Dec 12
Reflecting on the music piece
t might not strike anyone as terribly surprising who knows me but my piece on the music business for the ERC does have a bit of a crack at the BBC and their influence on the music business as a whole. As a libertarian it is really rather hard to justify the radio/TV tax that gives the BBC both the money and the power to dominate the airwaves in all forms. Little did I know that this would also affect the coverage of the piece by leading UK bloggers.
Several of the leading lights of British blogging make money from appearing on the BBC on occasion to chat about blogging and the wider political scene. They also well know that the BBC holds grudges and does not have a habit of having its critics on. These bloggers and sites are actually protecting an income source for themselves by shying away from doing anything on my piece.
Of course, the fact that the BBC has forthrightly completely ignored the piece speaks volumes its attitude towards criticism despite the fact that the piece has other wider points about the health of the music business as a whole. Its defenders are out in force ripping me to shreds for criticising dear old auntie.
The interesting thing about the piece that was written over the summer is the fact that there have been quite a few developments in both the technological and business aspects of music in the UK. Business wise EMI looks like it has put itself up for sale as it is in talks with Warner to bought out. The company has been suffering over the last few
years and is looking for a change of direction.
Ditto Sanctuary music, who made the mistake of trying to delve into a genre of music they had no experience with, who has been re-organised and parted ways with its found Ron Smallwood and the band that gave the label its name Iron Maiden.
Bands are embracing the new technology with a great of enthusiasm and making the most of it. There are new sites that offer unique opportunities online. Sellaband, that I mention in the piece, is close to having its first band to hit the goal of $50k in investments. Alas, they are not from the UK but from Scandinavia however this is yet another way for bands to help their odds of making it.
It is clear to anyone who cares to look that the best possible future for the British music business is for government to leave it alone whether its politicians setting up new programs to “help” musicians or whether it’s the glorified civil servants in the BBC picking winners & losers. The best thing to do to encourage the great amount of talent that exists in the UK is to deregulate the airwaves, leave the internet alone and let musicians and record companies get on with it. The UK is probably the most musical country on the planet and lets not let X Factor & Pop Idol distract from that reality.
It is good for Britain both economical and culturally to have a healthy music scene and business. What is most needed is that people let it develop in its own merry way so that it might blossom in all its possibilities. This country is perfectly capable of staging another “British invasion” of music but it has to face the realities of the North American market and embrace it for what it is. Music is Britain’s greatest export and long may it remain so.
As you may or may not already be aware, members of the Watcher’s Council hold a vote every week on what they consider to be the most link-worthy pieces of writing around… per the Watcher’s instructions, I am submitting one of my own posts for consideration in the upcoming nominations process.
Here is the most recent winning council post, here is the most recent winning non-council post, here is the list of results for the latest vote, and here is the initial posting of all the nominees that were voted on.
