Working in the music industry and being a musician- performing or recording artist is a career like anyone else’s. It means that an artist should be able to support himself as anyone else. In my opinion digital revolution had an enormous impact on how we approach music now days. It took place around 1980 and since than it had an impact on wide spectrum of today’s culture. The journey music has had especially in the past decade has been revolutionary taking into account growth of digital media and the use of it.
There are multiple positive effects that digital media has had on today’s music industry. Just to start with, music became very easily distributed to a worldwide audience and fan base for free. At the same time online sources such as YouTube, MySpace, as well as Social Networks and gadgets (iPods, iPhones, Smartphones etc.) play a main role in the digital world freeing music from it’s physical state and changing it’s availability and provide a friendly access to a user anytime and anywhere.
The consequences of that are crucial in terms of copyright and royalties. Music became more accessible and at the same time rise the question: “why do I have to pay for music?” Well, as I mention before creating music and making a living of it is a career. Paying for music is actually supporting an artist and making a listening experience more rewarding. Sadly there are lots of people who avoid paying for music, furthermore according to Rick Carnes, President, Songwriters Guild of America:
“Digital piracy has almost completely destroyed the profession of songwriting, and is slowly destroying the music industry. Every major music publisher has laid off at least half, and sometimes all, of their professional songwriters. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, songwriter income dropped 32% between 2003 and 2006 alone”
The consequences of piracy are very destructive to artists and whole music industry scene, as it evolves in enormous impact on the financial side of things. That’s why the copyrights and royalties are so important.
Copyrighting protects an artist’s work and gives the best evidence of the ownership of the music they created. They should always put the international symbol © to let the people know their music is protected. Music could be copyrighted when it’s written in music notation or recorded in any form and has to be original. Another way after writing a song is to send it to yourself with the registered post. It can’t be opened until the need of the evidence.
Royalties affect live and recorded music in a different way. Recording artists and songwriters do not earn royalties in the same way. Recording artists don’t earn royalties when they play live, it’s just when they sell theirs music as a hard copy on CD, cassette, vinyl etc.
Songwriters and publishers have their royalties when theirs music is played on the Radio, shops, TV, restaurants as well a portion of the recording sales.
“Music is available to everyone at the touch of a button” according to Queen.
It’s important to acknowledge and appreciate musicians and their hard work and being responsible about it when downloading music. “Touch of a button” in this digital era might make a difference in someone’s life and quality of creating music. It’s important for a musician to protect their work with copyrights and register songs in order to receive royalties.