people to make, release and promote music without expense or effort; thus removing any quality filters and making the sea of mud in which nobody can find the pearls). The Reality Shows are another (instant talent never allowed or encouraged to develop). The decline in programming on radio and TV is also a reason (no truly great and populist shows to expose great music - as we did with No Limits... 6 million viewers but ignored compared to higher profile shows like The Tube and The Word that almost nobody watched but everyone wrote about). The lack of spark and imagination in record labels and publishers (young drones climbing the companies with political skills but no musical taste).

Your thoughts would be appreciated - though the decline of music forums illustrates it too; people think the odd blog or Tweet fills the gap; it doesn't; it highlights the problem.

The most obvious answer is that it is because we can hear almost any record any time for free and dont need to buy it.
it is apparently as easy to steal as buy.
Some say its better to have an audience even if they pay nothing and perhaps it is, but for me, it is wrong if the record is on sale.

I think much of the music in the charts is just "not very good" any more and is released because of a contract with the singer not because it is a damned good song,and it sells regardless,possibly because the public only buy what they are told to. (not confined to music)

We have all become vocal critics thanks to the X factor, and it is considered that you are not a "proper" singer unless you have been seen on it.
When the umpteenth person watching "my" artist perform says "He has got a brilliant voice, you should put him on the X factor" I would quite like to slap them.
Only fame is seen as successful in music.

Lazy writing.
Why does it all have to be to the same formula?
It has become unacceptable to deviate from the songwriting norm.
Johnny Reggae would be considered all "wrong" now.

And talking of Johnny Reggae, what has happened to happy songs? Everything is angst ridden and dreary, yet Ant and Dec are number one so there must be a market for something less depressing?

Rubbish radio stations are a pain in the neck.
If you dont fit into a genre you wont get airplay, and the same records are played over and over again until we are sick of them.

A lot of the current music is very clever but lacks the magical "thing" that grabs your heart and pulls.

It is very easy and cheap to churn out dross.
Some dont even bother with a studio. with the right equipment anyone can make a record.
Production is an art, not the ability to use a machine.

This might be just me, but I couldn't be less interested in the personal lives of musicians.
I dont understand the fashion for them announcing every detail to their "fans" on twitter etc.
I know if fits in with the current idea that everyone can be a pop star if they "want it badly enough" and "believe" (never mind if you have a voice like a warthog)but i find it tiresome.

Looking at the old Top of the pops repeats I am struck by how jolly ugly everyone seems compared to the bland beauty that is required today.
If the same standards as today applied in the seventies we would have only had Lynsey de Paul. Even Bowie would get nowhere today until he had his (very cute) teeth done.
I am bored looking at production line pop stars and I cant tell one from another.

Such a lot of singers have horrible strained and shouty voices and ruin the song with "licks and grace notes"
(I understand this is very popular and it is probably just me screaming at the radio "JUST SING THE BLOODY NOTES!")

Everything sounds like something else.
I know there are only so many notes and it can be accidental but much of the chart stuff is simply chunks of old records cobbled together.
Instead of enjoying music I feel as if I am a contestant on "Name that tune"

I’ve been giving JK’s request for reasons why the Music Industry is dying some thought, and I’m struggling to put my finger on the answers. I suppose that actually I don’t think it is dying, its evolving. It’s made up of many components. Record Companies are no longer the “be all”. Today, it isn’t in control of the whole cycle. It’s role is to A&R, underwrite/pay for the recordings and then marketing those recordings. It is no longer involved in owning huge manufacturing facilities, giant warehouses and distribution centres. The bits it does now can be done by far fewer people than was previously required. Then there is “selling” the music. That’s in decline, but far from dying, it is being replaced with revenue from Sync and streaming services. Thinking back, why did I buy records in my youth? With perhaps one or two exceptions, it was just so I could control when I listened to a particular song. I didn’t have to rely on Tony Blackburn, Dave Cash or DLT etc.to decide what I should listen to. Yes, I did a small amount of collecting. But I reached that stage only after buying records so I could be in control of my listening choices. Today, I can do 99% of that by subscribing to a streaming service. Once technology catches up/becomes cheaper/better, I’ll soon be streaming whilst on the move/in my car. At that point, unless you’re possessive, ownership of music will be irrelevant. (And I see that happening in less than 5 years’ time). Ownership of music - especially physical - will be a niche.

Regarding quality. That goes in phases and always has. There has always been a lot of rubbish released. Just look at some of the acts on the BBC4 repeats of Top Of The Pops - and that’s after they’ve edited the show down from 40 to 30 minutes and removed the worst! Also, a lot of what wasn’t cool at the time, becomes so after time. The same will apply to some of today’s music in years to come.

Time doesn’t allow me to go into such detail as song writing, the live business, but similar issues surround them. Touring only works when you’ve got bands/artists that people want to see. I think we’re ready for some more big names to come through. One Direction is today’s Bay City Rollers or Herman’s Hermits.

The record companies biggest failure was not to spot the arrival of digital. They tried to stop it instead of embrace the opportunities that digital provided. The record industry learnt the hard way, but that is history now, and they are learning how to monetise their recordings.

In conclusion, I DON’T think the music industry is dying. It may be shrinking, but that part of evolving. It has shrunk before and then blossomed. But it is capable of becoming a far bigger and better industry than the one you and I may have enjoyed. I’m afraid we have to let the current managers make their own mistakes - just like we did. And if they mess it up - that will create opportunities for brighter people to take over. As long as people want music, there will be somebody to write it, record it, market it, deliver it - and occasionally screw it up!

Revenue from sync/streaming does not replace income from sales - it is a far lower amount. Well done for knowing fuck all.

Aren't we going off on a tangent here: surely, money isn't the only yardstick of value is it? Think of all those great classical composers, hardly any of whom made a great living for love of their art; wasn't Mozart buried in a pauper's grave in Salzberg? There certainly wasn't any music industry to speak of in those days, but that didn't stop musical beauty and genius from flourishing.

Some very good points - and some not so good.

Yes; let's not regard money as in any way important... because, apart from anything else, great music tends to make great money. But also, essentially, you cut your cloth to suit your budget. The days of corporate involvement are different now; anyone involved in music for financial motives (nothing wrong with that) must realise it's all changed. You can still make fortunes; it's where from and how, and the morality has increased.

Treat creative artistes well; be honest and honourable. It should always have been so (was for me; still is).

But how do you find them? How do you teach them and let them develop? How to you break them and make millions aware of their talent?

As executives have got less talented and inspired, that's become more and more difficult.
My friend and protege Tommy (Hexachordal) was over for dinner last night. Alex comes over soon. Charlie and Bryarly and Carrie and Ruen Brothers and others seek advice regularly. I try to help as a mentor; but times have changed and my advice becomes less and less apt in the new world.

Without getting too deep - I think another problem is, regardless of what kind of pop music you like, it is culture that is under attack. "Pop music" - of most genres, be it reality pap, r'n'b, "indie" - has lost the culture and craft - everything is written by committee, created to a strict formula and performed by chimps.
In days of yore you had prog rock musicians writing clever tunes presented as froth by Bucks Fizz & the like, "pop stars" who played instruments and wrote songs, and an aspiration to CULTURE.
It's culture that is dead in the water, it has been pushed out of bound - and this is the problem.
In the 60s, 70s & 80s most musicians, pop stars, songwriters etc had an eclectic background. They had heard classical, jazz, blues etc. Todays over-genreised and instant society means most under-25s have had no exposure to 'other music' - and have no interest in it either.

Does anyone who mixes with under 25s think these people will be listening to Beethoven as they get older? Or that they are conditioned to only want to hear what they have already heard?

A good point Chris and one reason why I'm making music movies now (the other reason being, obviously, traditional music and media won't touch me anyway so I've been forced to find my own road).

The other day a friend brought over his Italian girlfriend for dinner and to watch the new film. Though she's lived here for 15 years now, she was born and lived the first 20 years of her life in Italy - as a result, had never heard any of my old hits.

She obviously, honestly adored them ("What a great new song" for The Sun Has Got His Hat On). She loved the movie "most of all because of the music". How else could she have heard it?

Seeing Ant and Dec at the top of the charts, I wonder what would happen if suddenly a TV show played half a dozen of Gary Glitter's biggest hits? I reckon several million people would rush out and buy them.

Jonathan King's Crystall Balls wrote:
Revenue from sync/streaming does not replace income from sales - it is a far lower amount. Well done for knowing fuck all.

I'm not sure why I'm responding to someone who couldn't put a constructive comment together if he/she tried, but I never said sync/streaming revenue is replacing sales, but it's going to do so in years to come. I assume you're one of the luddites who has been spending their time trying to prevent progress instead of working with change? Rudeness isn't a very attractive trait by the way.

In one sentence, I've spoken more sense than you. It will never replace sales. I'm not a luddite, but I engage with the real world. Maybe try it some day?

Let's not get rude. Of course we'll probably not see income from streaming and sync equal sales income from the past but it's perfectly possible they will increase and become hefty sums in due course, especially when added to other income sources.

This is a red herring. It's not where the monies come from or how much they are worth and will be worth: it's intelligently working out how to discover and nurture talent, when and how to release it, promote it, expose it and when and how to maximise profits from it.

The world will change - just because we've moved into a different era rather sooner than our ancestors had to move from sheet music and wax cylinders doesn't mean the industry is dead - just changing.

But the problem appears to me to be that those in the industry are so useless (and frightened) that they are actively resisting the changes.

The LUDDITES are the BPI bosses who simply won't improve The Brits every year: who won't replace Top of the Pops with a new, different, better hit TV series: the radio people who cannot improve their programming to get both quality and popularity on the airwaves: the publishers who won't encourage experimentation and imagination: the online kings who won't invent fresh sites (as You Tube and, indeed, My Space were in the early days - I don't mention Twitter or Facebook as they tend not to be music connected).

And observers (like some above) who can only see small specifics and get angry or rude instead of being constructive and positive.

There are many positives in the music industry at the moment.
I think the best thing about it now is that recording is affordable, so someone can create a record without outside interference exactly as they want it to be, if that is what is important to them.
If someone doesn't like the "manufactured" type of music there are plenty of other choices from unsigned artists.
The festivals and large concerts seem to be doing better than ever before,and music has never been cheaper so for the ordinary person who buys music and goes to concerts it is probably a good time.

Ah Honey but the other side of the ease and affordability for making music is that people don't look for outside help and constructive criticism. Music often needs honing, improving, defining, diluting... frequently creative artistes are their own self indulgent worst enemy.

JK2006 wrote:
Ah Honey but the other side of the ease and affordability for making music is that people don't look for outside help and constructive criticism. Music often needs honing, improving, defining, diluting... frequently creative artistes are their own self indulgent worst enemy.


I agree entirely. In my opinion even the most experienced artist will do better with outside opinions and advice, and they should jump at the chance if it is offered, but if they claim they want it to be a "true expression of themselves" we cannot argue with that. (and probably wont buy it)

JK2006 wrote:
[quote]Let's not get rude. Of course we'll probably not see income from streaming and sync equal sales income from the past but it's perfectly possible they will increase and become hefty sums in due course, especially when added to other income sources. quote]

With no intention to be rude, I have a different opinion, which, if readers would like to read about it - read on. Those that don’t, please skip this post.

I genuinely believe that ownership of music, physical or digital, will be a niche activity in the years to come. The tipping point may be between five or ten years away, but it will come. A lot will depend on the release of new technologies, but once portable devices - especially cars - have the easy and good ability to access a comprehensive range of music without having to buy it, then ownership will become irrelevant. At that point, record companies (and other interested parties) will have to rely on streaming and sync income to survive. Sales income will NOT be the significant income stream.

Could I be wrong? Of course I could be. But unlike the last generation of Record Company bosses who buried their heads in the sand, my belief is that ownership of music only ever existed in order that the consumer could control what they listened to and when they listened to it. That is increasingly becoming irrelevant. Ownership will be for the serious fan only.

Apologies for delaying this post. I decided not to post it until I returned to the office! (So I could spell check it).

JK2006 wrote:
The LUDDITES are the BPI bosses ...

I saw Wadsworth the other day and thought I'd run into "I could live on £53 a week" Duncan Smith.

On £53 a week, you'd have to download for free

Thank you for starting my week with a laugh NCS. Spot on; they are very similar.

You are right, Dixie: The music industry isn't dying, it is evolving.

Like the music publishing industry in the mid 1950s (in the US, a little bit later in the UK) the record industry will lose its powerful role in the marketing of music.

Vinyl, CDs and even downloads are "dying" formats, just like sheet music "died".

The cost for the use of sound recordings (the value of the rights hold by the labels) will significantly decrease in the next 10, 15 years. So - even with successfull streaming services by Apple, Google and one or two other big companies - the market won't grow for a long time.

A bit of evidence that my thoughts on streaming becoming more significant may be contained in this story:
news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57578062-37/f...weeter-than-pandora/

Very interesting Dixie; we really are entering a new world for music, aren't we?