Ryan Stockhausen

Writer Timothy Lee asserts in his 2012 Forbes Article, Why We Shouldn't Worry About The (Alleged) Decline Of The MusicIndustry, that the music industry is actually growing, not dying, as many people seem to think. According to Lee, the music industry used to be measured by calculating the profits of the big record companies, which are indeed shrinking. However, this way of measuring the music industry in probably no longer accurate; musicians and music companies have many new ways of making money, including independent labels, advertising revenues, portable digital music player sales, live performances, and more. Lee cites a statistic that says revenues from radio advertising, recorded music sales, musical instrument sales, live performance revenues and portable digital music player sales (among a few other income categories) actually increased by about $36 billion between 1999 and 2009, with ticket sales for live performances more than tripling, from $1.5 billion to $4.6 billion. Additionally, more albums are being produced. 75,000 albums were released in 2010, up from 38,000 in 2003. Finally, entertainment expenditures for American households increased from about 4.9% of household spending in 2000 to 5.6% in 2008, and it is estimated to keep increasing.

Lee, Timothy B. "Why We Shouldn't Worry About The (Alleged) Decline Of The Music Industry." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 Jan. 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

Nicholas DavisThis article is a Tumbler post describing the authors opinion on how musicians make their money. He thinks that musicians would be better off if they release their music for free on the internet. He says that music know has no monetary value in todays world because people always find ways to download music for free. He compares free music with Spotify and iTunes. Music played from Spotify doesnt get a musician much money unless a song is played so many times. If someone wants an album from iTunes, that musician would net around a dollar since you can choose what songs you want. He then says that music can be exchanged with contact information like a phone number or e-mail. Doing this allows musicians to keep in contact with their fans and have a chance to charge their fans with a concert. The musicians could possibly double their outcome rather than waiting for people to buy their songs on iTunes or listen to them on Spotify.

"Giving It Away: How Free Music Makes More Than Sense." DEREK WEBB.

Erik MartinezThis article describes how the music industry, specifically the live music industry, can and should learn from the NFL and use other sources of providing live performances. For example, the NFL sells a Sunday Ticket subscription service that allows the subscriber to watch live games from the comfort of their home. Since the digital music era is dying, this is one source we can ensure that music stays alive. We can benefit from the fact that live music is starting to rise. Also one on one time with artist and the celebrity is becoming more exclusive and therefore making ticket prices increasing and ensuring that ticket sales wont decrease. Although live music will never be able to compete with the spot industry, it is important to note that with the right partnerships, the music industry can take new life and can benefit both parties. With more sponsors, musicians will be able to make a friendlier salary, and the audience will be given the opportunity to listen to good music. PEOPLES, Glenn. "All the Way to Live." Serials Solutions 360 Link. Peoples, 7 Sept. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.

Michael MickeyIn the article, We Killed the Music Industry, writer Thomas Honeyman explains how the industry has changed with technology and how our generation ( the millennials) have made it even worse. Honeyman describes how the internet has really taken a toll on how music is released and how artists dont nearly make as much money for a record as they used to in the past. He explains: The music industry is just like any other big business: It follows cash. Over the past two decades, music has suffered through the CD bubble, torrents, Napster, iTunes(with Apple taking a 30 percent cut of everything) and now, the ubiquity of streaming services, which reduces sales below the already rock-bottom level. He also explains how anyone can put up a song and instantly it will be discovered. This usually happens at no expense from the consumer who can just download an E.P and be done with it. Honeyman explains Even superstars have it tough. Pitbull despite having 50 million Facebook fans and nearly 170 million YouTube plays has sold less than 10 million albums in his entire career. His last point explains how record companies and producers can easily churn out music fast. He says: Powerhouse songwriting and production teams back dominant artists like Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. These production teams are one of the main drivers that keep the superstar artists on top. Working in teams allows these writers to churn out tons of highly listenable pop tracks. Now, Millennials are breaking down this final barrier, too. Services like FindMySong are connecting independent musicians so they can form their own dominant songwriting and production teams. The FindMySong model takes advantage of the fact that there are more independent musicians than ever before who want a piece of the major artist success without the major label strings. With cheap recording technology and an effective way to distribute the music, these independents team up online to rival major labels. "We Killed the Music Industry." Medium. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.