Mass Appeal

I read an article that stated that music industry sales were flat for 2012. I found this interesting, because back in February I read another article that stated that music industry sales were up for the first time since 1999. After a quick review of both articles, I quickly realized what the problem was. This month's article was based on a survey done by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), while last month's article featured a survey done by the London based IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry).

The IFPI's survey was based on global record sales while the RIAA survey was based on US record sales. It seems that while global sales of recorded music were up by .03 percent, sales in the US for 2012 were actually down about .09 percent, which was a decrease from 2011. However, digital sales in the us for 2012 actually rose by .08 percent.

What does all of this mean? At first glance it appears that the US music industry has reached a level of what I'd say is, "stagnation." While new artists and veterans are having success, clearly, no one is crossing onto more than one genre in order to gain broader or what I like to think of as, "mass appeal." Artists who start on one chart or another may find themselves moving onto the Pop chart, but that is as far as they make it. In the past, this was enough to propel some artists into super stardom.

In past decades, an artist considered to be relegated to the teen market might actually appeal to a much wider audience than the 14 to 24 age demographic used by the music industry to market recorded music. In the 70s, 80s, and the first half of the 90s, it wouldn't be uncommon to see fans from all demographics showing up at an artist's concert or showing up at brick & mortar stores to purchase their music.

From the last half of the 90s through the first decade of the 21st century and into it's second, things, in my opinion have become more splintered. There's a sense that while most music fans may say that they like a variety of music and artists, it's more than likely that they tend to buy from only one particular genre. When you consider how many genres and sub genres of music that exists now, you can see how difficult it's become for an artist to obtain, "mass appeal."

Add to that, the continued consolidation of the music industry from seven major companies down to only three, and you can see how an artist signed to a major, but not having a hit record, could get lost in the shuffle. It takes time to build a following, unless a major label promotion machine is behind you from the start. Even with that, if what you present isn't broad enough, you may not reach a segment of what you feel should be your audience.


Still, we wait. Who will be the first artist of the 21st century that will produce a sound that not only their children with love, but their parents, and even grandparents might like as well? That artist will truly have, "mass appeal."