Rove Monteux's Blog - Posts Tagged "techno-feudalism"
The Decline of the Music Industry
The onset of the digital age marked the commencement of the decline of the traditional music industry. With the proliferation of the internet, peer-to-peer file sharing, and the emergence of streaming platforms, the industry as it once existed gasped its final breath. Physical music formats like CDs were dealt a fatal blow. Even the industry titans, once unassailable, found themselves grappling to adapt to this shifting terrain.
Nevertheless, the demise of the old music industry birthed fresh opportunities. Independent artists found a means to connect directly with their audience, emancipated from the constraints of record labels. However, this newfound freedom came at a cost — a crowded market where success remained elusive for many.
Streaming services, often hailed as saviours, brought their own set of challenges. While they granted access to an extensive music library, they simultaneously eroded the traditional revenue model, leaving artists with meagre earnings for each play. This democratisation of music also translated into a substantial reduction in income for most musicians.
Meritocracy, Algorithms, and Playlists
The shift from an artistic meritocracy to an algorithmic popularity competition is a somber reality that has fundamentally reshaped the essence of music. In days of yore, artistic merit stood as a guiding light for musicians, where creativity and talent were the yardsticks of success. However, the rise of digital platforms ushered in a seismic transformation. The veracity is that algorithms now wield dominion over what the masses consume, relegating genuine artistic merit to a secondary role.
Playlists, in particular, emerged as formidable forces in this novel landscape. Music curation, once carried out by dedicated individuals with a keen ear for artistry, has now been predominantly automated. Algorithms monitor listeners’ preferences and craft playlists accordingly, inadvertently constraining the exposure to artists. It’s as though the realm of music has been distilled into a repetitive set of patterns, steered more by commercial interests than a quest for artistic exploration.
Automatically generated playlists, although convenient for listeners, conceal a shadowy aspect. These playlists are frequently curated by algorithms that prioritize popular tracks and established artists. While this may cater to the preferences of many, it comes at the expense of suppressing the discovery of lesser-known yet genuinely gifted musicians. This automated curation unwittingly perpetuates a cycle where only a select few artists command the lion’s share of attention, while others languish in obscurity.
Furthermore, these playlists can be manipulated. Some artists and labels resort to artificial means to insert their songs into these playlists, even if the artistic merit is lacking. This cynical manoeuvre undermines the integrity of the music discovery process, contributing to a musical landscape where success is often artificially manufactured rather than deserved.
On the part of content creators, the so-called artists, the practice of procuring counterfeit followers and listeners, a questionable venture, is a common deceitful tactic aimed at fabricating an illusion of popularity. This is a smoke and mirrors act more rooted in vanity than genuine artistry.
Artists who purchase fake followers and listeners may acquire a semblance of notoriety, but it comes at a steep price. The truth is, these inflated numbers do not translate into genuine engagement or a loyal fan base. They are empty echoes, misleading illusions that ultimately hinder an artist’s progress. Moreover, it undermines the reliability of metrics used to assess an artist’s reach and influence, making it challenging to discern who has genuinely earned their success. This practice epitomises a broader issue in the digital age, where the pursuit of numbers and immediate gratification can eclipse the essence of artistic creation. This duplicitous path deprives musicians of the opportunity to forge authentic connections with their audience, which is the crux of meaningful artistic expression. These practices obfuscate the truth, leading to a distorted and fabricated version of musical success, while hindering the legitimate artists who deserve recognition and admiration. It serves as a stark warning of the perils of prioritising superficial metrics over the authentic pursuit of art.
Trends also play a pivotal role in shaping the contemporary musical landscape. In this era of immediate gratification and viral sensations, the reality is that artists often find themselves pressured to conform to the latest trend instead of following their creative instincts. Originality, once cherished, is overshadowed by the pursuit of what is considered “marketable” at the moment.
The outcome of this transformation is a dearth of authentic artistic innovation. While the technology-driven industry may tout diversity, the truth often points in the opposite direction. A select few artists with broad commercial appeal receive the bulk of attention, while many innovative, niche, or boundary-pushing musicians struggle to gain recognition.
In the domain of data-driven selection, we witness the triumph of mediocrity over genuine artistry. What we hear today often mirrors what has previously sold well or aligns with the algorithms’ expectations.
Moreover, the lamentable state of meagre earnings from streaming platforms underscores the harsh realities confronted by musicians in the modern age. For artists, these platforms frequently offer a mere pittance for their creative efforts. The paltry pennies, or fractions of a penny, earned per play may appear inconsequential to the average listener, but for musicians, this constitutes a significant source of income.
To exacerbate this disheartening reality, the vast majority of artists do not possess the privilege of being part of the small elite that amasses substantial streaming revenue. Instead, numerous independent and lesser-known musicians grapple with making a livelihood from their art. The meagre compensation from streaming platforms compels them to seek alternate sources of income, sometimes necessitating a balancing act between their creative pursuits and unrelated work to make ends meet. These meagre earnings perpetuate a system where only the most popular artists, often within the realm of mainstream pop and hip-hop, can accrue substantial earnings. The remainder, encompassing a myriad of genres and talents, face an unyielding uphill battle for recognition and financial sustainability.
While these platforms have undoubtedly made music more accessible to the masses, they have, in the same breath, exacerbated economic disparities within the industry. The genuine cost of this convenience lies in the struggle faced by numerous artists ensnared in a system where their creative endeavours are undervalued and undercompensated. This is a dispiriting facet of the modern music industry, provoking profound questions about the future of musical artistry.
Conclusion
The industry’s transformation did not solely affect the economic aspect; it fundamentally altered the very nature of music itself. Popularity is now contingent on algorithms, playlists, and deceit, rather than genuine artistic merit. The verity is that much of what we hear today is a result of data-driven selection rather than authentic artistic ingenuity and innovation.
Nevertheless, the demise of the old music industry birthed fresh opportunities. Independent artists found a means to connect directly with their audience, emancipated from the constraints of record labels. However, this newfound freedom came at a cost — a crowded market where success remained elusive for many.
Streaming services, often hailed as saviours, brought their own set of challenges. While they granted access to an extensive music library, they simultaneously eroded the traditional revenue model, leaving artists with meagre earnings for each play. This democratisation of music also translated into a substantial reduction in income for most musicians.
Meritocracy, Algorithms, and Playlists
The shift from an artistic meritocracy to an algorithmic popularity competition is a somber reality that has fundamentally reshaped the essence of music. In days of yore, artistic merit stood as a guiding light for musicians, where creativity and talent were the yardsticks of success. However, the rise of digital platforms ushered in a seismic transformation. The veracity is that algorithms now wield dominion over what the masses consume, relegating genuine artistic merit to a secondary role.
Playlists, in particular, emerged as formidable forces in this novel landscape. Music curation, once carried out by dedicated individuals with a keen ear for artistry, has now been predominantly automated. Algorithms monitor listeners’ preferences and craft playlists accordingly, inadvertently constraining the exposure to artists. It’s as though the realm of music has been distilled into a repetitive set of patterns, steered more by commercial interests than a quest for artistic exploration.
Automatically generated playlists, although convenient for listeners, conceal a shadowy aspect. These playlists are frequently curated by algorithms that prioritize popular tracks and established artists. While this may cater to the preferences of many, it comes at the expense of suppressing the discovery of lesser-known yet genuinely gifted musicians. This automated curation unwittingly perpetuates a cycle where only a select few artists command the lion’s share of attention, while others languish in obscurity.
Furthermore, these playlists can be manipulated. Some artists and labels resort to artificial means to insert their songs into these playlists, even if the artistic merit is lacking. This cynical manoeuvre undermines the integrity of the music discovery process, contributing to a musical landscape where success is often artificially manufactured rather than deserved.
On the part of content creators, the so-called artists, the practice of procuring counterfeit followers and listeners, a questionable venture, is a common deceitful tactic aimed at fabricating an illusion of popularity. This is a smoke and mirrors act more rooted in vanity than genuine artistry.
Artists who purchase fake followers and listeners may acquire a semblance of notoriety, but it comes at a steep price. The truth is, these inflated numbers do not translate into genuine engagement or a loyal fan base. They are empty echoes, misleading illusions that ultimately hinder an artist’s progress. Moreover, it undermines the reliability of metrics used to assess an artist’s reach and influence, making it challenging to discern who has genuinely earned their success. This practice epitomises a broader issue in the digital age, where the pursuit of numbers and immediate gratification can eclipse the essence of artistic creation. This duplicitous path deprives musicians of the opportunity to forge authentic connections with their audience, which is the crux of meaningful artistic expression. These practices obfuscate the truth, leading to a distorted and fabricated version of musical success, while hindering the legitimate artists who deserve recognition and admiration. It serves as a stark warning of the perils of prioritising superficial metrics over the authentic pursuit of art.
Trends also play a pivotal role in shaping the contemporary musical landscape. In this era of immediate gratification and viral sensations, the reality is that artists often find themselves pressured to conform to the latest trend instead of following their creative instincts. Originality, once cherished, is overshadowed by the pursuit of what is considered “marketable” at the moment.
The outcome of this transformation is a dearth of authentic artistic innovation. While the technology-driven industry may tout diversity, the truth often points in the opposite direction. A select few artists with broad commercial appeal receive the bulk of attention, while many innovative, niche, or boundary-pushing musicians struggle to gain recognition.
In the domain of data-driven selection, we witness the triumph of mediocrity over genuine artistry. What we hear today often mirrors what has previously sold well or aligns with the algorithms’ expectations.
Moreover, the lamentable state of meagre earnings from streaming platforms underscores the harsh realities confronted by musicians in the modern age. For artists, these platforms frequently offer a mere pittance for their creative efforts. The paltry pennies, or fractions of a penny, earned per play may appear inconsequential to the average listener, but for musicians, this constitutes a significant source of income.
To exacerbate this disheartening reality, the vast majority of artists do not possess the privilege of being part of the small elite that amasses substantial streaming revenue. Instead, numerous independent and lesser-known musicians grapple with making a livelihood from their art. The meagre compensation from streaming platforms compels them to seek alternate sources of income, sometimes necessitating a balancing act between their creative pursuits and unrelated work to make ends meet. These meagre earnings perpetuate a system where only the most popular artists, often within the realm of mainstream pop and hip-hop, can accrue substantial earnings. The remainder, encompassing a myriad of genres and talents, face an unyielding uphill battle for recognition and financial sustainability.
While these platforms have undoubtedly made music more accessible to the masses, they have, in the same breath, exacerbated economic disparities within the industry. The genuine cost of this convenience lies in the struggle faced by numerous artists ensnared in a system where their creative endeavours are undervalued and undercompensated. This is a dispiriting facet of the modern music industry, provoking profound questions about the future of musical artistry.
Conclusion
The industry’s transformation did not solely affect the economic aspect; it fundamentally altered the very nature of music itself. Popularity is now contingent on algorithms, playlists, and deceit, rather than genuine artistic merit. The verity is that much of what we hear today is a result of data-driven selection rather than authentic artistic ingenuity and innovation.
