Is the music industry dying?

I keep hearing that the music industry is dying…record labels are closing,  CD sales are down, the CD is giving way to digital downloads and will be gone soon…everyone seems to have a very gloomy outlook.  But I don’t see it that way. The ugly old evil music industry is not dying it is simply transforming into something new…and hopefully… beautiful. 

There are those out there that even seem to find a certain sense of satisfaction in seeing the industry crumble.  It is those same folks who for years had complained and warned others about the evils of the music industry, while at the same time were so desperately trying to get “discovered” or “make it big” by signing that everso elusive - record deal.  Because that old system is for the most part gone…we have nothing to compare this evolving new music industry to, so we say “music is dead”.  NO, NO, NO…its just being re-born. Can I get a hallelujah?

Right now the opportunities for artists and musicians are greater than ever before.  Success in music has always…let me say it again…ALWAYS…been about distribution, distribution, distribution!  And up until recent years record labels controlled all of it.  Also label controlled was marketing…or lets just say an indy artist couldn’t afford to properly market themselves without the financial backing of a record label…no more!  Right now those opportunities are wide open with multiple means of entry into the marketplace…internet (heard of it?), physical stores, iTunes… Then in terms of marketing…get out there and shamelessly promote yourself like the rest of the world on Facebook, Twitter, myspace, blogging, text updates, etc, etc  The rest of the world is promoting themselves and they don’t even have a product or even really anything to say.

Look at this time as something exciting and new…that you can be a part of, instead of gloom and doom that the industry is dying.  Yes, overall CD sales by record labels are down…but not CD sales in general…as an indie artist are your sales tracked by Soundscan? NO.  What is really changing is who is selling CDs and where they are being sold.  99% of record sales used to come from record stores.  Now there are no record stores…people buy music at Wal-mart or Target…and you have alot of artists/labels fighting for that limited shelf space.  Indie artist are selling their CDS at shows, on their website, through other online stores, in the few remaining physical record stores, etc 

Come on people, capitalize on these opportunities…get out there…promote, sell, perform…YOU are the music industry!