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Steve Albini on the surprisingly sturdy state of the music industry
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IanB
IanB
6761 posts

Edited Nov 22, 2014, 11:53
Re: Steve Albini on the surprisingly sturdy state of the music industry
Nov 22, 2014, 11:33
I hear you. Bad factual error on my part.

I just get infuriated when old geezers look at the old record business and go "it's burning, it's burning" with a Hammer Horror cackle yet no recognition of the places where it had a real value or suggestions as to how its financier role might be replaced. Not all records worth making can be made in a home studio or without some additional facilities and personnel that need paying for. Artists need sounding boards and guidance. Even the great ones. So even if an artist works with one of the "name" producers who will rent them their room and include their own time and expertise for say £250 a day that mounts up quickly unless you are looking to make "Where Were You?" or something.

I am not asking for the old record business to come back or for fortunes to flood the coffers of the copyright rentier class but no one really seems to be agitating for some of the money and facilities we have lost to be replaced from somewhere - Spotify, ISPs, telecoms, PayPal, Apple, Amazon and who the fuck else could be filling some of the funding.

The strength of the music business from a creative point of view was that the working class and lower middle class musician faced the same barriers to entry as anyone with a stronger safety net. Giving up a regular working or studential life to make music was possible. That's gone and with it has gone a source of cultural criticism with a huge public platform.

It's maybe a naive view on my part but the companies who are making their fortunes out of the loss of the old industry power base would actual benefit if music regained some of its social relevance.
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