Great Article on the Music Industry

[Neal Pomea]

One other aspect of the impact of technology and music is permanency, and the effect of the lack of permanency in future music “products”.

Well, scarcity, inaccessibility, and oblivion are bound to become more portable and convenient too! That's how everything tends!

No, if we can preserve music stamped on shellack, we'll come up with ways to preserve bits. I hope.

[RDK]

One other aspect of the impact of technology and music is permanency, and the effect of the lack of permanency in future music “products”.

In the future, if most music is pretty much only available in some electronic (downloadable) form – then what will happen to that music (and access to that music) say 10, 20, 30, 50 years in the future? And far future access by future generations – and even access by the people who were interested in said music in the first place??

Many of us here have items in our music collections – physical objects – that are decades old, even half a century or more in age. What will become of “music” in an age where there are NO physical objects to posses?? When one is limited to only that which can be downloaded, stored, and successfully converted or ported to each new technological “doodad” that comes down the pike every 10 or 20 years.

And what of the need for reliable storage media, which doesn’t (but inevitably will) become technologically outdated (or worse yet, corrupt) over time?? Will the successful maintenance and upkeep of a good-sized music collection require an ever increasingly complex backup methodology? Or what if that isn’t even possible, with the potential further introduction of copy-protection schemes embedded in the product itself??

What will happen to music that can’t be ported, converted, backed-up, or kept from deteriorating??

Is it just me, or is the musical history of our future seriously at risk???

No answers – just questions.

Agree complete, but in a way music should be the least of our concerns in regards the impermanency of information in the digital age. Heck, at least music is a living thing: artists perform every day and can make more of it. A bigger concern is the loss of history, knowledge, record keeping, etc.

[sal]

With the continuous increasing glut of music on the market (99.9% of it crap), discussion forums like this one, that cater to a specific niche, will become ever more important. It is the only way to wade through the sludge with a chance at success, imo.

Agree with this statement completely, which is why I'm always very interested to read and participate in the discussion of non-jazz musical forms as well as jazz on this board.

[Jim Alfredson]

hope its ok to do this - just read the article - and this is some of what I posted in another thread:

"well, so much of our confusion stems from the fact that there is too much "product" or, maybe, a different philosophy of creation. I see a CD as a real project, like a novel, or a theatrical production, or a piece of performance art - in the current scene it's a business card, and I don't mean just for rappers but for many excellent new jazz/improvising musicians who don't know or care about their limits as composers. So it is one thing to have the visceral experience of seeing the music in person - another to have to wade through the 10,000 new CDs issued every month. This is, to a great degree, the reason for that recent article about the new disposable music industry of downloads and MP3s - we all want to blame bad pop music, but read the review pages of Cadence and Signal to Noise - there's just too much stuff coming out, and it all lends itself to a pick-and-choose and download stlye of listening -"

Agreed. Again, it makes communities like this one all the more valuable because this is the only way to wade through the junk. There is a ton of music out there and only a fraction is worth listening to. Of course, that fraction still represents a large number of CDs (100's, perhaps 1000's per year if you don't limit it to just "jazz") so how do you find out what you might like? Internet radio, internet forums like these, blogs, etc.

The big magazines only cover the big guys. The small magazines that cater to niche markets like jazz and blues and folk tend to be corrupt ("Buy an ad, get a good review!") or don't make any attempt to differentiate between the good and bad, so you can't rely on them. In some ways, it is the ultimate democratization of purchasing... you have to be a well-informed, well-read consumer and you will be well-rewarded with satisfying music.

In other words, just listen to Sangry.

[JSngry]

In other words, just listen to Sangry.

That Zawinul side must've come in...

[porcy62]

I agree with most of the article, and with your replies, my two cents are based on my personal experience.

My questions are:

1)Have you got any teenagers sons?

2)Wich will be the targets of the music industry of the future?

Not easy to answear, but consider this:

The big boom of music industry came from pop/rock music, in mid-late sixties, when they discovered that a teenager wished to spend his week's money for a Beatles' record, (and when a hi-fi gear was the latest object of desire, after a fridge, a radio and a tv).

Now teenagers are not a serious target, talking about music medium.

My 17 YO son didn't buy a single cd in the last three years, he is well informed about music, but he is not a consumer, downloading, burning cds, he spend money only for attending concerts, that is more a form of socialization then a 'pure' musical experience. And he change his taste as quickly I change my pants: first was Heavy Metal, then Ska, now Reggae (I started to smell something familiar when his friends are around home ) Music is more a background for other things. He didn't identify his teenager's rebellion with music, maybe because his mother and I never shouted: 'What's this awwful sound that comes out of your room?'

We have multitasking boys: they are listening music through iTunes, downloading tons of music that they will listen to a couple of times, chatting with friends and googling for the school's research ( ) at the same time.

In order to gain money from teenagers the industry have to buy 'icon', 'model' to sell, there is no difference between Paris Hilton or Britney Spears, the medium doesn't matter, with an icon they can make money from fashion, tv show, commercials, gadgets.

Obviously there always will exist a small market for 'middle aged' music fan, opera, jazz, classical, ecc, and a niche for high quality listening: vinyl, SACD, Hi-rez downloading, ecc., but 'ZE MUZIK' as we thought it until now is going to change.

...BUT, lately my son bought a couple of vinyls, raggae stuff, and asked for a turntable...

So 'hope is the last to die', as we say in Italy

"Vinyl will always be the format," says Anderson. "Albums are meant to be listened to on vinyl; vinyl is the most romantic form of music listening. The album cover, especially the foldout, is like the caviar experience of music. Nothing will ever beat the opening of an album, the pulling out of the inner sleeve where the lyrics are, the removal of the vinyl from the paper or plastic sleeve -- it is a priceless experience."

Edited January 10, 2007 by porcy62

[Neal Pomea]

"Vinyl will always be the format," says Anderson. "Albums are meant to be listened to on vinyl; vinyl is the most romantic form of music listening. The album cover, especially the foldout, is like the caviar experience of music. Nothing will ever beat the opening of an album, the pulling out of the inner sleeve where the lyrics are, the removal of the vinyl from the paper or plastic sleeve -- it is a priceless experience."

He never saw a fiend like Joe Bussard pull down a mint condition shellack 78 from his shelves and spin it on his incredible sound system! Not romantic, but special!

And the author doesn't seem to play up the wonderful experience of hearing music on the radio! With a knowledgeable host/guide.

There's probably something to it when the author says that music is a more casual, throwaway thing when it is so ubiquitous. I don't see why the drive toward portability and convenience necessarily entails driving music off the radio. You're in your car, for crying out loud! What is so inconvenient about turning on a radio??

Before rock and roll, I thought the general popular music was not particularly aimed at teenagers. I thought rock and roll changed that --- a new music just for them, music they could rebel by. Maybe that whole thing is becoming passe? Maybe even the drive toward portability and ubiquity will become passe one of these days.

Why wouldn't there come a time in the future when music is not directed at kids anymore because they just don't have the interest? Why wouldn't there come a time when popular music is more directed toward adults? I mean, if kids are "being different" by buying vinyl lps from the late 60s and 70s, that says something.

I am 51 so I certainly don't remember the shellack 78 days. I grew up with the vinyl lp. I find cds to be convenient, and once I finally get on board with an Ipod or some other mp3 player I am sure I will love it, too, if only I can find the stuff that interests me most. I just hope the market doesn't drive some of the music I love out of existence.

Edited January 10, 2007 by It Should be You

[Jim Alfredson]

In other words, just listen to Sangry.

That Zawinul side must've come in...

I finally got it, just today. Bought it and paid instantly via Paypal on December 31st. The guy charged me $6.99 for shipping and then sent it the absolute cheapest, slowest way possible. Gotta love eBay. It was still cheaper than buying it new, and it is sealed, so hey...