On my mind…

So I was reading an internet article on Yahoo.com called “This Is What It Sounds Like When The Internet Cries” by Chris Willman & Lyndsey Parker. The article chronicles Prince’s (The Artist) vacillating opinion about the Internet as it relates to music. There was a time when Prince was fond of the Internet and what it could do for an artists career. However He was recently quoted in England’s Daily Mirror as saying, “The Internet’s completely over. I don’t see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else [digitally]. They won’t pay me an advance for it, and then they get angry when they can’t get it….All these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can’t be good for you.”

I’m not sure why an artist as successful as Prince feels this way, but it got me thinking about the drastic changes the industry has undergone since the Internet revolution. There is no doubt that major labels have been on the decline since rise of Independent labels, YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, etc. As a matter of fact, it appears to be an independent artist’s market. More and more artists are taking the reins in developing their own careers and even major label artists are making a switch to benefit from the indie market. While the Internet revolution has opened the doors for artists that may never have been known otherwise, it is still a very expensive, risky and difficult thing to undertake. Of course the Internet may have it’s downside but I have to say, a lot of amazing talent has been discovered by way of the Internet. It also seems as though we live our lives according to the Internet. Globally it has become a way of life. And for anyone who wants to share a thought, idea, and their art it is a necessity. There is a lot of power and momentum that can be gained from the Internet. It almost seems abnormal not to see someone either on their cell phone, surfing the web or updating their FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace all the other trendy social and media websites.

While too much of a good thing seems like a short-lived phenomenon, something tells me that this is not a temporary change. It’s like the recession. There are so many legendary businesses, that never saw the day when they would have to close up shop as a result of a failing economy, but they are now gone and will never recover or so affected that they will never be the same. The growth and dominance of the Internet has had a cataclysmic effect on so many industries, particularly the music industry, changing the way we purchase, create, distribute, market and make music. It has essentially changed the game. While I believe the game will keep evolving, there is no doubt that the Internet has put the Industry into a totally new trajectory. If used correctly and strategically, it can either make or break you. Why even fight it? Why turn your back on it now. In a capitalistic society, I don’t see a day when it will never be “about numbers.” After all, how can you truly measure success without examining the numbers? Even an unsigned Indie artist relies on the numbers. But then again, when your not Prince, and your not use to a big advance and people fighting over your music, the Internet certainly doesn’t sound so bad after all.