The research I have undertaken in this blog has given me a better understanding of the current developments of the music industry and the strategies I might want to employ in the future from the perspective of both a musician and a producer.
The music industry is currently undergoing a process of transformation, in which standards and expectations are gradually changing to reflect the current decentralisation and democratisation of the music business in general. Technology granted the independent musician the tools to make the independent model a viable option and changed the market and the balance of power in the music industry. Not only are there opportunities for self-promotion and self-distribution, but it is expected of the artist to make use of them; otherwise, in the overcrowded medium where everyone has the capability to make and distribute music, creative voices who do not have the other non-music-related skills to make themselves heard, might be left behind. As an independent musician, I found that I am struggling with this issue; being in charge of all aspects of production, from writing, arranging, mixing, mastering, artwork, publishing, marketing and promotion (including filming and video editing for Youtube videos) can prove to be very difficult, for the very reason that it is time-consuming. Through my research I discovered that I am not alone in the situation and even academics have investigated the danger of musicianship being superseded in importance by the business skills the musician possesses, when it comes to building a career as an independent musician.
This assignment has encouraged me to explore many of the articles I found while working on my bibliography for the first Research and Inquiry assignment and to compile useful information from different sources in the mini-articles that I posted on the blog. Of course, there are interesting areas that I have not written about, because of time constraints and the academic nature of the assignment (I have tried to keep a sense of unity throughout the blog); however, I discovered that I enjoy writing and I am considering continuing this blog and expanding it, to encompass views and opinions of fellow musicians; possible future topic could be music publishing, production tutorials, interviews with musicians and sound engineers or simply presenting and promoting new bands and artists.
The development of the music industry is a fascinating topic and extremely relevant to my professional practice. I found that keeping a blog is an excellent way of tracking my progress. It is easy to remember new ideas when you write them down and to also build upon old thoughts or strategies when you can go back to them at anytime. It can also be very useful to retrace steps and analyse results, with the purpose of trying different approaches in the future. I now feel more confident in the path that I have taken and the research and reflection in this blog helped me clear up some preconceptions and encouraged me to shape a future strategy for pushing further my music career.
Word Count: 507
Word Count: 507
