Record Labels SUCK!

The music industry has changed so much in the past few decades. Artists used to enjoy huge release parties, record-breaking album sales and long relationships with record companies. Well, those days have come and gone forcing artists to find new ways to promote themselves and their music. Many have found success using the internet to market their work.

Social media websites give artists a direct link to their audience, making record companies and many marketing techniques obsolete. I believe that in the future, record labels will become less and less necessary. Instead of the huge dominating companies, there are likely to be many more small independent labels as artists begin to market themselves and find success on their own. Today's technology is making this all possible in ways it never was before. In my opinion, we will continue to see CD sales plummet as more artists offer streaming audio and other ways of listening to and downloading their music. If a performer can post a song or link right on their social media page, then they eliminate the need for a record label. Many artists have bitter attitudes towards record labels and have become weary of their money-hungry dealings. One of my favorite hip-hop artists, who calls himself "Hopsin", is a great example of this change.

(Hopsin)

After initially starting his career at a major label, Hopsin felt cheated and wronged which lead to him starting his own "label" called "Funk Volume". In one of his songs, he describes his feelings towards his former record label, Ruthless Records, saying: "F*** Ruthless, I'll never lend you a hand and I'm gonna make sure nobody ever signs with you again". Obviously he feels like he was used as he goes on to explain how he was "put on the shelf" by his label for 3 years and says, "I'm dope (as in cool) and this is my reward? That's whacker (as in worse) than the $500 you signed me for." I first discovered this artist as a YouTube subscriber. He had been cross-promoting his videos on different websites and social media outlets to great success. As the operator of his own pages and sites, he has the freedom to do whatever he wants with his music. Gone are his days of label oppression and exploitation.  Though Hopsin receives virtually no airtime on FM radio stations and is without a traditional record label, he is still able to rise in both album sales and popularity. After I learned of the way that artists are treated by record companies, I started to think about what they actually do for the artists they represent.

 Lots of pop sensations and breakout stars are basically used by their label. The artists are like a juicy orange brimming with potential that is squeezed and drained of all it's creativity and enthusiasm for the art. They are told, in many cases, what to say, how to act, and how to look. The labels build up these stars and throw them away after taking more than half of the money their music has made. It's a flawed system that will eventually fail if it's not improved. It is my opinion that record companies are not in the music business, but the money business. They look at talented young artists and all they see are dollar signs. But with or without record companies, the demand for music will always be high. The industry will continue to evolve and grow as new consumers look for cheaper, more easily-accessible ways of finding the music they love.

References
-http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/mtv-how-internet-killed-the-video-star-841393.html

-http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/youtube-killed-the-video-star

-http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-new-economics-of-the-music-industry-20111025