The Record Industry Is Communist (And It's A Bad Thing)

The record industry is a system which rewards mediocrity. For every Kesha that is signed, there are ten or more Black Cobra's who are forced to wallow in destitute. Why are the Kesha's signed and not the Black Cobra's? Because of their perceived marketability. The record industry is no longer in the business of pressing records, they are in the business of marketing and promotions. Their sole goal is to get as many people as possible interested in their artists and buying merchandise. Meanwhile, they forget that the artists whom they sign need to have something significant to offer. In an ideal record industry the music would be by the people, of the people, and for the people.

The board of discretioners who dictate whether or not sign a band are very much akin to the community board of representatives which passed legislation in the former USSR and in present day China. A more democratic, and yes, socialistic system could be achieved through embracing the internet as the ultimate decider of artistic and commercial success. Let the consumer decide who should get radio airplay, promotion, who should tour, and who should be paid to release albums. Let every band begin the same way; as an idea in the ultimate marketplace of ideas: the internet. Let the idea be deemed a reality as the people determine it to be desirable in the grand scheme of musical evolution.

For this to succeed, the internet must be rid of pointless advertisement and transfigured into a pure stream of information and ideas. Although promotional resources are a valuable commodity, the owners of those resources should not discount the fact that the products which they are promoting are the primary focus and source of income. To allow marketing professionals who are likely to choose artists to sign based on their perceived marketability, or the ease with while they can be promoted to a mass audience, is to discount the merit of true art. This further slows musical innovation, artistic progress and human cultural evolution.