The Internet & The Music Business

We have all heard that the Internet has “changed the music business.” When people say this some of them mean for the good and some are talking about undesirable changes. Well, it seems this Internet this is here to stay, so I want to share with you the two ways the Internet has changed the music business for the good (who needs the negativity, right?): Exposure & Intimacy.

For along time there were basically four ways to discover new music: the radio, introduced through friends, shuffling through albums in record stores, or finding them through the local live music scene. So, for most, the radio set the musical boundary. Now, the Internet has given an avenue for people to discover music from the comfort of their own home anywhere in the world. Even if you don’t want to search all over the Internet for it, online music stores have not only made it easy to discover new music but have made it a priority. No matter your favorite genre of music, there are musicians and songs out there right now that you would love if you just heard them. Unfortunately, many of us are stuck in the old model thinking: ‘Won’t the cream of crop rise to the top?’ It depends on what you mean by “top.” To get on the radio, what most consider the top, it doesn’t necessarily matter that the music is good. What matters for radio is how much money can be made. The radio is not the determinant of what constitutes good. The Internet has given another avenue for artists not signed to major labels who have great music to share it & get it out to the public.

The frosting on the exposure cake is how musicians have creatively utilized the Internet to make the experience of the fan more intimate with the music and the musician themselves. Musicians have started blogging, posting all sorts of media (Video Interviews, concerts, streaming music before it is release), and interacting on all sorts of social networks with fans. Before the Internet, you had fan clubs and maybe a one time communication by snail mail. Now, you can be connected to your favorite artist in ways you never could before. Now you can find a musicians set list from a Portland show, see video of the artist’s performance in Philadelphia, buy merchandise, and even help promote the artist coming to your area. It has helped fans get to know there favorites and it has helped the musicians get to know those who support them.

To say the Internet has changed the music business is an understatement. It is now essential to have some sort of web presence if you are in the business. All that said (here comes the shameless plugs), Roofbeam Records wants to get connected to you guys, as does Douglas Kent. If you are not already, you can become a fan of RB & Douglas Kent on Facebook, add us on MySpace (RB & DK), and follow us on Twitter (RB & DK). Please get connected to us in someway so we can update you on all the exciting things that are about to go down. If you are already, we thank you sincerely and ask you to pass us along. Douglas Kent is a tremendous musician with a ton of talent and the bigger the grass-roots following we can create, the more exposure Douglas Kent gets. Help us out.

To help other musicians & to introduce you to other artists you might not know, every week I will start posting some links and videos for you to check out. RB has no affiliation with these artists, just as fans trying to our part. And of course, keep hitting up the Douglas Kent MySpace to hear his stuff until the album is finished. We are so close! As always, if you have any suggestions on how to make RB more fan friendly or if you just want to past a link to another artist, that is good too. Well, that’s all for this week. ‘Til next time.


jmp


Do your ears a favor and listen to these harmonies. This song ends in a round. Just beautiful.

He is hilarious in concert. Check out the rest of his stuff, you'll love him.

One more, this is a guy named Joey Ryan from LA. Here is his MySpace. Check out "Broken Headlights."