Maybe you've already heard, or maybe you're just finding out, or maybe, you don't really care, but there are now only three Major record companies on the planet Earth. That's right. Three record companies now control all of the major record labels.
This past November, Citibank, which owned EMI sold it's holdings to both Sony and Universal. Universal bought the recorded music section while Sony bought the music publishing arm. There has been some concern as to how the sale of EMI while fair in the financial realm, but as there is considerable back catalog that continues to do well, as well as new up and coming artist whose music is making en roads in the mainstream market, their appears to be no real worry about whether there be loss as opposed to profit.
Obviously, the sale is not going to be a losing venture, financially. But, what about the music? Most of the radio stations in this country are already owned by major corporations, which has, in my opinion, given rise to a lot of what we hear in most markets, as a sound alike phenomenon. Now with only three record companies, there's bound to be an increase in the similarity of sound between the artist already in the mainstream and those whose music is yet, but will soon be released.
From time to time, complaints are posted by music fans who are increasingly disappointed that the music that they love is continuing to be harder and harder to find. What music it that? Music with more melody and words that you're not ashamed to sing in front of your family and friends.
I know that I've posted about the increase in rhythm and special effects in top 40 music. And, how Disco has come back, triumphantly to the top of the charts, as Dance music. But, this music is having it's greatest success with it's target audience of 14 to 24yrs of age. With music sales trending up in 2011, there's no reason that I can see for the Big Three to abandon what clearly is working for them.
Fear not. The internet is an amazing place. The DIY movement is growing. While sites like Myspace still embrace the major label artists, there is a tremendous number of unsigned bands and artists whose music has to be heard to be believed.
I create and record music, but I am and have always been a music fan. I see the loss of yet one more record company as a decrease in competition, and a loss of reason for those at the top to care about the quality of what they sell, as long as as the product is professionally made, packaged, and yields huge monetary gains. There is no longer an incentive to seek out or present anything that remotely represent variety or diversity. But, whenever I find something thing that I think is good, I think that from now on, I will try to share it with as many others as I possibly can.
