Calling It Quits (Kinda)
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:19 pm
This morning, Richard Smith posted a link on his Facebook page that shows some stats regarding how little musicians are making off of CDs and online sales:
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2 ... rn-online/
This came on the heels of my reflecting over the past couple of days on the possibility that I've been uploading too many videos, potentially contributing to the "music should be free" madness (entitlement thinking) that seems so prevalent these days. I now have 83 videos on YouTube. I never expected to have so many, and still find it hard to believe I've done that many. While I am certainly not a pro, I am good enough that an aspiring picker might be inclined to download my free videos to "learn from" instead of getting good quality material from real guitar teachers (John Knowles, John McClellan, Craig Dobbins, and so on). I don't want that to happen. As I've mentioned before, I've uploaded videos so my music wouldn't die with me ... I have nobody to play for otherwise.
Anyway, the article Richard linked to also came on the heels of my reading of another article on "free stuff:"
http://edge.org/conversation/the-local-global-flip
This is a long article, and it took me a couple of days to slog my way through it, reading a little at a time. It talks in broader terms about the problems with "free" and even gets into talking about some Really Huge problems that are likely to follow. Example: 3D printers will (in 20 years or so) cost 10's of millions of jobs and totally change the global distribution networks, because, if you want a frisbee, you just use your 3D printer to make one, instead of buying one (by then, the printers will be so sophisticated you can make much of what you want). The article also talks about the disappearance of the middle class. Like I say, I found it to be sluggish reading, but some of you may want to work your way through it.
The "confluence" of all of this has led me to the following: I do not presently plan to do any more uploads, but, knowing that I probably will do one at some point, I commit to not uploading unless I also take down one of the existing videos. I really should go through the videos and do some pruning, anyway, but I am inclined at this point to just do pruning a little at a time.
Obviously, this is not going to make any difference for musicians who are struggling to make ends meet, despite the fact that they are among the best in the world. It is a symbolic gesture on my part, one that will lessen a bit of my guilt. I cannot change the new dynamics of the music world (the same dynamics are starting to impact publishers of books and ebooks now, too). And, I know this will not start a movement that will make a difference. Basically, we are stuck with the new dynamics, and things are actually going to get worse instead of better.
It's not like this is some sort of "huge sacrifice" for me, as I've pretty much had my fill of making videos anyway. It's just something I feel like I need to do.
Thanks for the fun.
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2 ... rn-online/
This came on the heels of my reflecting over the past couple of days on the possibility that I've been uploading too many videos, potentially contributing to the "music should be free" madness (entitlement thinking) that seems so prevalent these days. I now have 83 videos on YouTube. I never expected to have so many, and still find it hard to believe I've done that many. While I am certainly not a pro, I am good enough that an aspiring picker might be inclined to download my free videos to "learn from" instead of getting good quality material from real guitar teachers (John Knowles, John McClellan, Craig Dobbins, and so on). I don't want that to happen. As I've mentioned before, I've uploaded videos so my music wouldn't die with me ... I have nobody to play for otherwise.
Anyway, the article Richard linked to also came on the heels of my reading of another article on "free stuff:"
http://edge.org/conversation/the-local-global-flip
This is a long article, and it took me a couple of days to slog my way through it, reading a little at a time. It talks in broader terms about the problems with "free" and even gets into talking about some Really Huge problems that are likely to follow. Example: 3D printers will (in 20 years or so) cost 10's of millions of jobs and totally change the global distribution networks, because, if you want a frisbee, you just use your 3D printer to make one, instead of buying one (by then, the printers will be so sophisticated you can make much of what you want). The article also talks about the disappearance of the middle class. Like I say, I found it to be sluggish reading, but some of you may want to work your way through it.
The "confluence" of all of this has led me to the following: I do not presently plan to do any more uploads, but, knowing that I probably will do one at some point, I commit to not uploading unless I also take down one of the existing videos. I really should go through the videos and do some pruning, anyway, but I am inclined at this point to just do pruning a little at a time.
Obviously, this is not going to make any difference for musicians who are struggling to make ends meet, despite the fact that they are among the best in the world. It is a symbolic gesture on my part, one that will lessen a bit of my guilt. I cannot change the new dynamics of the music world (the same dynamics are starting to impact publishers of books and ebooks now, too). And, I know this will not start a movement that will make a difference. Basically, we are stuck with the new dynamics, and things are actually going to get worse instead of better.
It's not like this is some sort of "huge sacrifice" for me, as I've pretty much had my fill of making videos anyway. It's just something I feel like I need to do.
Thanks for the fun.