Is Music Really Dead? - It's Worse Than I Thought

[@mech14Nine]

The music biz has been gate keeper's and rigged for years, it is disgusting how horrible Mainstream has been, I feel no remorse for the downfall of the music biz, I hope it get's worse to the point of 100% gone. ALL LABELS ARE PARASITIC. NOBODY NEEDS THEM. NO ONE. They earn off your hard work. You are a cow to them most importantly they are the ones that hate you the most because 9 times out of 10 they never had success and need YOU to make a buck. Animals. Every single one. The day for musicians to control there own music is here. Reliance on Apple and Spotify is a graveyard for musicians. You will get paid NOTHING. I repeat NOTHING. NOTHING!!!!! Spotify, Apple has screwed willing artists for the last decade now. Labels do nothing. Nothing zero. Touring is the only cash flow aspiring artists get and even then its costly. Venue's now charge newcomer's outright on tours you pay the headliner! Sick on sick. Screw all of that, not a single creative musician deserves this treatment... Just my advice but never put your music on any music distributor or label. Sign nothing you do not have to. You do not need them. Never Pay for stage time. NEVER! Get paid. Period. Nothing is free and that means it starts with YOU. Nobody will read this anyways so the one or of two that made it this far I hope you learn something from the above:)

[@KrystofDreamJourney]

100 percent agree.

[@nine27]

Funny you mention this. The CEO of Spotify earned over 345 million this year. Yet artists get pennies. Direct to Consumer is the future. The days of the majors are definitely over and back catalog is all they have

[@DeiNostri]

I would not agree that ALL labels are parasitic. Some of my friends have labels to promote bands and loose money on it. They pretty much make it easier for their friends and bands in their scene to print records and merch to promote their material. It´s pretty much keeping a hobby alive and having a music scene in their area. Biggest indie festivals in sweden loose money (some of these labels and festivals even have had do crowdfunding to stay alive like Subkultfestivalen a festival in sweden), alot of indie labels are hobby projects loosing money or earning pocket money. Indie labels and indie organisers that do something out of love for music are pretty often good people. I often talk to label owners and bands (done that in Lido in Berlin, Subkultfestivalen in Vänersborg Sweden this summer). Alot of people in indiependent music scenes loose money, but at the same time they create a community of talented creative who share great memories together. I have fixed a couple of gigs myself and might have not lost much, but atleast 1000 euros (which I have worked overtime to get, plus those 10-20 hours a week getting things together) on creating gigs where bands I know perform (and sometimes my own project the same evening). You only get paid if your band and scene is big enough, I know events where the biggest bands get paid and the smaller ones get nothing. I get paid more and more often for gigs and that comes from having the right band members, people liking my bands music and organisers loosing money on booking a small indie band that gets a crowd of 50-100 people (and people not into that kind of music wont come to the venue since they don´t know what kind of music/band it is so the venue takes alot of money unless it is a decently known act).

[@MuzixMaker]

It’s not dead just use the Unison MIDI Chord Pack. Your music will be Pro Level. 🎉

[@risingphoenix1484]

😂😂🤣🤣

[@Nick-t5x]

You mean those annoying ads? 😆🤣

[@kiujay]

☠️☠️☠️💀💀💀

[@chayalexanderwright]

Lol

[@notgiven3114]

If that's a sarcastic smile-provoking answer, it's pretty funny. If it's serious, then you're a perfect illustration of why music is dead.

[@SONORSQ2guy]

I don’t like to even listen to music anymore. The radio is off in my car when I’m home. I never listen to it. Think I just outgrew it. Great video though. 👍

[@sole__doubt]

Thats the saddest thing Ive read in a long time. You might want to talk to someone about your depression issues.

[@cnilecnile6748]

I agree. I am the same way, haven't listened to the radio for years. In fact, it irritates me. The other thing I can't stand is having Taylor Swift's panty crotch shoved in my face non stop. THAT is the music industry now. you can't escape it.

[@RaptureMusicOfficial]

Listen to subculture/underground music, not mainstream modern music on radio.

[@zacatkinson3926]

You neve outgrow music, its not possible.... you're just not hearing anything new you like

[@mickelemineo6397]

Mate I don’t want to sound depressive, just my 2cent: people have their own bubble, Spotify, apple music, tiktok, instagram, facebook, all of these platforms create ISOLETED bubbles, we listeners don’t SHARE anything, everything is personalized in our own niche, fraction in fraction under fractions

[@phillamoore157]

There’s an incredible amount of truth to this. Back during mine and Barry’s “day”, we all heard it from the same source….FM Radio. And, all the FM stations across the country all played the same thing. Then when MTV hit, it that’s what we heard, and MTV had as much pull (if not more) than the labels did. Now, both those mediums are gone, and like you said perfectly, it’s all these little micro-bubbles of music. *But, what scared the hell out of me, that I’m STILL coming to terms with is what I heard that was “AI” generated just 2-3 days ago. I listen to a KZbin list as I’m working, and not necessarily paying attention to, and I heard some guys channel of a 2min snippet that was some of the best 80’s rock I’ve ever heard, and simply thought I missed, or flew under the radar back during the 80’s. It turns out it was one person, using something called udig, uidig (something weird like that). I had NOOOO idea AI was churning out music that good. I wanted to hate it due to it be AI generated, but it was killer. I STILL want to hate it, for obvious reasons. That scares me. I like that it was spot-on 80’s hair-metal, but I hate it that it wasn’t real musicians.*

[@rjkral]

@@phillamoore157I'm a professional composer for Hollywood (3 decades). So I'm definitely not one to WANT to say this but on KZbin I watched someone use AI to generate lyrics, then feed that to another AI to generate the song. I absolutely would have tagged it as a new favorite song instantly had I not known...it was absolutely brilliant. Darn.

[@phillamoore157]

@@rjkral Yup…what I heard was outstanding. I don’t know how it works. I only know what it “isn’t”. But, what I heard was spectacular.

[@CaptainIrvitron]

I think you’re right @mickelemineo6397 people today listen to music in their own bubbles. That’s probably why it’s harder for music to spread out and become hit songs as much as it used to. Less germination of the sounds & trends reaching outside ears… 🎶🎶🎶

[@DarkSideofSynth]

Boom! I've been saying that for years. There is no longer a real MAINstream. A very good thing on one hand, but with a few downsides as well. If we pass by a billboard walking on the street, we ALL see the same billboard, if we visit a website, we WON'T see the same banner, and we all have our own feed (it's not called like that by chance ; ) on our platforms: my Twitter is not your Twitter, my KZbin is not your KZbin. Even at concerts now people experience them by looking through their stupid phones...

[@federicoaschieri]

You nailed what we working artists know since long: the issue is that there is no a more a unified, trustable distribution channel. Social media is the new main channel, but it is random, and does not reward quality of music. We need an alternative to social media. I have been repeating that for years. Otherwise great music, which exists, remains niche, and ultimately dies.

[@Bluepilled-c5t]

You make very good points. But the “old industry” didn’t reward quality of music either. I say there is a distribution channel still in existence, and it’s still called the radio, the radio to record company connection. They choose crappy music mostly and they always have done.

[@federicoaschieri]

@@Bluepilled-c5t The problem of the old industry is that it was the only mechanism, so gatekeeping, not that it didn’t produce great music. Because that we like it or not, talent needs resources to be discovered and nurtured. If you leave the success of original artists to social media algorithms they will struggle and then give up. So we need also either a humanly curated distribution channel that supports great music or different social media. The problem that the industry has is that social media is the only promotion channel, so all music has to conform to what works there. So it is a vicious circle.

[@vincelupone]

So I was in a band that was starting to gain traction around 2010. We were playing shows to 500-1000 people in the AZ and CA metal scenes and selling boxes of T shirts and CDs at every show. What we saw was the beginning of the end for music as an art. With CDs sales dwindling, MySpace on the way out, and Guitar Hero fading, fans interest in music, specifically in buying music, was rapidly declining. As a band, we saw ourselves more as T-shirt salesmen than actual artists, which was troubling. Now, in 2024 - Ticketmaster owns your concert revenue, Spotify owns what would have been your album sales, and T-shirts cost $25 a piece to make. The free viral marketing of MySpace that was so good for bands no longer exists. With no Guitar Hero, kids are not hearing today’s Avenged Sevenfold or Dragonforce. So you can’t market easily or cheaply, you do not have young fans showing interest in your genre, and there is no money to be made because companies are snatching up every revenue stream imaginable. There is absolutely nothing left for the musician, and trying to start up as a musician is absolutely impossible for 99% of talented artists today. If you want to ‘make it’ as a musician in a business sense in 2024 you have to get good at going viral, or you’re relegated to ‘democore’ KZbinr status at best, and at that point you’re a gear salesman, not necessarily an artist creating amazing music. It’s not all doom and gloom, there are plenty of artists out there navigating this and making ends meet, but you’re not going to see another Queen, ZZTop, Metallica, Guns N Roses, etc., ever again until the industry has a massive shift in what we all find truly important in music.

[@jerryk3280]

It's not dead, it just smells funny 😆

[@johnallen6979]

FZ!

[@PierreNangi]

Bruh🤣

[@FloydFreud]

It used to be just Jazz...

[@ProGoTones]

I lost it all - dream home, wife & family at 40. In terms of hypergamy, the built in pre-selection only helps at the start, but has no positive impact IF fame & TONS of money are not eventually there. In fact, it has a NEGATIVE impact. Wives generally HATE a man playing gigs for basic money (weddings/function. = ~$15-30k/yr) to the point of compounding resentment. This is on TOP of a good paying “9-5” salary. 9/10 times a man WILL loose it all. And, you BET she already has at least one backup waiting…

[@thisoldgoat3927]

^^^Agreed, brother.

[@henrikpetersson3463]

It might be harsh, but you married the wrong girl or you messed up in some other way.

[@MrDavemiley]

I am doing a Solo act" One-Man band "with the use of a Computer/Sequencer set up as my back up band because I can't find any serious Bassist or drummers in my area !

[@pattardn]

JS Bach had 20 sons and daughters some of whom were more famous than him during their lifetime, even though none match his genius. A whole century had to pass before his music was to resurface accidentally and get (some of the) recognition it deserves. It is the way of the world: charisma, agenda, luck, whatever... Unfortunately, most great artists are destined to get washed by the wayside. Aspiring to become a successful artist is not an option anymore. I dreamt until I lost interest. Now at almost 59, I write music for personal challenge and enjoyment while income to sustain my younger family and me comes steadily from elsewhere. I'm a happier person now. All I do is to satisfy my soul. If it gets to be appreciated, that's a bonus.

[@teerexness]

And JS Bach's genius only existed thanks to the hard work of black blues musicians.

[@Frazer777]

So true. I always feel bad when I tell people that I've probably made more money playing Bach then he did. And that just ain't right...

[@henrikpetersson3463]

Bach did what he loved and had a good employment. World fame and recognition wasn't really a thing back then. He served god. He couldn't really have asked for more.

[@alexhulme6135]

Totally sidetracked by the STUNNING CONSOLE ONE AND BESPOKE WOODEN CASING!

[@z0OZ00OOO]

Thank you.. I was wondering what that was 😅

[@brhodes0]

And he never links to any music he makes with it…strange…

[@PurpleMusicProductions]

The title is a bit misleading in my humble opinion, but I agree, to find good music we have to search for it in an unconventional way.

[@seanmormelo01]

Great video brother. I just found your channel. I have been a professional musician not part-time but it’s been my soul and full-time vocation for 35 years. Toured around the world lived in Europe played over there. Wrote songs in Nashville lived there for five years got five cuts, blah blah blah blah blah. Ended up in Florida playing resorts on the beach, which was actually the most lucrative. However, I didn’t get into music to be some cover artist. I’m an artist and a songwriter myself first and foremost, and I rule the day that I ever started playing covered music and making a living because I got stuck in that spiral. Nashville was great. I learned a lot, and I definitely earned the respect of my peers wrote with number one songwriters and it showed me that I had what it took, but ultimately I couldn’t afford to be broke anymore. Wrote my last song in September 2012 after writing over 1000 songs in my life. Moved back to Florida to go to work and finish raising my kids. Now that they are raised I’m hoping to find that passion again that I once had but if I don’t, that’s fine. These days I enjoy being outside, making up for all the years I lost in the studio and practicing inside. As for great music, it’s always existed and we must seek it out. I like to find new artist speakers that’s what’s always inspired me. Keep up the good fight, and if God put the desire to create in you, you will be miserable unless you succumb and do , you were meant to

[@azeedogz]

The part about balancing family and passion. That hit me like a brick to the face. Real talk! Love your take on the subject!

[@z0OZ00OOO]

Music won't die until people stop listening. Music business needs to change.

[@Itsjoemaddock]

My band The Plastic Cherries is trying to put out thoughtful, fun stuff. Our local scene here in SLC & Boise has responded pretty well so far. I do miss the days of alternative rock bands getting huge deals in a way, but I don’t think music will ever fully die. It’s too much a part of us as humans.

[@nikola.kovacevic]

Hey Barry, how did you get the new Console 1 fader? When is it coming out?

[@PacificIslandDrive]

The primary factor that has drastically changed all art, is total saturation. Back in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, we had a VERY limited amount of entertainment choices. Music Albums/Radio, TV, and Cinema, were the three primary choices of entertainment, and what became commercially available, was even more limited in choice. If a new great TV show, film, or song/album was release, everyone was talking about it, and wanted it (especially if it was a style/type of art you enjoyed) Even minor success, with a cult following, was a fairly good paycheck back then. Juxtaposition, today we have literally billions of choices of art and entertainment (a literal sea of choices all vying for our tiny attention span). All of them are instant via our computers, smartphones, tablets, smart TV’s, etc (i.e. total saturation). Furthermore, with A.I. coming, it’s only going to become more saturated, and cheaper/easier for virtually anyone to create it. The hard reality is, the more saturated any art, or entertainment, becomes, and easier/cheaper it is to develop, the less the value and attention-span, for the consumer. In turn, the lower the financial return to the artist/creator. Sure, there always will be a few artist/creators, that have that special something (i.e. viral success), that will make them more successful than the other 99.99%, however, the days of being a new and financially secure cult artist, are long gone.

[@mk1st]

Right, the friction built into the system of having to move and sell actual physical units kept things slowed down a bit so you could kinda keep up with everything new.

[@PacificIslandDrive]

@@mk1st On the positive, literally anyone can release and sell art/entertainment today (no gatekeepers), and for pennies on the dollar. Before the internet, and advanced computer technology, producing, releasing, and selling art/entertainment, took total dedication, serious money, and usually moving to an entertainment hub city (LA, NY, UK, etc). For most, it wasn’t something that you could do on a whim, as opposed to today.

[@ghost-user559]

But one thing to add, everything is changing. Ebooks mean book publishers are basically unimportant, but literally anyone can publish now for no upfront cost on printing. And Content creators are now relying on crowd funding for their content. And so are comic books and inventors and movies. The whole world has changed. Music is just a part of that. The new buzzword is “direct to consumer”, and it basically applies to all industries now, from soap makers to music producers. All the various digital markets mean a lot of different products in a lot of different places and platforms. Just because the centralized market is fading, doesn’t mean those industries are gone, you just need to know where to look.

[@sole__doubt]

"Just because the centralized market is fading, doesn’t mean those industries are gone, you just need to know where to look." Most people who have full time jobs and families, you know the people who have money, dont have time to sift through the mountain of mediocrity that is modern art. As much as people hate to admit it the big companies were a way of maintaining quality control. This is especially true in music. Im a session guitar player and I have a hard time finding new music that is actually worth buying.

[@ghost-user559]

@@sole__doubt Yeah I think there is definitely something to be said for the quality control of the old guard, but then again there was a lot of innovation that was stifled by those same groups, and many hyper talented writers and artists and musicians that we will never see or hear about simply because they were not in the top 10, which is less about talent and more about nepotism or brand recognition a lot of the time. But what is an “industry”? Is it the people who make the music, or the people who listen to it? Certainly the least important part is the people who sell it. They are essentially middle men who snuck in and took over, and they were once necessary with the upfront cost of making music. And we will all have to adapt to the lack of centralized control, which became a crutch for consumers. But the point is when did we become nothing but “consumers”? It used to be if you cared enough to know more then you would seek out the talent in your local area. People are complacent because it’s been given to them on a silver platter for so long. There are still taste makers and critics who can point out new talent and guide people to upcoming artists. But there is also a direct line of communication with the artists and their fan base that was impossible before the internet. We can actually reach out and talk to them or work with them now. That alone is worth losing the gatekeepers.

[@sole__doubt]

@@ghost-user559 "...many hyper talented writers and artists and musicians that we will never see or hear about simply because they were not in the top 10" Sure talent fell through the cracks and that usually comes down to work ethic. Im a graphic artist and the one who made it to the top were the hardest workers who had some talent, not the inverse. Thats true for all the arts. "But what is an “industry”? Is it the people who make the music, or the people who listen to it? Certainly the least important part is the people who sell it" I guess it depends on the times. Now with the internet, the middle men have lost power but as we can all see that wasnt a good thing. Music is at best a side job now since no one can make enough to only do music and so the art suffers. "They are essentially middle men who snuck in and took over, and they were once necessary with the upfront cost of making music." No thats just negative spin. They were people who worked hard and gained a reputation and capitalized on it. "And we will all have to adapt to the lack of centralized control, which became a crutch for consumers" Again more negative spin. It was a seal of approval from people in a position to know more than the consumer, a position they earned. Most people dont have the time or energy to sift through the sea of mediocrity that is modern music. "But the point is when did we become nothing but “consumers”?" We always were, its just that now thats a problem because no one can afford to go to concerts and buy the t shirts. We called it being a "fan" but we were always just consumer of the product. " It used to be if you cared enough to know more then you would seek out the talent in your local area. " Im a 46 yo guitar player and that was only true because you had no other option. The internet wasnt like it is now so you had to look to local talent. "People are complacent because it’s been given to them on a silver platter for so long. There are still taste makers and critics who can point out new talent and guide people to upcoming artists" Most people arent that into music and dont have the time to look into this stuff. The internet has diluted the tastemaker and critic "industry" too along with everything else. "But there is also a direct line of communication with the artists and their fan base that was impossible before the internet." Thats not a big deal to me. Id rather have great music and not be able to communicate directly, instead of all the mediocrity we see with direct to consumer music. It also added to the mystique of the artist and made them seem larger than life which I truly miss. "We can actually reach out and talk to them or work with them now. That alone is worth losing the gatekeepers." I couldnt possibly disagree more and I bet more often than not these social media profiles from truly talented artists are being run by some one else. Its just another illusion and its sad that people are falling for it.

[@jasonsheppard-v5k]

I have lived this, pounded the OC CA scene in my 20's, 1990 to 2000 walked away at 30, married my wife, raised a family, became an Industrial Journeyman Electrician, now the kids are grown, found myself bored and beer intake was getting out of hand LOL, Now I am back at it having a great time in my bedroom studio.

[@BrentIraEnman]

"Making it" as a musician has always been hard historically and only the cream rose to the top. Now there's a plethora of brilliant technical musicians and it seems like the cream sinks to the bottom in terms of popularity. I would definitely tell my kid to have a backup plan of some sort if they're going to pursue a career in music. Whether it's a 2-year degree or 4-year degree or culinary school, something cuz it's probably like hitting the lottery now in terms of being able to make a living a good living being a musician these days

[@SoundKilterStudio]

Again, 100% agreed sir! You hit the nail on the head when it comes to myself anyways. I pay ZERO attention to whats playing of Apple Music/I-Tunes (whatever its called now 🙄), Spotify or any other streaming service! Now I'm 42. So I was in the last generation of kids who actually had to purchase the physical album (tapes/cd's at the time) if you wanted to listen to a bands new music, other than on the radio of course. And we would sit down in front of our CD players ("boom box"), or with headphones, and listen through the ENTIRE album! While I absolutely do NOT agree with the "gatekeeper"-record label method how the industry was handled in the past, streaming has absolutely destroyed the industry! Especially the rock/metal industry.

[@angermanagementstudios]

Couldn’t agree more mate. I’m 44 next week and still collect cds and vinyl!

[@talenwaver]

There's a tonne of artists out there playing live on the road. They're not making millions but they're playing full rooms and festivals all over the U.S. and Canada. Theatres and the arena and stadium in my city are constantly booked. The theatres are usually booked by bands I've never heard of but are sold out. You go online to look them up and nothing comes up until you go to their socials where you see 40 dates listed and constant sessions being had etc... it's just something you have to actively look for nowadays as opposed to turning on the radio and hearing the 10 artists that are on it or the Classic Rock stations playing the exact same playlist on loop every day.

[@beitenh]

The music that died is the one that fed idolatries and bombastic subcultures, fertile ground for many. Although within the new music there is music for spiders, the music is more alive than ever.

[@TannerByTheSea]

Man- that’s Softtube river’ mixer encasement looks awesome dude 👍🏼 Good video, Barry

[@traezaX1]

Was trynna figure out what it was 😂😂😂

[@TannerByTheSea]

@@traezaX1 yo T Thas what I’m finding out.. find your rhythm & custom shop that rig- unfortunately we gotta buy a couple things.. sell a couple things to get to our ‘settled spot. Barry gets it

[@mk1st]

All of my three daughters listen to music (two of them have good taste:-) but they have this incredibly annoying habit of switching tracks mid track. I think this is emblematic of the way "the kids" listen to music nowadays. It's just an extension of the infinite internet scroll - everything there but not enough time to digest it. It'll be a cold day in hell before any of them sit and listen to an album all the way through.

[@daveduffy2823]

We live in the video age. Music is just background now. It’s not like when we were kids. Music today is used to enhance an experience, usually video. Anyway, there is always live music somewhere, where I can enjoy it. For instance, this weekend I’m going to an Octoberfest. There is live music in the beer tent and that enhances the experience. This is where we are now.

[@BenJohnson-aka-TheVoiceFM]

How is it that you already have a Softube Fader mkiii? I'm still waiting for it to be available. Who do you know? 😮😊

[@BarryJohns]

I’ll be song a review shortly on launch day.

[@nelsonramos208]

Just heard Rick Beato’s Top 10 Spotify and I'm not impressed.

[@BL-zw5oi]

Barry, great video. What’s the name of that mixer to your left in the video if you don’t mind sharing? 🤔

[@BarryJohns]

I have all three versions of Icon’s control surfaces I’m testing, reviews soon.

[@BL-zw5oi]

@@BarryJohns thanks. Already found and watching your video on one of them from 7 months ago 🙏🏽

[@stillavenue]

Yooo you gonna ship those Console 1 mounts to Canada?? Gonna order my Fader this week

[@BarryJohns]

Eventually.

[@tonyclaws6100]

You nailed it. Select Music was offered to us by a human element in limited quantities. Radio played a big part of reminiscing how old songs make you feel again. A lot of that AM radio gold of the 70s was played in car radios or transistor radios, boom boxes at the beach, the mountains, or when you were having outdoor experiences. That's the reason those classic songs will often bring back good memories.

[@ProjectDestiny-Mikael]

I have been writing music for a while now, and getting heard as a new artist is very difficult. Either way I will continue to write and work with other artists on creating new music and getting the word out there.

[@brittmurray9818]

Sorry - I know you said words during this video, but I was enamored with, and staring at the Console One stand with epoxy? That's beautiful! Where can one grab one of those? (I'm so looking forward to upgrading to the new Console 1 fader...) Thanks!

[@BarryJohns]

I made it, I’m thinking about offer them for sale, but want to make some changes.

[@brittmurray9818]

@@BarryJohns Nicely done! Looks great.

[@sumerianliger]

Back in 2008, when music over the internet was something young people had grown up with, there was a big thing of kids listening to older music. 14 year olds with Rolling Stones or Nivana t-shirts, teens telling their parents about "this amazing band called Fleetwood Mac, have you heard of this?". It made sense because the internet makes everything equally accessible; old and/or obscure music is as reachable through KZbin or Google as the most heavily promoted new thing is. I was encouraged by this because I predicted interesting fusions of styles dominating the charts. 16 years later, that's not happening. Most of the most-streamed music sounds the way a lukewarm shower feels, and most of the music with life in it is a rehash of classic rock, if not straight up covers.

[@KyleBevis-u7j]

I agree with your thoughts about the cost. I feel like we should all be paying WAY more for art. Streaming both music and video. Dunno how you keep it in the hands of the artists tho? Artist owned platforms perhaps?

[@DevourTheBleak]

I’m discovering incredible new artists…only I could discover on KZbin. Subscription services have not introduced me to any new bands I like, just use it to listen to my collection digitally

[@suitcaselounge]

Dear Barry, I am personally convinced that a new paradigm will be possible only when its predecessor is finally destroyed. In the meantime we can only resist, waiting for everything to be accomplished.

[@dinamho]

Thanks, I'm really motivated to finish my long overdue music project , I needed that boost. 😅😅

[@Marmelo01]

I can't tell you much. I live in southern Europe and don't know much about the music world. However, I can claim that the music is definitely alive, we just have to look for it and when we find good music we have to encourage and help the musicians, either by going to their shows or spreading their music everywhere. I want to congratulate you for finding my favorite band "The Warning". I have been following them for six years, I buy their music, I disclose them on social media, I am a patron of the band and contribute in crowdfundings. About three years ago, they signed with Lava Records and have kept their independence as to the music they make! Thanks for mentioning The Warning and greetings from Portugal! Subbed!

[@Bluepilled-c5t]

Algorithms of KZbin and Spotify are awesome. I discover music I never heard before all the time. Never been a better system for it.

[@partymarty6969]

Go back pre-internet era and still you’ll find *most music groups signed to major labels were the ones making a lot of money in Music Retail while most unsigned/independent music groups were making no money at all.* Nothing has really changed except the fact that *unsigned/independent artists can now get their music out to the masses easier with a much more affordable startup cost.*

[@tonyvalenti6614]

Again I think you are right! First about record companies who not only controlled what we got, but killed the multi album sets. On the other hand in a sense I think we did this to ourselves starting with Napster wanting free music which led to more choice and subscriptions. It kind of like TV now. We have too many channels and subscriptions where it takes more time to find a show we like than the time it takes to watch it. You right, music is directed at us from algorithms that likely (I’m guessing) are tied to some artist payment. Like TV, finding what you like is difficult. Of course young people like decades ago tend to share a lot about their favorites. As for DJ’s, I agree they had control, but not at the level of record companies. We had many (well relatively many for those days) radio stations to choose from so I think there was some competition for listenership. Great little video mini-series Barry!

[@henrikpetersson3463]

The problem is that people are selling custom shop products at Temu prices. Few people believe there is value in anything these days. And if you don't value yourself, who will?

[@harryharris1619]

As Rick Beato recently pointed out that from the 100 top plays in spotify there were only 3 real bands that made the list. There will always be 'bands' however it seems that solo artist is now the thing. With that goes large productions and songs that are written with multiple pro songwriters (not just one or two). To me this has developed into a formula that has become more or less benal. The production or intertainment side of things has become more important than the music. That maybe a generalization but does seem to be the way things are going. There are still gems to be found that just stand and play their music but that really is not where the 'music business' is now.

[@foxrobinsonwordpresswebsit6262]

Listening to music (All that is required to do this) can be as active or passive as we want it to be. I love Spotify's radio option (Finding a song from a band I previously hadn't heard of and then generating a radio playlist from it) and have found many new songs I like from it. I hear new music I like because I seek it out in a way that works for me.

[@BarneyBorovoski]

how come you have the softube faders mk3, kkk??

[@BarryJohns]

Say what?😎

[@wesleybrehm9386]

Can anyone help out? I feel like streamers used to introduce me to new music constantly. Now it feels like I hear the same 100 or so songs no matter what genre I choose. I even deleted the likes on every song on Spotify to see if that would help. Alas, after about a year and not ‘liking’ any songs, Spotify is back to playing more or less the same songs as nauseam. Is there a good way to keep variety in music on Spotify?

[@RogerMelodicMusic]

BOLLOCKS it’s NOT dead I’m 60 and I’m discovering and have discovered some superb new music in the last 3 or so years…Here we GO…HAEVEN a dutch band 2 main guys are the core with superb song structure/melodic and lots of emotion pure class…RHODES a UK male singer songwriter incredible songs…LUCY SPRAGGAN a UK female singer songwriter well written with catchy melodic songs and skillfully constructed…JACKSON DEAN a U.S. country/rock singer songwriter only 23 years old mega talented superb songs…HOLLOW COVES an Australian male duo with the sound similar to early Simon and Garfunkel very melodic and reflective. 👍😃👍

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

Agree, there's loads of good bands. He should just say the music industry is dead... In terms of the business side. I think he does come to this conclusion in this video.

[@Electrohedron]

I liked using the every noise at once website for finding new music, but it is suspended now, and I think limited to only spotify material. I used to discover experimental electronic music simply by going to unique events in LA back in the 90's, or listening to college radio stations.

[@chadmiller8725]

The body hasn't bloated yet, but the flies are all over it. As a life long musician and music addict I for one at 60 find 90% of personally enjoyable interesting bands and creators via Band Camp. I still spin in rotation a massive collection of actual vinyl to fill the increasing void of easier to find quality new music. Things are a bit stale out there, but if you are hungry and really crave well crafted music then one has to put in the time and work to locate it in what I call the "musical valley of fatigue". The reward is out there almost every time I spend a long late evening perusing as I almost always find something pretty damn enjoyable even with my calcified hardened musical ears.

[@REMcVey]

Not everyone is a musician or passionate about music. Regardless of the medium there is incredible music to be found, if you seek it out. I can remember spending hours at a time in Tower Records discovering new records, tapes, cds of Jazz, Fusion, World music, classical… but every generation of really good music has been buried behind what was popular at the time. It hasn’t changed in that sense today with streaming and various media. 😊

[@fieryeagle9748]

The music BUSINESS is rotten, but that doesn't mean music is dead. There's also independent Indy labels that actually help musicians because they are also made by musicians. Talking about these major livestream platforms is talking about 3% of all the music that exists in this world. And if it wasn't for music and my favorite artists helping me fight deep depression through all my life with their messages and inspiration, I would've been long gone... Don't ever say music is dead.

[@mikeormsby6385]

Death Of Music? SO how about that big elephant in the music industry lounge? You know, the one about the music industry dying, being at its deathbed, breathing it’s last. How digital is killing it, the Internet is killing it, MP3 is killing it, file sharing is killing it. Actually, strictly speaking, it’s not the elephant in the room, because that would mean that ALL know it but NO ONE speaks about it…and EVERYONE speaks about THIS issue. Those who should, and those who really shouldn’t. Those whose knowledge and understanding of the industry’s past and present enables them and entitles them to speak, AND those whose ignorance compels them to speak. You know the cycle - ignorance breeds arrogance, and arrogance breeds mindless audacity, and mindless audacity breeds broad but shallow opinions, miles wide and an inch deep. Of course, as it often is the case in the society in general, the latter are usually louder and publically more numerous, so their opinion prevails and drowns out everything else. And so we got to “the death of the music industry” chorus, echoing through the endless hallways of the media and the cyberspace. But regardless of all the noise those messengers of the industry’s death are making, for good twenty years now, the music industry is still here and is not going anywhere, especially not to the great beyond. To paraphrase Mark Twain: the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated, the industry says, as it goes about its business. No, it’s not the same as twenty or thirty years ago. It’s not the same today as it was yesterday. What is? It’s changing, evolving, adopting to the new world and the new markets as it has done throughout its history. Oliver Wendell Holmes, an iconic United States Supreme Court judge from the early 1900s, once said, commenting on one of the Supreme Court cases: “A page of history is worth a volume of logic”. And he is right. History itself validates and justifies this truth. The facts of history will always be more potent and compelling indicators than logic, of the true nature of the situation and the realities now and to come. So let’s look at that page for a second and see what’s there regarding music industry. Doomsayers and naysayers have always been with us, especially at the pivotal, changing moments in the history of the industry. Some were even great music figures. John Philip Sousa, for instance, a star of the music scene in late 19th and early 20th century, the American March King, loudly opposed and demonized the recording technology, and boldly prophesized the doom of music because of it. “These talking machines are going to ruin the artistic development of music in this country”, he said. “The country band with its energetic renditions, its loyal support by local merchants, its benefit concerts, end so on, is apparently doomed to vanish in the general assault on personality in music”, he angrily opined. And then, the recording industry made him into a superstar that he was, and made him and his band pretty well off, to say the least, the income that aided him to continue making his music and to share it with the world. Didn’t return any checks to the Victor record label that issued numerous of his band’s recordings. And the music played on. In the 1920s radio entered the picture, and together with all the economic changes in the country, seemingly threatened to decimate the industry. In the early 30s, record sales plummeted to mere 6% of what they were in the previous decade. 6%. And doomsayers and naysayers were everywhere, of course. Radio is killing the music industry. Why would anyone buy records if they can hear it for free on the radio? It’s over. And it wasn’t. Radio became the closest ally, a great partner, a business conduit and a significant income stream for the music industry. And the music industry went about its business, in spite of all the rumors of its immanent death. And music played on. And then when those two industries became allies (the radio and the recording industry) and radio switched from live musicians to records, musicians union cried foul, and saw it as the end of the musicians’ livelihood, and the end of the live music industry, because playing live on radio was such a significant income source for them that without it they would have to change professions, and there goes the live music industry with it. Radio and records are killing music they cried out. And in 1942 went on strike against both, and for two years, from 1942-1944 no union musician recorded or did radio in the United States. The end is near. And yet the industry went about its business, and the musicians didn’t change professions, and they got union recording contracts, and the recording activities and income eventually became a regular part of their livelihood, and the music played on. And then came the 60s, and the dropping out of the society, and the drug culture, and the communes, and the free love and free everything else, and though 400,000 came to Woodstock, the festival lost money, and the doomsayers and naysayers were everywhere again. These young people can’t afford a haircut, much less records and concert tickets. It is over for the industry. If we are counting on these fans to buy music, and they are leaving the society in droves and joining the lala land where money doesn’t exist, then it’s game over. But industry went about its business, and the 70s came, and music played on, louder and more alive than ever before. And then a cassette tape came, and the doomsayers and naysayers were positive it was the Armageddon of the industry again. Why would they buy, if they can just tape it from the radio, or from their friends’ records? It is the end indeed. And yet the music played on. And then a digital audio tape came, and a recordable CDs came, and larger and cheaper hard drives came, and MP3s came, and P2Ps and Napster came, and there was that doomsayers’ cry over and over again - the barbarians are at the gates, now it’s over for sure. And yet, time and time again, music industry went about its business, and music played on. And here we are today. “Death of the music industry” chorus echoes through the halls once again. And music still plays on. On more stages, and in more homes, and in more cars, and through more services, on more devices, by more artists and for more fans than ever before. So tell me, you think it’s over? History speaks louder and truer than any logic we can conjure. And what does it tell you about the music industry and its doomsayers? Judge for yourself. All of which, by the way, doesn’t change the true nature of music, which is not only our product, but the essence of our industry as well. Or at least, it should be the essence of the industry. Because all our industry is, its whole purpose, is to facilitate the communication between the artists and the world, while allowing the artists the benefit of livelihood so they can continue creating, and music can keep on playing. That’s it. And that’s all. Not fame. Not fortune. Not expense accounts, private jets, and penthouse parties. That may or may not be there, but if that’s our sole motivation, if that’s our true impetus, then we need to rethink the whole thing and perhaps pick some other industry to be a part of. Gambling industry comes to mind. Maybe banking? But not music. Because at its best, music is not just amusement or entertainment. It’s much larger that that, much more powerful that that. It is nothing less then a miracle, as archaic and arcane as that may sound. Because when a vibrating molecule of air tickles your eardrum, and makes you weep or rejoice or dance or stop dead in your tracks, I don’t know what else to call it but a miracle. And because unlike anything else that we know, it speaks directly to our soul, crossing all of those boundaries of the physical form and image, and of language, color, gender, generation. It can say what no words can say, and show what no image can show. It speaks the language beyond language, and tells the stories that transcend the tactile and the ordinary, which connect us all with an invisible thread that is stronger than the strongest chord. And with THIS flowing through its veins, it’s not just business. It’s the business of music, and that’s not an ordinary business. The danger lies in a temptation to make music a means for a business end, instead of the other way around. Business is here because of music, and not music because of business. When that gets mixed up, when music becomes just a mean, just another product, and given human condition, it happens more often than not, music itself suffers. It gets reduced to a can, a package, a pretty cover, to a pathetic, predictable, pedestrian shadow of itself, and becomes a street walker, fast food for the soul, that does more harm than good, no matter how much money it makes in the market. You know that music. You all heard it. On the airwaves and in the cyberspace. And you instinctively recognize it. You may not admit that’s what it is, because it tastes good and it goes down easy, but it’s empty and mute. It doesn’t nourish, it doesn’t say anything. It just is. Because business needs something to sell. No genre is immune to its numbing sting. And it has been with us ever since the beginning of the industry. Refuse to be a part of such travesty. Be involved with artists you truly believe in, and be committed to music that moves you, that speaks to you, music that you understand and love, something really productive, meaningful, and stimulating, which is what music industry was always meant to be and should be. Remember, business because of music, not music because of business. Simple, like all the great things.

[@froorocks100]

TL:DR

[@mypetdrgn]

Write a book mate, but not here

[@CaptainIrvitron]

@@mypetdrgnToo late, he already wrote a book… 😮

[@extremotionaltrouffas]

@@CaptainIrvitron Lol, he really did though.

[@CaptainIrvitron]

@@extremotionaltrouffas 😱

[@teashea1]

It would be good if Congress would pass legislation establishing a minimum payment for each stream.

[@BobbyGeneric145]

We need LESS LEGISLATION

[@Hilaire_Balrog]

@@BobbyGeneric145 Agreed,the government getting involved will historically fuck things up. Look at healthcare

[@catfishcooler1566]

How much should I pay to listen to a song one (1) time? It is 2024 and millions of original songs are available to listen to for free. More than I could EVER listen to. How much should I pay to listen to that song just once? Pennies? Dimes? Dollars?

[@Acemechanicalservices]

Yes, let’s introduce more government! What a stellar idea! That’s what rock and roll needs!

[@BobbyGeneric145]

@@Acemechanicalservices The Division of Rock, a branch of the Bureau of Labor Statistics!

[@CarlosKTCosta]

Riddle me this: I know there are a lot of rock and metal bands in Portugal and I also know gig spots are either closing or just featuring Tributes and Cover bands because people just don't go out to watch smaller original rock and metal bands. How this this work?

[@MattyDRx]

Rather Zombie. Undead. Soulless. But still walking.

[@GeorgeAmodei21]

Spoken exactly hows it's going. Yes like you said back in our days w/ RECORD LABELS & Music being Played on the RADIO which we all listed to at Home & Car. The DJ's would announce the NEW RELEASE of a curtain BANDS SONG even though it was out for months as we owned the Record or CD. I noticed your Panels you made BARRY :) George Amodei ( 58 yrs old ) Old School/New School

[@styleschangemanagement8606]

You got this one right .. most people have no idea about the sacrifice's needed to be made.. Jobs , Collage , relationships, family ,Children, Plus much more.. I sacrificed all of these and gave it everything .. 24 bands, Non stop for 30 plus years.. all for nothing .. Well, I got a big pile of recordings and albums and great songs .. but never saw a penny... This Art form is not for the weak , You must have amazing talent and creativity before you even start and you should also know talent has Nothing to do with with achieving success in this Music Business .. its 99% luck

[@deadpoetlive]

Better memories than an accountant though, I guess.

[@DanteWilliams728]

Barry is 100% correct on this one. The industry is very crooked, that’s why it doesn’t seem like there’s any good music. KZbin’s algorithm is also part of the problem.

[@Precisionetica]

The people who are running the “ industry “ it for sure don’t love the art form. They give anyone a contract who will essentially whore out the art.

[@DanteWilliams728]

@@Precisionetica It all started with Ticket Master. Every business started modeling themselves after them with merging, corporate greed and high prices.

[@Fostext]

Barry I’m curious, are you wondering if we’re going to live through another Beatles, Zepplin, Hendrix kind of renaissance? I was a kid/teen in 90s. It was wild seeing metal and then grunge take off. Going from Metallica to Nirvana was really cool! I think we’d all love to see some huge explosion in musical genres. However to temper expectations, we might not see a “big bang” again. We might just see incremental changes, like we do with visual art. And with Ai, creative people generally dislike Ai generated art and music for the most part. It’s why so many people are going back to analog again. And speaking of finding good bands, I think you can talk to people in all age ranges in all types places and use all sorts of online platforms. This exposes you to a wide range of music, and essentially confuses the algorithm (for the better) When it comes to new bands who are really talented and doing pretty well touring: Daniel Romano’s Outfit, The Bad Nerves… And as much as Spotify really hurts artists, the record industry was doing a big disservice to bands even back in the early 2000’s, making it so bands really had to be popular enough to tour, Pack Medium sized clubs and sell some merch along the way. It seems this is how it still has to be done (while evading ticket master/livenation). And that is shame that recording music isn’t something that can really make an income for bands. I played in bands 20 years ago. It was so much fun, and thankless

[@DjNikGnashers]

Great video. New music genres and sounds, have historically only evolved because of new instruments or new ways of using (and abusing) previous instruments. Everything currently has been done a thousand times already, going round and round in circles, rehashing the same tired sounds, same song structures, and all singing the same lame, rinsed lyrics. I have not only been a DJ since 1980, and have qualifications in music technology, I also play real instruments and sing myself. I have found myself performing covers of 60's and 70's music, simply because the songs are the original of the genres, and the lyrical content is far in advance of modern lyrics, the wordplay, the complexity, and the depth of meaning, all way in advance of the lazy lyrics written today. Edit : Oh and before some gen z troll posts something like "you're just an old man, or some other lame shit, I have produced and performed as a DJ, every style of music, right up to the latest electronic dance genres, from HipHop to Jungle, Hardcore breaks to House. Until new sounds are somehow created, then new music cannot be created.

[@sireel]

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.

[@mk1st]

Yep, just saw them in Milwaukee. Amazing!

[@garybrowe]

I took the summer off from music to write a book. At least with the ebook industry if you can get someone interested and they like the sample you have a good chance of making a sale. If the sale is $5 it’s still more money than I get from streaming. I have no idea if I’ll be successful, but can’t hurt to try something different.

[@americanbigelow]

Thanks for the video, Barry. My question is: If you're making music and loving doing it, how can you say it's not going well? If we use the time we spend worrying about the state of music actually making music, I bet music will be fine. Anyone who thinks music is dead is right about that as far as their concerned but no one else. Music is only dead for people not doing the work.

[@risingphoenix1484]

Honestly the problem is most artist are flaky and undisciplined from my experience. They typically don't have the other skills. What am I talking about? Business skills.... marketing, finance, sheer hustle, embracing failure and rejection, money management, networking, etc.... Master P's recent interview on how he made it in the the music industry is an interview I think every artist should listen to. What artist have to learn they are in the music business hence they need to treat their artistry as a business. That means they need to learn how to monetize it and take it seriously. Stay off the drugs, learn how marketing works, take social media seriously, how to merchandise, definitely understand copyright laws, trademarking, It means you run a business not a art experience. One of the best pieces advice I ever got was from a mentor who said, "All the people in your life you want to help you can't if you're broke, so manage your money so you won't go broke helping the people you need to help." This is why producers imo are often more successful than artist... they typically run their operation like a business. Honestly there is no better time to be an independent artist as long as you are taking it very serious and you are operating it like a business.

[@peytosounds-kb3ds]

As far as searching for music. I use the free spotify and the recommended music I will make note of songs I like from it and add to a playlist to further listen to later and decide if they are actually songs I like! It's not perfect I still don't listen to music anywhere near as much as I used to before but yeah it's a good way to find music. Take notes!

[@luciusblackwood2640]

It started to die when there was no longer any money it. Everyone kind of knows most musicians are poor now, even well known touring bands. Kids don't dream of being poor. Rockstar = make less money than most other people do.

[@digitaldesigner5284]

Musicians today will make money playing live like it was in the 50s and such.

[@Frazer777]

That's because there was no recorded music to play on fancy systems back in the 50s. Today a restaurant/bar owner will just play a Spotify stream over their bluetooth speaker and save themselves a fortune.

[@johnplainsong9769]

Yes! Please recommend some albums or groups to check out!

[@phillamoore157]

Well said, Barry. The 70’s/80’s culture that gave us so much incredible music imploded on itself, as so often happens with an over abundance of indulgence. And, that indulgence, narcissism, and greed created a resent that manifested itself in the grunge movement. Which at its VERY beginnings was kinda cool (i.e. Alice In Chains). But, then it turned into a bunch of fatherless, talentless, utterly MISERABLE, drug-addicts trying to use music as a venue to push a movement of self-hatred, and professional-victimization, the 2nd/3rd generations of which, live on to this very day. It’s been like that for a LOOOOONG time, though. For those who lived through the 70’s/80’s you can’t even BEGIN to describe the culture. Back when you listen to music on a real stereo, through a stereo SYSTEM that had speakers with 12” woofers in a cabinet made out of wood. People today aren’t even listening to music in a manner that makes sense. A recording made in a $50million dollar studio for kids to listen to on their cellphone. And, when you put the RECORD on the turntable, you did it with ultimate care as to not get any fingerprints on the delicate vinyl, and you read all the liner notes on the jacket, while the album played. Two types of people reading this comment… Those who know EXACTLY what I’m talking about, and those who I may as well be speaking French to. And, therein lies the message, IMO….there is NO culture today. If anything, there’s this weird, utterly-inexplicable, resentful (of what I have no idea), toxic, self-loathing, miserable, UNBELIEVABLY-hateful, counter-culture, that’s anything, BUT “counter” (i.e. 70’s rockstars who made career’s out of their “anti-Vietnam”, “give peace a chance” movement, who now make KZbin videos talking about how angry they are that “the Trump shooter missed”). Never-MIND great music….how does ANYTHING good come from that?!? In the 80’s, NO ONE was giving political messages with their music, or at their shows (you would’ve gotten your @ss kicked for that, because 70’s/80’sconcerts were parties and places to meet hot women, not assemblies for professional-victims), but I digress. It was a huge party full of happy people, GREAT players, chasing some VERY pretty faces. People cared how they looked, and how they communicated was equally important. So, the annihilation of an otherwise happy culture is sh!t-storm #1. The music was a RESULT of that culture, and now that’s completely gone. In many ways it imploded, as much as it was destroyed (a whole separate conversation). *And, what’s worse, yet (sh!t-storm #2) is the music that AI is generating is absolutely terrifying, and that’s an understatement.* I wanted to hate what I heard from an 80’s channel the other day, but it was absolutely STELLAR. I remember being angry at myself for liking what I heard, which at its roots was soul-less, button-pushing crap, from a kid in a basement somewhere. At face-value, it was EXACTLY the kind of music I love….to a “tee”. I initially thought I found a killer new band paying homage to 80’s hair-metal…some sort of REALLY good parody, or maybe a band I just missed back in the day, due to over-saturation of the genre (which became a HUGE problem back then, as well)but…….NOPE. It was some dude using udig, or uidig (or something like that). It’s REAL simple. Art……ALL art is a reflection of our culture, for better or worse. You take a look at the soul-less, nihilistic, self-loathing, co-dependent, entitled, dumpster-fire that is America today, and it ALL makes perfect sense. Just like how the Hollywood strip looks today is completely unrecognizable from what it was circa ‘87. Short of the facade AI is churning out, you can’t possibly have a good result artistically with a culture like that. Misery can create some great emotional music, but what’s happening today is unbridled, hypocrisy-laden, hate. Nothing get’s created under those circumstances, hence why the best of what’s being heard is via a piece of software. The f^^king software is happier, and more inspired than the helmet-wearing, skateboarder using it. And, it’s infected everything. I hope I live long enough to see it come full-circle some day.*

[@JD-vj4go]

You just like what you grew up with just like everyone else. In 30 years some old guy is going to rant about why metal core was better than the music of 2054. My man, Soctrates was complaining about the kids way back when. Also there was plenty of angry political music in the 70s and 80s. The sunset strip was about fashion and partying so of course it was shallow.

[@phillamoore157]

@@JD-vj4go If you’re offended…then you’re EXACTLY who I’m talking to/about. I’m used to your level of stupidity, but, giving credit where it’s due…how in the world you’ve found a way to type with one hand down your pants, while living under a rock, is rather impressive. Even if the only thing you managed to type was some left-wing version of “Nuh-uh, dude!”. And, I do envy your generation’s narcissism. It’s as bone deep as your entitlement, hypocrisy, and co-dependence, yet all of it combined has you COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS as to how excruciatingly stupid you look. 40yrs ago, as many things as my grandfather complained about one thing he NEVER said was “those darn kids, torching cities, and harvesting mail-in ballots.”. Or… “I wish those left-wing, trannies would stop shooting up schools full of Christian children.” If you think that’s garden-variety “old person rambling”, then again, you have no business having an opinion on the issue. Perhaps spend some time figuring out who, and where your father is, and develop a relationship with him, or join the military so our can see that there’s something more important than you in this country. Regardless of what Snoop-Dog, Taylor Swift, or Dave Grohl, or (insert name of entitled-celebrity loser here) has you convinced of, there’s more to life than looting your local Walgreen’s. At some point, you’re going to have to take responsibility for your self-loathing levels of stupidity, entitlement, co-dependence, and grotesque levels of hypocrisy, even if it’s for no other reason than for your own intellectual credibility. With all the dysfunction that we had in the 70’s/80’s, screaming some left-wing, version of “Nuh-uh!”, by a bunch of button-pushing, cell-phone-holding, blue-hair’d, fat people, on their way to tear down a statue (of someone/something they know absolutely nothing about) wasn’t taking place in the 70’s and 80’s. You’re the same crowd whose holds signs that say “Gas all Jews!”, while calling everyone else fascists. They’re not only excruciatingly stupid, and full of the very hate they claim to condemn, but they can’t even remotely think for themselves either. So, much so, you can’t even identify what a woman is. And, we wonder why great music is hard to find (or being replaced by software). *The list of why you have no business having an opinion on anything, music or otherwise, is literally endless. And, to think that the odds are, the person you are at this very moment is the best person you’ll ever be. If you weren’t a complete burden on society (not to mention yourself) in every way possible, it would be a horribly sad thing to witness.* Now, do the actual musicians in the room a favor, and get out of the comment section.

[@Banokleez]

Barry, totally right. Great video.

[@heartshinemusic]

Spotify is too cheap, they need to make the pie bigger. Streaming platforms for series and movies keep raising their prices, Spotify should too. Music has value. Between 1996 and 2008 I probably spend $100 to $150 per month on CDs. People used to pay a lot of money for new music, now it all goes to highly expensive concert tickets and merchandise. But I also know people who share a Spotify account three ways, each paying like $3,33 a month for all the music in the world, that's insane! It's a mindset thing that needs to be adjusted. Making music, including mixing, mastering, artwork and promotion, is not cheap and you can't do it half, because then other artists will have better songs and better production. But it's important for listeners to understand the cost of making music and to support that to keep good music from going extinct. So there needs to be more social support for artist on the music platforms, more ways (P2P) to connect and directly support the artists you love.

[@plattklum]

Making a career in music is dying, the quality of music on the radio and in popular circles is dying, but music listening for a music enthousiast has never been better. There's so much music available, old and new, so many recorded live shows on KZbin, so many indie musicians, and it's all instantly available. The music business is only concerned about money and they will simply adapt their approach to what is most profitable. The people that (help) create music and live shows have to make a living however, that's the real problem.

[@sevendenton9229]

The days of being able to influence the masses has long gone. The knock on effect of that is aspirations have to be realigned with reality. Stadium Concerts for example will soon be a thing of the past as no new bands will have the exposure required for that type of success regardless of how brilliant they are.

[@owlmuso]

Honestly, I am depressed about music and the industry. On the one hand , the opportunity presented by the internet and the "democratisation" of the means to create and distribute music was massively touted. In my view though, those opportunities were swallowed up and subverted by the corporatisation of music on a scale never seen before. The big labels are even more powerful than they ever were, and Spotify and the other streaming platforms have colluded with the labels such that the streaming platforms themselves are now part of this conglomeration of corporate entities - who collude with one another to the benefit of shareholders not music. Music (and especially indie artists) are not the main focus, its all about profit in the era of the attention economy

[@chrissharkey9644]

Thank God we can still listen to the old stuff

[@edwardbrands3271]

New mixer coming this fall...give us the early inside scoop plz.

[@sole__doubt]

Good stuff brother. Its going to take something radical to change the direction. Especially in this economy.

[@Precisionetica]

It is a completely devalued commodity for sure. I understand where you’re coming from even though most don’t. What is it gonna take to raise the value of music?

[@j-station]

can we get the full list?

[@ghost-user559]

Luxury Elite, Windows 96, Macintosh Plus, Lorn. Just a few good artists in strange places.

[@bluepenguins]

I don't think music is dead just yet but i can see where a lot of people are coming from, i still feel like if there's a lot of talented individuals who make music alone or with groups or with people all across the world but they might just not be online. A majority of people i talk to still record tracks onto tape and thats the only way you'll hear anything out of them. When social media and algorithms force you to create content for music which is already content it's no longer about making music it's about selling someone the concept of listening to your music and a lot of people i talk to don't wanna do that.

[@JorgeEgrejasFrancisco]

I suppose the right title would be “mainstream music is condemned”. With plenty of choices that exist today for producing and listening to music the older mainstream action and opportunities are somehow at stake. Big studios, big labels, big money,… Standardization is no more a narrow path that some gatekeepers or influencers completely dominate. Being true that there is a trial for some “algorithmic” strategies to pursue that goal. I feel what we face is the plurality of choices, as vast as the humans making music are. It is for each one to choose what resonates best with his/her self and just ignore the need for general tendencies that will be nothing to each particular individuality.

[@Bluepilled-c5t]

I think it is over 40s complaining. Pop chart music has always been bad. And we always were only given the pop produced rubbish. You always have to find the good stuff

[@tacmason]

You are "On It " Barry !

[@matthewgaines10]

Only two forces can change the status quo: 1. Fans. They have the least skin in the game. Their interest aren’t fully vested in the success of diverse and independent music. They are a lagging indicator of quality. 2. Artists. They have interest in an improved distribution method and improvements in getting to be known and heard. Maybe a smart, rich, benevolent music lover will save the day with a new distribution model that is fair to artists and catches the public imagination. People can find their acts/bands and magic happens. Otherwise, it will have to be one of the two above. Neither are making the seismic moves to change the status quo. The system produces what it has been designed to do…and it’s doing it.

[@sole__doubt]

Fans cant even afford to go to concerts. Look at how many were canceled over the past couple years. Artists cant afford to put out their own music because things have become so expensive. Once again the economy is what matters. It affects everything and especially the arts.

[@andreysavelev9004]

You have made it, you are cool You have been to the Berkeley School You give clinics on the side Music has died and no one cried. (Frank Zappa - Yo Cats)

[@AxelRitt]

Let's not kid ourselves, music is not dead, but with very, very few exceptions it is no longer a way of earning serious money. Every cashier at Walmart gets paid more than the average musician and the social security contributions are also paid by the employer. I've been a professional musician for over 40 years and have experienced all the ups and downs of the music business. Neither the quality of the compositions nor the craftsmanship of the artists has diminished, it just hasn't mattered to the consumer. Music has become a hobby and everyone has to decide for themselves how much and for how long they want to afford this hobby as a performing artist. Conclusion: There will always be performing artists, but almost nobody will be able to support a family from it in the future. But hey, that's the way of things, the VHS cassette hasn't survived either. There are many important jobs that need to be done, unfortunately making a living from music is no longer one of them.Saying goodbye to a cherished way of life always hurts immensely, but it doesn't change the fact that the rest of society doesn't give 5 cents about it.

[@kidamazed]

Spot on! Personally I’ve come to the point where I make music that I want to make. Not for money or anything else. I was in that whole circus with major labels and jada jada… That stuff is dead for bands creating their own music.

[@maxwashingtonmusic7000]

Tons of great musicians are making a living with music: Grace Bowers, Ally Venable, Goose, Greta Van Fleet, Artur Menezes, Shaw Davis, Quinn Sullivan, and thousands more. And local live music is getting more popular. Who cares if they don’t have castles like Bowie or mansions like George Harrison. They get by. And they have complete creative freedom, which even Prince didn’t have. The corporation told him what to do sometimes.

[@KenSlager]

I watched someone talking about Spotify and he said it pays pennies so use it as a promotional tool only. Put part of a song on there, make people go to your own pay wall. I think this may change the equilibrium back to the musicians a little bit.

[@BarryJohns]

How does that help the songwriters?

[@notsure1135]

It's as alive as you keep it. Cream rises...

[@GuitarWithBrett]

When has anyone made money doing music ? It’s easier now to make money doing KZbin and selling courses than to make money from one’s music. I’m hyped on toms of bands lately and go to shows almost every week but they don’t profit doing it. I buy shirts and merch like records or tapes. It’s easier than was even in 2000s to at least have a chance to make money but mainstream is what it is.

[@Psychonaut-im3zz]

*you know music is dead when you have hundreds of commenter saying "music isn't dead, you just have to look for it.... without being able to give examples themselves"*

[@yiqwaba3833]

At the expense of everyone else shark's who invested millions hinder most and choose few. My hypothesis is if the few who have heavy pockets can make billions off of the majority paying cheap will continue until we market a separate royalty system we could turn a make and deal with them to share.

[@marcbrault]

Music is alive and well... Music business is on artificial respirator however. There are amazing artists on social media that are trying to make it and be known. But we need a new distribution system. That's the only way we'll get music to the people.

[@acimbobby]

Don't get into music young people, try to just keep it your Love. Keep your day jobs. You can also find yourself throwing your money into gear and recording stuff when all you need is a keyboard or an acoustic guitar to get your creativeness going.

[@ObscurelyTitled]

there are zillions of indy bands and artists that are epic....the over-autotune over-compressed stock stuff is tiring but underground stuff is still out there

[@paulov9626]

"Why is it not being heard?" One word comes to mind, payola. I would be happy to be proven wrong.