The past 2 years have been very difficult for everyone because of the COVID situation around the world,as you know musicians have been mostly unable to work and travel,which would have been an essential part of their livelihood and even before that they were really just about keep their heads above water to survive in the music business.
The past 2 years have highlighted the inequality within the Music Streaming services which generate so little income for creatives and while their was an outcry about it during the time,what has changed?Nothing it seems.
These streaming services suit record companies intent on milking profit from a back catalogue of material that they own and of course the public receive music direct to their phones for almost free.The musicians who create the content are then prevented from making a reasonable return on their hard work and are the only ones who lose out in this streaming game with a loaded dice.
On one platform 80% of music released is by amateur players,further compounding the problem for the professional player,part time/weekend musicians providing mostly inferior content and happy to do it free in some attempt to exposure for their hobby.
A small shift in policy from these companies would make a difference,how about re-investing some of the capital gleaned into new albums.new and established musicians to support and create new work.I believe that there is a responsibility of these services who control the online sale of music worldwide(and in the process killing CD sales)to re-invest in the musicians of today and of the future to ensure professional players can continue to have a viable chance,By professionals i mean,those truly dedicated to composing,recording and performing music and who will be a member of a recognized organization such as IMRO and will have a proven track release record in the past.
By the way,i love the technology and accessibility of these systems but the fairness and royalty distribution must be addressed and re-investing in new(and older established)artists,a little like a record company would have done in the past,would seem a logical move to ensure that musicians can survive in make a living for future generations.
On a local level,i have ideas about what changes can made to improve the music scene at home in Ireland and look forward to discussing these ideas in the near future.
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