Touring is becoming increasingly expensive and it’s affecting the whole music industry, writes Mick McStarkey, as he outlines ways to help musicians.
I think it’s safe to say that being a musician is no longer what it was. With the proliferation of the internet at the turn of the millennium, things started to change markedly and rapidly for the music industry. Physical copies of music such as CDs and vinyl became all but obsolete as streaming and online piracy took over, meaning that artists and labels were now dealing with a completely different landscape. For the first time in history, the ball was booted out of the musician’s court, and it landed with a thud in the consumer’s.
This shift to the internet led many to believe that the last bastion of commercial viability for the artist was the live circuit. It was on the road across our towns and cities that the money lost to streaming would be recouped, and for some, this was just fine; if you’re not in it to perform live, then what are you really in it for?
I think it’s safe to say that being a musician is no longer what it was. With the proliferation of the internet at the turn of the millennium, things started to change markedly and rapidly for the music industry. Physical copies of music such as CDs and vinyl became all but obsolete as streaming and online piracy took over, meaning that artists and labels were now dealing with a completely different landscape. For the first time in history, the ball was booted out of the musician’s court, and it landed with a thud in the consumer’s.
This shift to the internet led many to believe that the last bastion of commercial viability for the artist was the live circuit. It was on the road across our towns and cities that the money lost to streaming would be recouped, and for some, this was just fine; if you’re not in it to perform live, then what are you really in it for?
However, this was not the case...Keep reading on Far Out Magazine.