You seem confused. Do you think you have a guaranteed career for life in a specific field just because it was once possible to have such a career?
If you’re going to start swearing at folks who disagree with you, why should anyone engage?
I’m reading this article, by the way, because I read Boing Boing and, I assume, by “reading this article,” you actually mean “Watching Steve Albini’s keynote” because it was a video (and I did watch it, did you?). I watched his keynote because I’ve been a fan of Albini since his days in Big Black during my teens and because he’s got a reputation as having his shit squared away and being a great producer.
Why are you participating here? Is yelling into the wind in a comment forum something you think changes the world in the way that you seem to think it needs to be changed? I get that you miss the music industry of yore but it isn’t coming back. It was an aberration as it was as well.
There might not be a one size fits all solution - but there are lots of alternatives to the major label system and there has been since the 70s. Some indie labels still do well, and manage to not cheat their artists. More labels that are artist-run would help. There is Patreon and various crowdfunding options (Kevin Kelly’s 1000 True fans stuff). I do think that having a copyright system that meant the creator is always the owner of the copyright is helpful, but then there is pop music, where you have a division of labor that includes a song writer and a performer, which obviously complicates the issue. The problem with the recording industry has always been overhead. They sink a huge pile of money into an artist’s promotion, and with the current set of promotional options, is that even necessary?
I think we need to stop thinking of the only musicians who are superstars being the only ones out there or that to make a living you need to be at that level. Pretty much everyone can find a niche market and if it’s big enough, you can make a decent living at it.
I do this too. I don’t go out to shows as much, but I will on occasion and when I do I usually buy a shirt or whatever. But the fact is that the people who care about music, are really music fans, are the ones who float the industry now. We’re the core audience. But we actually spend our money on music. And the industry needs to cut out this war on piracy, I think, as it’s only alienating their core audience. I think that people who download are likely not hardcore music fans (of whatever genre) per se, but just want a couple of songs here or there that they heard on the radio, or more likely online. If the music industry wants to stay afloat, they need to cater to the people who already buy music a bit more.
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One of my best friends is the bass player in the Phenomenauts, a well established Bay area band, and he tours probably two or three months of the year. He’s in a number of other bands and (I believe) he’s been in bands for over 20 or 25 years now.
How does he make his living? He’s a software engineer. No one in the Phenomenauts, from what he’s told me over beer and hacking, makes their living as a musician (well, except for the guy who is a professional musical teacher and tutor).
This is a “successful” small band.
I’m aware how the music industry works, especially for gigging musicians - I say that not to be bitchy, but to say that I understand where you’re coming from. I too have friends who are gigging musicians (a friend of mine is a drummer and he works part time as a museum docent (but only recently, because he got married and now has a kid on the way).
I do think that there is a level you can reach that isn’t “superstar” where you can live off your work, though. But, since it’s “creative work”, it’s piecemeal, and has little to no stability. But It’s a weird mid-range, slightly above this level. But there are so many bands, so many musicians. Especially since the punk turn, the notion that we can all be rock stars has become embedded in our culture. And it’s a mythology, to be sure. But there is some level you can reach where it’s an actual career you can have. It’s just not going to work out for everyone. Not that it shouldn’t be an option, but It’s more limited than other careers since it’s based on so many weird intersecting variables - public tastes, which are incredibly fickle, industry support, also fickle, promoters, the venues you play, the ability to get your work out there.
I don’t know, man. I’m working through this stuff in my head, as it’s part of my work. Popular music does a shitload of work in modern society.
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