Stuff I didn’t know:
- This may seem obvious, but I didn’t realize how bad the music industry is for artists. Check out the stats below. Has anyone ever said to you “Forget music and get a REAL job!” Well if you look at the stats, you can see why they say that. Artists are not making money in the music business. Especially independent artists. Times are hard and it’s not about the recession or the government shutdown. It’s because of the new business models and digital methods of distribution. It’s not that there’s no money in music because there is. Look at Apple. “Apple generated $4.3 billion in revenues from iTunes music downloads last year,” Spotify made about $500 million last year and Pandora brought in over $500 million in subscriptions and advertising.
- I thought artists made most of their money on the road by touring, but the fact is that most artists lose money on the road.
Ideas to solve the problems:
- Music creators need a collective voice. Artists should join advocacy organizations made up of artists and content creators and let their voices be heard.
- Get educated about the music industry by subscribing to blogs like this, going to conferences and seeking out industry professionals who are willing to help you. There is a lot of free information out there. Get it and put it into practice.
- Do business with companies that have integrity and believe in fair use. What’s fair use? Simply — if the company prevents the artist from making a living, they don’t believe in fair use.
- Get involved with organizations that lobby congress to update copyright laws.
- Check out the list of resources below and get involved!
Some statistics:
- 99% of artists are not making a living with their music
- There are 41% fewer paid musicians today than in 1999. – U.S. Department of Labor
- Spotify per stream rate: 0.000035 In order to earn $100, your songs will have to be streamed 2,857,142 times! Better get busy!
Resources:
- www.unsoundthemovie.com – Documentary that helps fans discover the issues plaguing their favorite artists.
- www.copyrightalliance.org – Organization that brings artists together to discuss and educate about copyright issues.
- www.contentcreatorscoalition.org – New group being formed to allow artists to collectively make their voices heard and effect change in the music industry.
- Leanpub.com/360deal – A collection of advice for new artists
- www.musiccreatorsalliance.com – Artists group who is putting in place the “Fair Trade Music Principles”.
- www.centerforcopyrightintegrity.com – Educating legislators about copyright one hearing at a time
As you can see, there are some serious challenges for artists in the music industry. But people are talking and ideas are flowing. There is hope! Now that you know, it’s time to get plugged in and make sure you’re in the loop when solutions are proposed. ECHE is pledging to be a responsible service that will help artists get access to the resources they need.
God bless all of you who are creating great music and lifting up Christ!