To the person on the street who listens to music, it is all about the sound and the lyrics. We enjoy certain bands, we sing along to the radio and we spend our hard earned dollars on compact discs and MP3′s. The business of music thrives on this love of music that we individuals have. But there is so much more to it than that. The business of music it huge and there are a tons of people involved, from beginning to end.
There are the musicians, there are the people that discover the musicians and then there are the people that decide if the musicians are good enough to be signed to a label. At the label there are even more people, and it extends from there. There is the label, there is the producer, there are song writers and recording studios. Not to mention the distribution companies, concert venues, managers and promoters. Often bands will take on street teams, normal people like you and I that help get the word out through flyers and sample music.
Once the music is available it goes to radio stations, the internet and to music stores and mass merchant stores. There is advertising and word of mouth. The bands and musicians play concerts so people can hear them live, they sign autographs and they appear on television. They make videos even. Without videos, advertising, promotions, the internet and the stores selling their music, it is likely no one would ever hear of them outside their home town.
All of this is why the business of music is an important one. People love music. It makes them happy, it makes them sad, it makes them sing along and it makes them remember. The lyrics speak to them, the rhythm makes them dance and each song they love is their own, even if they had nothing to do with how it got from lyrics on paper to a song in their ears.
You can learn more about the music business as it relates to certain locations, from New Mexico to Washington to Nevada so that you can learn more about the music business in your state!
Additional Resources: