For March’s post of the month, I chose Media Killed the Radio Star by Eric Beall.  The article raises some interesting questions about why the music industry is struggling, and tries to address how musicians and the recording industry can get ahead in today’s world.

According to Beall, the problem is that music industry relies on a business model that leaves the industry at the mercy of gatekeepers, making it “a pawn in a game that it doesn’t control.”

While the music industry is good at finding and developing artists, it lacks the ability “to see that the power lies with those who understand how to use music to attract an audience.”

By letting others control channels that disseminate music to the public- radio, television, magazines, etc- and not leading the way on new technologies like satellite radio and digital music distribution, the music industry has put itself at a disadvantage that will make it difficult to grow and succeed.

Given this disadvantaged position, the best the music industry can do is make music that is brand-friendly and advertising-attractive in order to sell music as a marketing tool for other industries.

After reading this article, here are some of the questions I asked myself:

-Are musicians and record labels creating music in a bubble with no bigger picture for how they are going to actually make money with the music they create?
-Why does the music industry seem to be unable to grow and change with the times/technology like other industries?
-Is making music brand-friendly and advertising-attractive the best solution to this problem?
-Is this a strategy that will be successful for both independent and major label artists?
-Is this approach short sighted? Will it result in a lower quality of music that will hurt the music industry in the long run?
-Will thinking of your music as a vehicle for selling jeans and makeup and alcohol take all the art out of music? Or will making economically viable music allow you the opportunity to expand your career and ultimately give you an opportunity to make great music?
-How can musicians balance making art and being a successful business person?
-What can the recording industry do to take back some of the control they’ve lost in music distribution channels?

I can’t even begin to answer these questions, but I definitely think Beall’s article starts a very important discussion.

What do you think of Beall’s assessment of the missed opportunities of the recording industry?

Do you agree with his proposed solution?