[anonjon]

The little donate buttons we were supposed to click on to support our favorite bands as we gave the finger to the RIAA never panned out. It turns out we really were just cheap bastards that didn’t want to pay for music after all.

This is tangential and potentially destructively off-topic, but when exactly did music become something that we all need to pay for?

It seems to me that historically music has been something that people have done in addition to whatever it is that they do for their day job. (You sing while you are doing chores or you sing and dance at the pub at night).

When did we become this grotesque soulless crippled race of humans? It seems that there has been a proliferation of a myth that you need specific musical talent (and anointment by a benefactor) to create music. Why is this? It clearly isn't true... If we are all such cheap bastards, why don't we make our own damn music and give the RIAA the finger in that way?

I almost feel like there is some sort of institutional loss of music from our culture that almost warrants 'music theft' and is the real reason that people have been so reluctant to pay for their albums. It is as if everyone can make music, but there is some societal obligation that forces the majority of us to believe that we can't.

(Bonus: Why guitar hero and not a guitar? The guitar is cheaper...)

But please, feel free to ignore. Something about that phrasing simply rubbed me the wrong way and I felt the need to rant.

[teeja]

Historically, the people who made 'good' music -- by which I mean music that has been replayed and/or re-released for decades or centuries -- made music FULL-TIME, not as a hobby. The same is true today of people who have the time and talent to do filmscores (which will, again, be heard for at least decades.)

Making music that will last, not just confection, is a very intense activity. It is always technical, requires staying aware of the competition and staying ahead of it. It's a full-time job.not a hobby. I'm not arguing that good music is 'elite' music, but that most lasting music is good in direct proportion to the energy used creating it.

This would be common sense in most areas, but many people who don't make music somehow get the astonishing idea that good music is 'easy'. Look at any recognized 'genius' composer or singer/songwriter and count the number of big works they wrote that have lasted once the confection has faded away. The list is nearly always small: competition is fierce.

If listening to throwaway confection satisfies, what the here-today gone-tomorrow bands create may satisfy many consumers. Yes you'll find exceptions, but the bulk of music which is art, not just product, isn't made by weekend warriors. Like great furniture, great sculpture, great architecture, great anything: it needs support.

[anonjon]

But the majority of music that people listen to today is throwaway 'confection'.

The fact is that in our current system, people who produce music of genius quality starve, while the people who write about big booty women and bananas become super rich.

The problem is that the act of making music fulfills a basic human need. It isn't about making good music or making a song that will last for the ages. It is more like the need to have sex, make out and go dancing.

I just think it is incredibly sad that regular people can no longer compete with the mass market saturation of spun-sugar-pop-music. If we look at market trends it would appear that all music should be pitch-corrected, re-mixed, stamped onto plastic disks, and played as background noise to a music video. I, personally, reject the market trends as I know there is something much deeper that I actually need.

[andrewmayne]

I think it comes down to how you value what other people do. I value certain musicians and actually enjoy paying for what they do. It's not enough for me to say I like them. I feel it's only fair to spend money some money to reward what they've done for me.

I don't think it takes talent to make music. It takes talent to make good music. Talent is something I believe in rewarding.

[cookiecaper]

I agree that there's too much expectation that people will like your work enough that they'll support you full-time in it. People need to expect to support themselves, not to live off of album royalties.