R.I.P. the music industry---will you miss live bands? Compaq disks...?

[DanOkeffie]

Breaks my heart that the music industry is dead. Hell, music as we know it is over! I doubt that we will ever see bans like Metallica, journey, Motley Cru, Disturbed, 5FDP, or Def leppard. Gone are the days of buying a bands music but what really troubles me is gone are the days of seeing a band live. The business model is too broken to be repair.

Sure we will see some garage/bar bands but there is no way to make a career out of music.

I for one will miss that dream/fantasy but will miss bands on tour

 

[DanOkeffie]

A.I. Will be your next band/act/songwriter

 

[SebastianHolt]

Breaks my heart that the music industry is dead. Hell, music as we know it is over! I doubt that we will ever see bans like Metallica, journey, Motley Cru, Disturbed, 5FDP, or Def leppard. Gone are the days of buying a bands music but what really troubles me is gone are the days of seeing a band live. The business model is too broken to be repair.

Sure we will see some garage/bar bands but there is no way to make a career out of music.

I for one will miss that dream/fantasy but will miss bands on tour

Europe still has some big festivals. They may be successful because it's a social event, not just a music one.

Music and bands: Breaking Benjamin announced they'll hit the road (summer 2025), but I haven't heard a word about their tour. They may have started a tour, but I'm not sure.

 

[razor33a]

Don't believe it. I see lots of mid size shows but also some arena bands. I don't know how bands get paid but there seems to be enough willing to do it.

 

[J_Bone]

Been to several live shows in the last few years. None that you mentioned and a different genre, but live nonetheless. Live music seems far from dead to me.

 

[MC_Bonertime]

I think there's a lot to say about the ethics of AI and modern music, and the shifts to the various business models especially CDs. I'm a diehard physical media consumer still, and I've hated to see that get deprioritized

For now I think live music is secure. I think that part of the machine is way less broken than (for example) streaming royalties, or wrangling appropriate use and credit. And I'll guess A&R is probably way more ambiguous now than in the past.

But bands will still slog through the bar scene and there will still be marquee acts at the coliseum. We might not like them as much but they'll be there.

 

[Deadbed1968]

Going to see Nine Inch Nails in February

 

[sexfest2016]

Honestly, I still have plenty of opportunity to see live music. Local bands playing in small venues. The house is packed. Artists playing because they love it. I’ll pick that over a megaband playing in a stadium for a huge paycheck every day…

 

[Not Normal]

Music will live on. People will want to make music. Gone are the days of an artist making the bulk of their money from selling records. And it FUCKING SUCKS! I own a recording studio. I see the enthusiasm, I see the passion, I don't see the budgets. I'm jumping for joy that a band full of talented people who are booking 3-4 days for tracking in January. They are excited and engaged.

 

[Tomr]

A.I. Will be your next band/act/songwriter

Fuck AI, I hate it.

 

[Deadbed1968]

A.I. Will be your next band/act/songwriter

Maybe for really crappy low budget schlock

 

[TravisAW]

Music will live on. People will want to make music. Gone are the days of an artist making the bulk of their money from selling records. And it FUCKING SUCKS! I own a recording studio. I see the enthusiasm, I see the passion, I don't see the budgets. I'm jumping for joy that a band full of talented people who are booking 3-4 days for tracking in January. They are excited and engaged.

Having worked for LiveNation, I can assure you that they make plenty of money from concerts. Streaming is doing more damage to artists than AI - they typically need to make a quarter of a million streams to make a grand rather than sell just a thousand CDs or whatever deal they manage. Merchandise and sponsorship have grown as revenue streams too. Perhaps the American model is a busted flush but UK tours are alive and well.

 

[xXxplorher]

You are clearly correct about the BUSINESS MODEL as we've known it. Neither a band NOR a record company can sustain the way they used to. As a result, there is no new nothing. All there is... is what there was. Or whatever AI can regenerate from what... once was.

I wonder if anyone will give a shit...

Can't remember the last suprising song I've heard in... 20 years?

 

[xXxplorher]

I can't leave this last part alone, and I do apologize...

When I was young, it was the 70's, there was a ton of disruption among us. I grew up, almost, enjoying that. My parents were divorced, shit was divided. Maybe I enjoyed... or learned to... enjoy... the distance in between.

And now we can't afford to even disagree in any way?

Is that really healthy for us?

 

[DanOkeffie]

Been to several live shows in the last few years. None that you mentioned and a different genre, but live nonetheless. Live music seems far from dead to me.

Gome are the days when a label will support a band

 

[ColtonWrites]

I've been to...six? Live shows in the last year. One big arena show, a couple of small clubs, and one at House of Blues. Theres live music every weekend of the summer at the bar down the street from me. I saw an Ozzy cover band on Halloween that said they play a show almost every weekend.

Doesnt seem very dead to me.

 

[HampshireBoy]

Some people keep predicted the end of the music business, it just evolves. I've seen loads of bands this year, in the last few weeks we've sat in bars listening to loads of artists (some playing covers and some playing original songs) with everybody seeming to enjoy the experience. Quick count, I've been to over 20 gigs and 2 festivals this year, plus I'm travelling to Germany and Holland next month to see shows, and already have tickets for 4 gigs and 3 festivals for next year.

What has happened in the last few decades is labels being less keen on investing in a band, they want instant success. Talking to people in the industry this seems to come in cycles.

Bands also seem to be forced back to generating income themselves (live shows, merchandise, etc) as streaming pays so little per play and lots of people listen that way rather than buying physical media.

 

[M_K_Babalon]

We just saw Distrubed earlier this year. And a tour went through here a few months ago, after our own city concert, Bourbon And Beyond. What do you mean no tours?

I don't like the streaming either, it's just lazy convenience. It's funny when people get upset about an artist being removed, or removing thenselves—the music ain't yours to bitch about. You pay to use it, not have it.

 

[BVVRG]

Live music is very much alive. LCD Soundsystem proved it this summer.

 

[HampshireBoy]

We just saw Distrubed earlier this year. And a tour went through here a few months ago, after our own city concert, Bourbon And Beyond. What do you mean no tours?

I don't like the streaming either, it's just lazy convenience. It's funny when people get upset about an artist being removed, or removing thenselves—the music ain't yours to bitch about. You pay to use it, not have it.

I really got into streaming during lockdown, whilst working from home. Using that I sampled loads of bands, and using the random feature discovered a number that I might not have found. From that I've bought physical albums and gone to see some of those bands live. Streaming has its place but I'm very aware of how little money the artist gets from it.

 

[SebastianHolt]

We just saw Distrubed earlier this year. And a tour went through here a few months ago, after our own city concert, Bourbon And Beyond. What do you mean no tours?

I don't like the streaming either, it's just lazy convenience. It's funny when people get upset about an artist being removed, or removing thenselves—the music ain't yours to bitch about. You pay to use it, not have it.

Clearly, the music industry has changed. Gone are the days when a record label would "sponsor" a band to bring them up from, say, a city/state audience to a band that can tour nationside




"Sponsor" to take a band under their $$$$ wing and offer them support in terms of cash, songwriting help & recording, help getting on "Radio", music gear for live gigs ...

 

[M_K_Babalon]

I really got into streaming during lockdown, whilst working from home. Using that I sampled loads of bands, and using the random feature discovered a number that I might not have found. From that I've bought physical albums and gone to see some of those bands live. Streaming has its place but I'm very aware of how little money the artist gets from it.

Exactly. I just use them to find new stuff to download. One day downloaded music is gonna be underground currency of sorts. Or have high blackmarket value.

 

[HampshireBoy]

Clearly, the music industry has changed. Gone are the days when a record label would "sponsor" a band to bring them up from, say, a city/state audience to a band that can tour nationside




"Sponsor" to take a band under their $$$$ wing and offer them support in terms of cash, songwriting help & recording, help getting on "Radio", music gear for live gigs ...

It does still happen, where the bands get caught is that the money is often an advance against the band's income. It is in the label's interest to promote radio exposure, as that hopefully boosts sales (and income).