The future of Music? (big question)

Dr_Rez · 01-12-2011, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dotoar

You mean it was easier to acquire new music before the internet era, if you didn't know what you wanted?

Well for one there was actually music on television. Good music too.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 01-12-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dotoar

You mean it was easier to acquire new music before the internet era, if you didn't know what you wanted?

Yes because there were independent labels & magazines promoting things and getting things heard about. And if you go back to my original post I think those things are the first casualties in all this because there's little money in it and because the majors now have such a stranglehold on what gets played.

And just supposing that what you say does work, where are all these great unsigned bands here? I don't see any threads about them. I don't see any people saying 'hey I checked out this great band who's stuff is online here, check it out'. In fact I've only ever seen it happen a handful of times in all the time I've been on this forum and even then the response tends to be minimal.

In theory it might work, in practice it doesn't.

Dr_Rez · 01-12-2011, 03:01 PM

Off topic but Urban Time Traveling Blues im impressed! Great Album!

Urban Hat€monger ? · 01-12-2011, 03:03 PM

I was impressed

Dotoar · 01-12-2011, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RezZ

Well for one there was actually music on television. Good music too.

I can't say that I recall it being that much good music broadcasted on TV back then. And even if there was, we're still talking the mainstream selection. The internet has singlehandedly opened up a whole new channel broader than any previous broadcasting counterpart. It's not so much about comparing what we had then and what we have now, it's more about what we didn't have then which we have now.

Dr_Rez · 01-12-2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dotoar

I can't say that I recall it being that much good music broadcasted on TV back then. And even if there was, we're still talking the mainstream selection. The internet has singlehandedly opened up a whole new channel broader than any previous broadcasting counterpart. It's not so much about comparing what we had then and what we have now, it's more about what we didn't have then which we have now.

Im not disagreeing with you at all, I was simply just pointing out one instance were music was easier to find a while back before the internet.

Dotoar · 01-12-2011, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

Yes because there were independent labels & magazines promoting things and getting things heard about. And if you go back to my original post I think those things are the first casualties in all this because there's little money in it and because the majors now have such a stranglehold on what gets played.

Those independent labels & magazines were surely pretty local phenomena. I was all but cut off the 'underground' musical world as a young rascal before the internet started to take off.

And as for the money issue: The accessibility of the net today has more or less eliminated the money factor alltogether when it comes to spreading your own music, or other's music that you've stumbled upon and wish to gain attention for. And once again, the fact that the mainstream channels - like always - have been more or less exclusively occupied by the major companies doesn't take away the vast independent scene that is alive and well and living not least online.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

And just supposing that what you say does work, where are all these great unsigned bands here? I don't see any threads about them. I don't see any people saying 'hey I checked out this great band who's stuff is online here, check it out'. In fact I've only ever seen it happen a handful of times in all the time I've been on this forum and even then the response tends to be minimal.

In theory it might work, in practice it doesn't.

I can't speak for everyone else but if I was to sit down and actually count the bands/artists that I discovered thanks to my online activities, it would exceed the amount of "offline discoveries" tenfoldly, if not more. Think about all the recommendations that actually are posted only on this forum.

Dotoar · 01-12-2011, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RezZ

Im not disagreeing with you at all, I was simply just pointing out one instance were music was easier to find a while back before the internet.

The mainstream music that was broadcasted back then was probably containing more quality stuff than it does today. (Although I wouldn't know since I haven't been in touch with mainstream channels for ten years or so). So I'll give you that.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 01-12-2011, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dotoar

Those independent labels & magazines were surely pretty local phenomena. I was all but cut off the 'underground' musical world as a young rascal before the internet started to take off.

But they weren't local though, that's the point.
They were highly organised with a proper distribution centre (Rough Trade) where anybody from a independent label could come along and get their bands distributed nationally and because of the success of this distribution lots of this stuff got mainstream airplay & media coverage.

Quote:

And as for the money issue: The accessibility of the net today has more or less eliminated the money factor altogether when it comes to spreading your own music, or other's music that you've stumbled upon and wish to gain attention for. And once again, the fact that the mainstream channels - like always - have been more or less exclusively occupied by the major companies doesn't take away the vast independent scene that is alive and well and living not least online.

There might be an independent scene but it's much more fractured, disorganised & small time, with everybody trying to get stuff heard good or bad. You can only do so much on the internet with no money. You can't promote or tour and that's what you really need to do to get a proper fanbase. Not just have someone download your album, listen to it once or twice and then forget about it because they have another 100 albums to listen to.
Like I said before, it makes everything more disposable & rarely gives people time to develop or build.

Quote:

I can't speak for everyone else but if I was to sit down and actually count the bands/artists that I discovered thanks to my online activities, it would exceed the amount of "offline discoveries" tenfoldly, if not more. Think about all the recommendations that actually are posted only on this forum.

Yes but are they unsigned bands or bands who are signed & have records out?
If the latter is the case the only way it's easier is that you don't have to pay for it if you don't want to. You could probably find most of your online discoveries in a large record store just as easily.

Anteater · 01-12-2011, 03:57 PM

What might bode well for future music are those eclectic directors who actually give a damn about their soundtracks - interesting, possibly even very experimental bands who might not get a leg up commercially can get a song or two on some surprise hit/cult film and their fanbase triples.

I guess as long as people give a damn about movies, interesting music will always get a chance to shine.

01-12-2011, 03:01 PM	#83 (permalink)
Dr_Rez Registered Jimmy Rustler Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: USA Posts: 5,361	Off topic but Urban Time Traveling Blues im impressed! Great Album! __________________ Best chance of losing virginity is in prison crew Always Checks Credentials Crew nba > nfl crew Shave one of my legs to pretend its a girl in my bed crew

01-12-2011, 03:03 PM	#84 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	I was impressed __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.