The truth is much more complex. There’s no denying that if you already have a fanbase or a reason for people to be searching for you on myspace, the internet is going to help you in ways that never existed before. You can stay in touch and make sure that your fans know all about your gigs and forthcoming releases in a much more reliable and efficient way than by physically distributing flyers.  However, if you’re unknown and don’t have a manager, no-one is going to know or care about your myspace page; even if you stop having a life and spend all day inviting friends, you will achieve very little other than to slightly annoy people or at best, get 2 extra people to your gig!

One thing that has definitely changed in the music industry is the willingness of the majors to develop bands; now more than ever before, they are unlikely to sign you unless they think you have a good chance of selling a lot of albums on your first release. It’s all about branding, in that you need a back story and to be some kind of archetypical band or singer, or preferably already a celebrity via reality tv or things like the x factor. Anything risky simply doesn’t get a look in.

The underlying reason for this is straightforward; music doesn’t make as much money as it used to. Because of filesharing, everyone expects to get music for free. If you’re a serious fan of a band, or a die-hard collector, you may still buy a cd, but the vast majority of casual music consumers now expect to download free tunes and restrict their purchasing of cd’s to Christmas presents. The official download sites where you pay for music are actually not making much money; itunes allegedly runs at a loss, subsidised by Apple because it helps sell the ipod. Ok, so musicians, like everyone else can get free music but the gains they make on this are massively outweighed by their loss in income; I’m not talking about internationally famous artists, I mean the more underground musicians who might previously have made a few quid here and there from cd sales over a long period, or from a small record company/publishing advance. These musicians are increasingly being forced to seek other means to support themselves; they may be able to download other artists’ music for free, but they can’t eat it!

I recently sat down with an executive from a major record company, and we talked about which famous British bands wouldn’t have been signed in today’s climate, either because they needed developing, didn’t sell on their first release or were too ‘risky’. These bands include Queen, Led Zeppelin, Blur, David Bowie and Feeder, to name but a few. You could argue that cream always rises to the top, but I happen to believe that scum rises first… by which I mean that the more aggressive, cut-throat people will always be heard, but the more subtle, fragile or unusual talents will no longer get a look in because they won’t get a chance to develop.

Let’s hope that some new system evolves whereby those who swim against the stream still find a way to get exposure. Its not that I’m opposed to filesharing or unlimited access to music via the web, but there really needs to be a new way to sort the sheep from the goats!

It’s an irrefutable fact that the music industry is undergoing major changes at the moment, and things will probably never be the same again. The industry is still in a transitory state at present, and has yet to settle into a new groove.

The development of computer technology means that the way we live our lives has changed because so many things, from paying your bills to recording an album, can be done at home on a computer instead of having to go somewhere and physically engage with other people. There are enormous advantages to this in terms of convenience, but there is a downside too; the chance element of new encounters and spontaneous chemistry sparking between individuals is greatly reduced.

There are fewer major record companies (and therefore less A&R scouting for new talent), less recording studios, less music or listings magazines and more music-related college courses resulting in more people chasing fewer opportunities. Record and publishing companies are much less inclined to take a risk and develop bands from an early stage because the music business is generally less lucrative than it used to be.

Now more than ever, the way you conceive and market what you do has to be as well thought-out as a military campaign. New bands are expected not only to make good music, but to be experts in home recording and viral marketing on the internet as well. The traditional tried and tested methods of learning your craft as a musician, producer, manager etc, whereby you would have some sort of apprenticeship and learn from more experienced people in your field are fast becoming a thing of the past. This means that vast amounts of knowledge and a wealth of information could be lost for all time unless we find another way to pass it on. There are literally thousands of individuals who have engaged with the music industry over the last 50 years whose stories remain untold; some of them have survived by adapting to the relentless process of evolution whereas others have sunk under the sweeping tide of progress. But regardless of which way their fortunes have gone, if we don’t try to learn from their mistakes, we’ll be condemned to repeat them!

Hopefully, as increasing numbers of musicians become computer literate, we can all start to benefit from chance virtual encounters and revive some of the spontaneity essential to maintaining a thriving music scene. As our real-world community spirit deteriorates, perhaps new on-line communities can help to restore the balance. With this in mind, Soundfreak will be seeking out individuals from all areas of the music industry, so that they can tell their stories, disseminate their knowledge and generally impart their wisdom and experience. In this way, hopefully we can reclaim this rich heritage and ensure it remains a part of our consciousness in the future.