Once Again, Concert Business Sets New Records
from the well,-look-at-that... dept
While people who keep thinking that the "recording industry" is actually the "music industry" keep insisting that the business is in serious trouble, plenty of evidence of the actual market suggests this is a great time to be in the "music business." More musicians are making and distributing music than at any time in the past thanks to much cheaper means of production and distribution. And, as Rose M. Welch points out, the concert business continues to thrive, setting new records yet again. Last year we noted that 2007 was the best ever year for the live music business, and it appears that 2008 surpassed 2007 by 13%, even in the midst of one of the biggest economic downturns most of us have ever lived through. There is some concern about how the economy will impact 2009, but even if concerts decrease next year, it will be because of the overall economy, not because of any problem with "internet piracy," which has actually done plenty to help drive larger audiences to concerts by increasing the fanbases of many musicians.
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Filed Under: concerts, music industry, recording industry
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At the same time, I might wonder what you guys did to promote yourselves. As noted elsewhere, doing a gig in a pub isn't the same as touring; it's a nice first step, but as you note it won't pay the bills. The ideas presented on this site talk about self-promotion and then selling tickets to the show, so that (1) it's you they're coming to see (as opposed to being background added onto an already-successful business) and (2) you can get lots of them interested in coming to see you. Having hardcore fans in much different than having some people show up at a pub the night you're playing.
The Big Boys 'make it' because they get a lot of exposure and gain a lot of fans. The little guys need to do likewise, and the Internet can go a long way toward that end, and much more cheaply than signing with a Lable.
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