New Era of an Independent Musician - Essay Example

NEW ERA OF INDEPENDENT MUSICIAN Introduction An Independent musician is a person who writes, records, and produces their music independently. The musicians do not have a record label that they depend on to produce music for them. The process of creating music alone involves the "do it yourself approach" when it comes to publishing the music. There is a new Era of independent musicians that are different from the old age independent musicians. The two groups have different characteristics. Body Whats the new era of an Independent musician? The new age independent musician is a musician who does not produce their music using a record label, but instead use the new digital technologies to sell and market their music. The advancement of technology has seen a rise in the number of an independent musician as they now have an easier time selling their products. The independent musicians have gone from being the niche model, and now they are the dominant model. A country like Canada has over 95% of its players operating as independent musicians according to CIRA, Canadian Independent Recording Artist Association. Digital technologies have given the new era independent musicians freedom to explore and also it has lowered the barriers between the musicians and their fans.1 There are a number of creative music creations on the internet that has the sounds of the new era independent music. The players get paid when their music gets extra views from sites like YouTube. It is important and helpful to be an independent musician as there is no way a record label can swindle your money in this new era of technological discoveries and advancements. The difference between a new era independent musician and former period independent musician. The digital age has a major significant impact on the music industry as a whole. There have been a number of revolutionizing information platforms that help the independent musicians sell their music. The past era of independent musicians did not have the luxury of technology to assist them in marketing and selling their music. There are a number of technology benefits that the independent musicians have now compared to the former independent musicians. There has however been a 40% decline in musician employment in the past decade, and the remaining players prefer to be independent rather than have an association with a record company.2 The digital technologies enable players to record and edit their music without relying on any record label. The past era independent musician did not have a broad platform of supporters and fans since it was not easy spreading the music to different communities and different cultures. The players would perform to be able to make money. People who lived in different countries or different states were not familiar with their music. The only way one was able to market their products was through a record label that would hire a promoter to help spread the sounds. The new era independent musicians have the luxury of having different sites where they can upload their music and get paid for the number of views and hits of the song.3 There has however been an increase in demand and personal risk as the new era independent musicians continue to thrive through advanced technologies. The independent musicians get advice on being self-sufficient and entrepreneurs because of the risk involved with selling music without a record label. The traditional believe and trust in record labels is still among many listeners, and the independent musicians might risk not getting money from music. The past era independent musicians had the luxury of enjoying the freedom that comes with producing one’s music.4 The current period independent musicians cannot enjoy the same as there is the threat of them being unemployed the moment people stop streaming in their music.5 The new era independent musicians thus face the employment risk. The new era independent musicians have the opportunity to invite their fans behind the curtain and into their personal lives. The fans get excited to see what their favorite player is up to and how they live their lives. The days when being an independent artist was an anomaly are gone even with the big acts in the industry. The musicians who decided to be independent artists in this era are facing the world of social media, Facebook fans, Twitter fans, marketing engagements and general communication with the fans. The musicians are lucky as they can share part of their life with the fans through the social media. The new era musician, however, has to have a compelling story of their lives and be able to share it with its fans. The fans appreciate listening to the stories from the independent musicians about their life and their music. Sharing the inspiration behind ones music is also part of the experience the fans want from the artist. The previous era of independent musicians, unfortunately, did not have the opportunity to share their lives with the fans.6 The only way the small number of fans got to experience the lives of the musicians was if they got invited behind the curtain. It is always a great honor for any fan to share and experience the life of the artist they admire. The new era of independent music has ushered in realms of opportunities and possibilities the musicians were always dreaming to achieve. There was a set standard previously of how things work in the music industry if you are an independent act. Things are changing massively in the separate music section, and they are changing in the positive direction. The fans now have a platform to get involved in the release process of the music as the artist experience a new freedom in doing music. The musicians now can release their albums on iTunes and promote the songs through social media and YouTube.7 Every second new music is released as the technologies in music production grows. There is a fan artist dialog that happens all the time on social media that is critical in ensuring the music that is released on any platform reaches the fans instantly. The former generation independent artists did not have the luxury the current generation is experiencing in sharing their music with their fans. How recent technology/society/social media affect the independent musician The new technologies and social media have led to the empowerment of independent musicians over a period. The widespread internet and social media use all over the world has revolutionized how music is promoted, distributed and sold by independent artists to their fans. The fact that the independent artists can promote their music online has led to the increase in the sale of independent music and increased the musicians freedom. The independent artists use multiple online technologies simultaneously to advertise themselves and the music they are producing. There is Facebook, Twitter and Instagram being the number one social sites the musician use to promote themselves and their products. The new internet technologies open up new possibilities where the fans and the artist can have a public engagement.8 The digital world continues to grow rapidly as it is not static. It means the independent musicians have to keep up with the rapid changes in order to stay connected with their fans and promote the music they are producing. Social media offers a platform where the musicians can get organized, exchange information and collaborate on new projects together. The impact of social media on the independent music and independent musicians happen in several different ways. Social media helps to create and bring audiences to the artist’s performance through promotional advertising. The artists match their music to people who are interested in it and are looking for the music. The platform to create music has also increased as the artists get ideas from their fans through the communication and independent dialogs they share. The debates that go on in the social media about the artists and their kind of music helps enlighten the musicians to decide how they can continue pleasing their fans and also how to improve their music. There has been massive awareness of the independent music and independent musicians and people now appreciate the art because of the internet.9 The music and the art from the artists have now become more participatory due to the new technologies we continue to experience. The portable devices like the smartphones, tablets and iPad has made it possible for music lovers to experience music whenever they go. The new trade of ‘Beats by Dre’ headphones has seen the device play music from iTunes. The independent musicians share their music and albums on iTunes and get paid whenever someone listens to the beats from the headphones. The fans also get to enjoy other free digital contents from the internet such as listening to the songs on YouTube.10 The musicians get paid by the number of hits their music has on the website. Conclusion There has been a significant development, change and growth of Independent musicians over the years. The new technologies led to the new era of Independent musicians who enjoy the luxury of experiencing and sharing their music with the fans. The previous era independent musicians did not have a broad platform where they would share their knowledge and promote their music to the fans. Bibliography Atkinson, Claire. “Indie artists are new No. 1 in music industry”. New York Post Journal, 2014. Bailey, Jackie. “Don‘t Panic: The impact of digital technology on the major performing arts industry”. Discussion paper released by the Australia Council for the Arts. 2008. Online. La Rocca, Lisa. “Has the Independent Musician been empowered? Analyzing the Use of Internet Technologies for Music Promotion in a Buckland”. Annual Conference of Music Association in Canada. 2014. Leyshon, Andrew et al. "On the reproduction of the music industry after the internet". Media, Culture, and Society, 2005, pp. 177–209. Masnick, Mike. “Massive Growth in Independent Musicians & Singers over the Past Decade”. 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