Newsflash: Musicians are working lots harder for less money. Surprise!

In May 2009 I had a very depressing meeting with some kids starting a record label. I wrote about it here. One of the things they said would happen has come to pass. Musicians, and the much of the music industry now view recording as the stimulus for, and as a means of promoting a tour. In better times the reverse was true. Musicians spent months composing and recording new albums, went on tour to promote the album, and had several income streams. I'm shocked that so many great musicians don't sell as many records as they used to, even though there's a larger consumer base than there used to be.

I won't go on another piracy rant. No one's listening to that old saw anyway. But it's painful to see that a musician can't make a living from a combination of recording and touring. Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John are old school composers and bandleaders who are on the road more than ever now.

So, musicians must now tour more, tour longer, sleep in whatever accommodations they can afford, and endure a much harder life on the road.

This is good news for live music venues, I suppose. It seems a lot like a family having another kid because you need the tax benefits the child would bring.

Recordings are promotional tools now, and we're back to low-tech. However, I think there's a way to reverse (at least partially) this sad state of affairs. Hulu has the right idea. They subsidize /pay for broadcast on demand of intellectual property, and monetize the broadcasts with a variety of advertising. There are at least two dozen ways to cash in on internet-casting of music. iTunes should still be selling audio and video in five years. Maybe Hulu or another service will be giving music away and subsidizing the free stuff with advertising..but if that allows artists to make good money off recordings, then great.

Artists can only afford to make records if there'll be a payback. Shared revenues in broadcasts between songs, banner ads, licensing (for movies, and a variety of internet media), performance rights, media sales (iTunes, Rhapsody, etc..) and more, the art of recording doesn't have to be strictly for the promotion of live touring.

Musicians are usually among the first to take advantage of new technologies. Some say we missed the boat. I don't believe that's so. Almost everything comes around again.

Musicians: Speak Up! What do you think? Do you see yourselves touring till you're using a walker to help you to the stage, and till your physical abilities have worn down just so you can keep food on the table?

Is recording for profit dead?