The current methods for marketing and distributing music in america have only existed for the last 50 to 60 years. Some important flaws can be found be studying the changes in mainstream music and how the
economy was doing at the time.
Currently there are only 6 record companies (that matter) in america. They each have lots of
subsidiaries. And currently they have a tight grip on what music gets played on
mtv,
radio stations and even regular
tv shows. They do this by pouring money into the hands of the people that control these mediums. Some of this money is handed out through promotions like free concert tickets which get given away to fans. But larger sums of money are handed out to companies that have no real purpose in life than to avoid the legal problems of handing money to radio stations.
Pay for play laws prohibit paying the radio stations directly. Instead record company pays -> middleman pays -> radio station. Additionally these big record companies pay a ton for commercials and general advertising.
Well as the economoy goes up and down so does the amount of money they pour out. When a
recession hits or general economic slowdowns occur the record companies cut their promotion budgets back to somewhat reasonable sizes. This allows much more even competition.
At these times it is very common for smaller bands to have huge success on small labels. This is why during each economic slowdown in the last 20-30 years there has been a major shift in popular music:
c. 1992 -
Nirvana, on the
subpop record label brings us
grunge music.
c. 1981 -
New Wave
c. 1974 -
Punk Music
c. 1963 -
British Invasion
As the economy stays strong new music continues on the same course. Mining the same boring territory and spawning thousands of look-a-like and clone bands. Its only when the economy dips does the direction of music go on to new ground.
- Thanks for the words below from Mother Jonez. I would only like to add that pain and misfortune is always being experienced by musicians. In a world of
drugs, constant
unemployment and
alternative lifestyles musicians live interesting lives. Many interesting musical movements didn't make it into mainstream america because the Major labels have a death grip on music. The
grunge is dead comment - denies the success of bands like
creed and
days of the new. I think that we're still waiting for the
next big thing or a
depression. ;-)