Everything popular is wrong: Making it in electronic music

[hasezwei]

NSFWP, needs summary for working people

it can be summed up with

[futures_untold]

Synopsis = Teh music industry is sh*t, forget makin munay k?

[alphacat]

I think the author of the piece describes the situation pretty accurately (albeit from his particular POV as both artist & label owner)... but I also feel that as big and historically comprehensive as the article is - for a relatively short piece anyway - that there's an even bigger context that's missing.

So many people get hung up on the end-result ethics of what technology has brought about (things like piracy, intellectual property, business models, all that) that they fail to recognize what's the cart and what's the horse.

The point [imo] is that this whole point we're at now was pretty much inevitable given how technology advanced in the last few decades, and all of our moral indignation and emotional appeals for people to do the right thing don't mean a goddamn thing in the end. We can't legislate computers and ISP's out of existence - and that would be the only way anybody could definitively put a halt to all of the "bad" stuff - much as we can't pass laws that make guns disappear from physical existence. Any attempt to impose old norms based solely on ethical considerations in this argument is not only futile, it's delusional... So instead you take a look around, assess the new landscape, and adapt as best possible.

I think the author's end point about the way to do that being to stand out in terms of quality & creativity & boundary-pushing is absolutely right.

[tavravlavish]

^^^

[walker101]

i agree with a lot of this, i still think that if your tracks are good enough you will get noticed though. theres just a lot of shite out there

[djbmc]

it's a shame but free music is cultural now, ppl won't even pay 20p for a tune, and why should they when everything is free elsewhere?

[futures_untold]

it's a shame but free music is cultural now, ppl won't even pay 20p for a tune, and why should they when everything is free elsewhere?

Because they value artistic endeavour and recognise the very real living expenses that 99.9% of artists must meet?

[nowaysj]

We can't legislate computers and ISP's out of existence - and that would be the only way anybody could definitively put a halt to all of the "bad" stuff

I don't know about this, brubs, it sure seems like that at the moment, doesn't it, but there is little to suggest that the internet will remain open. There are many forces at work that may close the internet entirely. One of the major forces being that as the content producers consolidate their ownership of the physical networks, it is likely they will only allow their own or other validated content to move over their networks. This could be stopped by legislation, but can anyone kid themselves that the people have the ability to express their norms and values through government?

Seems like some of us have been around long enough to have lived before and through the age of piracy, but I wouldn't be so sure that this age will last for ever.

==

If you really read that article, and thanks for posting it btw, it is entirely positive. Boiled down for the dayjobbers - imitating other sounds no long works, what you do doesn't really matter anyway, no one cares. So you are completely free to do whatever you want when making music.

The greater your freedom and individuality, the greater your chance of actually being noticed.

If that isn't positive, I don't know what is.



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[symmetricalsounds]

it sure seems like that at the moment, doesn't it, but there is little to suggest that the internet will remain open. There are many forces at work that may close the internet entirely. One of the major forces being that as the content producers consolidate their ownership of the physical networks,

as people over on GS like to quote constantly

"the wild west wasn't wild forever what makes you think the internet will be"

the problem with this is that their view seems to want to turn the net into just another medium for pushing things that can be bought and sold. the internet is one of the greatest things we've ever created and it wouldn't be at all surprising if we turned it into another piece of shit.

[jobbanaught]

This is why i still love this board, between the daily piles of bs theres still an intersting and valuable discussion to be found

i really like what the guy in the article had to say and i think its perfectly true. the market is oversaturated with producers and djs at this point of time. even if you have talent its hard to stand out. so why not simply go your own way, try standing out by being yourself instead of being the best imitation of XY?


and on the internet tangent i very much agree with this

but there is little to suggest that the internet will remain open. There are many forces at work that may close the internet entirely. One of the major forces being that as the content producers consolidate their ownership of the physical networks, it is likely they will only allow their own or other validated content to move over their networks.

and this

the problem is that their view seems to want to turn the net into just another medium for pushing things that can be bought and sold. the internet is one of the greatest things we've ever created and it wouldn't be at all surprising if we turned it into another piece of shit.

sad but true, give it another 20 years and most stuff on the net will be proprietary

[symmetricalsounds]

sad but true, give it another 20 years and most stuff on the net will be proprietary

yeah and when that happens i'll be happy to take the leap back and use some dialup to get onto some geeky dudes BBS

[Ongelegen]

Interesting read, i'm not concerned at all, although i agree with most of the stuff in there. At the end of the day we all just make music for ourselfs, well atleast thats what I hope people do. And ofcourse it's very nice to have people listening and enjoying your work and maybe even if you make a living out of it. But that's just a bonus the way I see it. As long as you can enjoy making music there is nothing to be worried about.

[nowaysj]

the problem with this is that their view seems to want to turn the net into just another medium for pushing things that can be bought and sold. the internet is one of the greatest things we've ever created and it wouldn't be at all surprising if we turned it into another piece of shit.

Yeah, no normative implication to what I was saying. Just pointing out that it probably won't be like this for too long.

[-[2]DAY_-]

sad but true, give it another 20 years and most stuff on the net will be proprietary

yeah and when that happens i'll be happy to take the leap back and use some dialup to get onto some geeky dudes BBS

love it

[nowaysj]

cept there will be no phone service then...

[symmetricalsounds]

cept there will be no phone service then...

no but theoretically you could create a wireless network and if you had enough people in close proximity to each other you could create a network that chained through and have a BBS-style service running on that. by that time there's surely gotta be a way to boost the wireless signal that the initial computer gave out thus making it easier to create the chain.

[jobbanaught]

sad but true, give it another 20 years and most stuff on the net will be proprietary

yeah and when that happens i'll be happy to take the leap back and use some dialup to get onto some geeky dudes BBS

those were the days, i thought theyd never come back

[Radiant]

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Oh damn, here comes the google wave! Thanks for the thread by the way, always nice to see different perspectives.

[zionlion18]

[quote="jobbanaught"]This is why i still love this board, between the daily piles of bs theres still an intersting and valuable discussion to be found

i really like what the guy in the article had to say and i think its perfectly true. the market is oversaturated with producers and djs at this point of time. even if you have talent its hard to stand out. so why not simply go your own way, try standing out by being yourself instead of being the best imitation of XY?


So true. The problems with forums these days you cant really filter out the bs. but these articles always restore my faith. Some great opinions expressed. I agree with most opinions that have been said. and its just good to know a few people are on the same wavelength as me and can put forward some valuable insight. I'm so appreciative. Thank you

[tintala]

Definately anti motivating, a good read, but sorta depressing, I see no good influence or a motivating factor in the article, in fact i fee a bit swayed from wanting to be a producer in the first place. lol.