The Black Eyed Peas insanely infectious song “I Gotta Feeling” has become the most downloaded song in history topping 5 and a half million legal downloads. I would venture to guess that the number of illegal downloads would bring the total number to well over ten million.
itunes has also recently reported that it has sold ten billion downloads from its site. That lucky track belonged to Mr. Johnny Cash. These numbers, only a few years after MP3 became a household term, confirms that the music industry is forever changed. Think about it – 10 Billion downloads!
The Recording Industry Association of America would likely say that the internet has decimated the music industry due to piracy and illegal downloading of music. This is evidenced by the number of lawsuits against every day people who illegally downloaded a few songs off Limewire or similar peer networks. I think it is preferable to say that the internet has reinvented the music industry. While big name performers and major record labels may feel their wallets tightening, artists and musicians across the globe can thank the internet for new opportunities that would never have been available before.
Social networking, Pandora, Myspace, Internet Radio, Youtube, and sites like iTunes, offerring legal downloads allow anyone who has recorded a song or full length CD to become a professional artist. A savvy internet user can create buzz about their band and generate sales without the help of major record label or publishing companies. In fact, many well known artists are now publishing their own records and/or releasing albums solely online. With the right contacts and initiative, artists can also find commercial venues to license their music. No longer do artists have to wait and pray that a record label will somehow discover them and make them famous.
While it is easier to get one’s music out to a larger audience, certain precautions still need to be made. It is imperative that you trademark your artist name, properly copyright your material (and I don’t mean mailing a CD to yourself), and learn about music publishing and online distribution. If necessary, it is also helpful to have a band partnership agreement so that there are no disputes when the money starts rolling in or the lead guitarist decides to move to Vegas. When you’ve done all that – your may be off and running. Luckily, my office can help with all of this.
I have advised and represented many artists and I can help jumpstart your music career.
Contact my office for a free consultation and we can discuss the numerous ways that I can help protect your artwork and get you started in the right direction towards stardom.