Analysis: What is the Role of the Artist in a Digital Age?

Authored by Jay Baage on May 1, 2007 - 6:30am.

I attended the Swedish Music Seminar held at the Consulate General’s residence in Santa Monica over the weekend and took part in the first day of MusExpo on Monday at the Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood. One issue that seems to be on everyone’s mind is how artists are going to be compensated for their work in a digital age. My conclusion from listening to the discussions is two-fold: The bad news for the artists is that they have to be more involved in the business side of their careers going forward, but the good news is that there are more avenues than ever to get their music out.

The frustration that I get from talking to a lot of musicians is that they feel piracy and digital technology have forever deprived them of any hopes of making any money from selling music. The record companies are in big trouble because of declining CD sales and that means that the music industry and the artists are in big trouble. One artist even told me that she feels the only way for a musician to monetize their music these days is to sell tickets to their live shows.

While I agree that the music industry as we used to know it (major record labels) is indeed in big trouble, the interest and popularity of music as an art form is at an all time high. While the forms of distributing and accessing music have changed, the opportunities for talented musicians to get their music heard have never been greater.

If you are innovative and business savvy there are more ways to monetize music today than ever before. The talented Swedish musician Robyn gave the audience at MusExpo a no bullshit answer to the question of how she sees herself making a living as an artist in the future:
“Maybe the only way to make money in the future is to be associated by commercial brands (and you have to accept it)”, says Robyn.

While sponsorship deals and product endorsements will surely be a part of the way musicians pay their bills, music and media futurist Gerd Leonhard sees a future in which everyone pays a flat fee for music. During lunch at the Bel Age rooftop, he tells me that he thinks that it is not a question of if, but when, it will happen. According to Leonhard, it will be a very Darwinistic system where the artists that get most clicks, or are most listened to, will get the most compensation. You can see an earlier presentation Leonhard did about the flat fee here if you are interested in how such a system would work in more detail here.

So how does an artist succeed in making money in a digital age? Here are a few common themes I gather from these events:

-   The days of “money for nothing and chicks for free” are gone, if they ever existed, and there is no use being nostalgic about it.
-   Utilize MySpace and other websites to its full potential and don’t be afraid to “give your music away for free”. If one million people listen to your songs online, don’t see it as you just lost 1 million dollars in potential sales. See it as you just got radioplay in 100 markets.
-   You have to learn new ways of viral marketing, including widgets and blog search engines and don’t be afraid to experiment with putting your music in new places and contexts.
-   Look at what the most progressive record labels are doing with their artists, like Canadian Nettwerk and Barenaked Ladies and try to copy it.
-   If you play a live gig, make sure people know about it. It may seem like a no-brainer, but it isn’t always. I don’t know how many good shows I have missed just because I didn’t know about it. Do all you can to get in Flavorpill and other online publications. Send emails to everyone you know and make sure everyone that shows up signs your email list.
-   Press vinyl copies. This might be the last thing you think about doing, but DJs love vinyl and so do music lovers. Press a few copies and distribute them to your favorite DJs, clubs and critics.
-   Don’t sign a record deal. This may seem like a weird suggestion, but stay indie as long as possible. You want to make sure the odds are in your favor when you finally sign with a big label or it can be a blessing in disguise (Robyn agrees with me on this one).

One last thing, good music is still good music. Content is still king. True talent will prevail somehow. You just have to keep an open mind about it.

Joakim Baage