2011 has rolled around and I have come to a great realization. I have become a senior statesman within the entertainment industry. Here I am looking towards the upside of 60 and it feels good to be alive.
Something else has also crossed my mind.
There is an entire era of artists that I grew up with, listened to, marketed and promoted still alive and making music without a clue that their music won’t be played on the radio, marketed on television, ordered by stores nor heard within any popular nightclubs. Yet they still are making new projects and dreaming that they will be able to reclaim that 15 minutes of glory they once had.
This is your WAKEUP CALL!!
Today’s recording industry has changed dramatically and if you still desire to create, market, sell and receive a profit from your music you will have to change also.
Let’s look at a few realities.
#1 RADIO WILL NOT PLAY YOUR MUSIC
Popular urban based radio stations are now totally youth oriented and have no use for solid R&B, Jazz, Blues or GOOD music. Their play lists are being created using mathematical equations listed by their research departments, consultants and corporate heads. No more can you find a major or secondary station that starts playing music because it sounds GOOD. We use to have programmers that would work from there GUT FEELINGS, now the only GUT they feel is the one after they have had a weekend in Las Vegas and been to a few fabulous buffets.
#2 DISTRIBUTORS WILL NOT CARRY YOUR PRODUCT
The margins for sale have become extremely tight and the old school of having distributors pickup your project, market it and distribute it has passed. Now you have to finance the manufacturing of your own project, have a marketing budget and start making stores call distributors to BUY your project BEFORE the distributors will order from you. Fair? Of course not, but who said the record business was fair.
#3 NATIONAL SALES CHARTS NO LONGER HAVE MATURE ARTISTS
Think I’m making this up? Well as of April 23, 2011, the only mature artist on the Billboard top 100 sales charts were Johnny Cash / Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton & Kirk Franklin. This eliminates Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight or any of the Motown era groups.
What can be done to change this?
NOTHING
But here are a few ideas for my friends and other artists to consider. Start concentrating on helping the youth perfect their talent in writing, singing, and showmanship (WE REALLY NEED THIS) in entertainment business, so that the future for them can be brighter.
Look at your publishing interests and concentrate on creating more songs that reflect a better environment and uphold the virtues of LOVE and not LUST. For you working bands video record your shows and develop DVD’s for both domestic and International consumption. This can help you create touring opportunities while educating a completely new audience that calls you OLD SCHOOL and has come to disrespect talent and showmanship. Remember that we have a natural talent for dramatic presentation and entertainment that has not been passed on to our youth.
Look at the new avenues that are opening for musical content. Avenues like Internet streaming and podcast sales of your performances. Have a website that is marketed to other countries and develop International contacts via the Internet for your performances.
Don’t stop making new music; just stop believing that you will be able to get it promoted the same way today that you did 25 years ago.