By Doug Cheong

When it comes down to it, everyone needs to make money. Weather it be just enough to “get by”, or to live lavishly, there has to be some form of income. It has been getting somewhat complicated to make money in music. The music industry still struggles to find its way in the new age of free downloads and peer-to-peer file sharing.  This has forced artists to continually look for new and innovative ways to get some revenue from their music.

Here is a quote from Dave Kusek Vice President at Berklee College of Music

“The artist music business model has been in flux for years. The record deal dream that most artists sought is no longer the viable alternative that it once was.  The leveling of the music distribution playing field by the Internet is virtually complete.”

Ok, we all know this, but how do artists get around this and start making money? Begin looking at other forms of revenue not just the selling of the music itself. Things like merchandising and personal appearances that can not be digitized and shared are examples of other things you can profit from. Lets face it, if people do not want to pay for music, they will find it for free on the internet. How about giving away your music for free, then devising ways to monetize on peoples attention and fandom?

Hypebot.com posted this today saying

Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge says that with the self-release of the new album  by his side project Angels & Airwaves, he can redefine the music business. His plan is to:

1. Release the new album free online.
2. Use corporate sponsorships with Live Nation and Hurley to get 20 million downloads.
3. Watch the fans flock to Modlife, where they’ll all sign up for $6.95 monthly memberships.

The problem with this is; not all of us are as well known as Blink-182 (or side project Angels & Airwaves).

One thing that hasn’t changed much is the demand for live shows. A charismatic artist who’s performances are unique will always gather a crowd. The atmosphere and excitement of being  at a live show is something that can not easily be reproduced or mimicked. All is not lost in the wake of free music downloading there still are things artists can do to make ends meet.

Income Streams for Musicians
Is Whats Good for Blink-182, Good for the Rest of the Industry?

Technorati Tags: Music Business, music distr, revenue

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 11:15 am and is filed under Music Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.