Has The Artists Role Changed?

This is a loaded question in my humble opinion, and this is why.


The Artist has always been the most important cog in the machine known as the Music Industry, I know this in itself seems to be a redundant statement, but for a long time, the Major labels that controlled and manipulated the Music Market, saw the Artist as nothing more than a thorn in their side. If they could have gotten away with producing a product that would be consumed en mass, that didn’t include the involvement of those wishy washy creative types, they would in a heart beat. Oh yeah, they tried that didn’t they? Remember Milli Vanilli? Spice Girls? And now, there’s all those POP IDOLS! These were and are all creations of the Majors, and their crony producers would and do take often talentless hacks off the street and if they looked the goods, then “hey baby, I’ll make you a STAR!”


With the rise of social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and ReverbNation, along with the affordable, high quality home recording software and techniques, Artists are taking back their careers, their art and their power. When an act breaks on one of these sites without the involvement or assistance of a label, they take away the majors leverage and influence over the art of the ARTIST! Without the need for obscene advances, the Artist is now the owner of their art.


The Major labels have gone on record, saying they have to be and are going to be more Artist driven, they have also stated that they will be releasing fewer albums of a higher quality, concentrating on the Artist, fostering and nurturing their career. Spouting bold statements such as “we’re going to be more Artist focused” and “Artists need to be nurtured”. Touting themselves as the musicians friend, the artists mother like friend” they make these statements as if they are the savior of the music industry, the musicians Messiah, when in actual fact, history has recognised Major Record Labels as more like one of those predatory beasts from a nature documentary and the Artist as a Zebra or Wildebeest.


The Artists role in essence hasn’t really changed, they still create art, a product that evokes emotion, it’s the perceptions of the Artist by others, such as label heads that have changed and they’ve only changed their stance since the Artist has started bypassing them, completely in some cases. The Artist has always been the keystone in the foundation of the monolithic ivory tower that was the Record Industry. With the Artist removing itself from the conventional structure of the Record Industry, they have weakened the structure and those at the top, didn’t take notice, didn’t heed the warnings and are now clambering to save themselves from complete extinction. Without the Artist, there is no industry, no product, no business and no income. So it’s now we are hearing these rants from atop Mount Music.


What possibly has changed the dynamic of the Artists role is the knowledge they have these days, Artists and their Managers are demanding more transparency in accounting and they know now that they have certain rights, and they have what the Majors need, Product! EMI, Sony/BMG, Universal and Warner simply can’t keep rehashing, reshaping and repackaging past hits by Rock and Pops legendary relics. New music is needed; the global musical palate is now very diverse, making way for more imaginative Artists and the music they create. These quirky composers and performers are no longer being ignored, it’s kind of like the early days of the music industry, where more chances were taken and even more would be now if the A&R guys and gals had their hands untied and were given more autonomy and time to nurture and develop the Artist. But that’s not the way our modern society is structured now, everything’s disposable, if it doesn’t work straight away, then chuck it.


The relationship between the punter/fan and the Artist is growing closer and closer, the Artist is networking with and selling direct to the public in many cases, thus negating the amount of influence of the Record Company. Artists are selling their wares not only at their gigs but also via their own websites as well as through Social Networking sites like MySpace. The possibilities are endless, though some have been predicting the demise of the music business, but that is a farce, the MUSIC business is doing just fine and that is because of one thing and one thing only, and that one thing is the Artist, plain and simple.


The Artist creates what the fans and punters want and need and that’s music, regardless of the genre. The big selling Artists may not be selling the volume they’ve sold in the past, but more niche markets have opened up and those niche market Artists are selling more than ever before, again, that’s all thanks to their presence online, the worlds largest market place.


A lot of today’s Artists have taken on several roles and adorn many hats at the same time, they are every thing from managers, promoters and publishers to label owners, producers, accountants, agents and production managers, they are usually a combination of two or more of these roles, pretty much anything you can think of to do with their career they have some knowledge of it and if they don’t, then they learn at least the basics of it. This covers their ass in times of crisis and trouble; it also makes the Artist more accountable when things do go wrong.

More of an emphasis has been placed on web presence and live exposure, music video isn’t as useful as it once was, with channels like MTV now pretty much a Reality TV channel, as with most other media outlets, they have succumbed to appeasing the lowest common denominator. CD sales aren’t what they use to be, Peer to Peer file sharing as well as legal and illegal downloading has seen to that, so Artists are now using the CD or even USB Stick album as a promotional tool to get folks into their shows “we’ll give you this if you come see us play” then once there they buy a shirt or two, a hat and anything else the Artist has branded.


So it’s safe to say that the modern Artist is part Snake Oil Merchant, part Account, part Poet, and part Logistics Coordinator. The dear old guard of yore would be both impressed and in shock at the way today’s Artists are doing business. The depth and breadth of knowledge that is available is daunting, if information is the new currency, then today’s troubadours are indeed very wealthy men and women.


10 years ago years the Artist derived 66% of the income from record sales and the rest from other sources like live shows and merchandise, today those figures have reversed and the record labels are missing out on a huge slice of the pie that, for decades they have been gorging themselves on. For The Police summer tour in the USA, the best seats went for a staggering $900 US, yet one could purchase their entire back catalogue on CD for less than $100 US. The Artists, their Managers, Agents and Promoters are the new Christs, saving the MUSIC business from eternal damnation.


Indie Labels are still viable, they cater for more of a boutique market, genre specific labels are doing quite well right now, Yep Roc in North Carolina and Bloodshot in Chicago spring to mind, with a rosters boasting (Yep Roc) The Reverend Horton Heat, Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers as well as being the US label for our very own You Am I, and (Bloodshot) Justin Townes Earle, Waco Brothers, Wayne “The Train” Hancock, etc. it hasn’t been an overnight explosion, it’s been building slowly over the years, the big difference is that labels like Yep Roc and Bloodshot are still run by Music people, they invest more in the Artist, often taking on the role of manager, producer and dare I say it friend and they give the Artist their artistic freedom to create something real and personal. Some successful artists that were signed to a Major record company have (by choice) jumped ship and signed on with an Indie Label for (The Living End’s move to Dew Process) for that very reason.


Granted, Major labels still have a role to play, they have the distribution, marketing and promotion infrastructure that is required for a more global reach. I personally see the Majors role in the future as more of a licensing/publishing type of situation, while the Artist takes more control of their career, owning their works, steering their own ship.


In closing I see the Artists role having expanded in a shrinking model; music seems to be becoming a cottage industry again, for a very diverse and ever changing global village.