Are you ready to embrace the change

What is so wrong with getting rid of the middle man? The middle man has had a great run, not only at the cost of the artist, but also at the cost of the music consumer. We all are scared of the “change.” But what if the change is actually better for the artists and the consumer?

What if we can actually have a direct relationship between the artist and the audience? What if the audience actually becomes personally involved and attached to the artist? Is that really such a bad thing?

Of course there will be resistance. The middle man has had it good for years, and they are not going to give up their generous slice of the pie without a fight. But just because “that’s how it always has been,” does not make it right.

Don’t get me wrong, I still believe the middle man will have a part to play in the game. But the wheels are turning. Even artists who have been part of the major label system for years are starting to break free. The change is on the way.

So what will the future look like? No one can tell for sure. But I have my own predictions that  artists like the great Amanda Palmer, are in a way living the future today. She has built a world-wide community of fans, that she has a deep connection with.  She creates content continuously. She engages with her community daily through social media. And the community support her through services like Patreon, and they are generous and happy to do so.

So why does not everyone jump on the bandwagon? Because it is seen as hard work! We see the record label model as the easier way. We believe that if we get signed, someone else will take care of the business, and we just get to play music… Wrong! A record label does take care a small part of your business, but it is very small part, and in return they take a big cut out of the profits. You still need to take care of the 90% of the business. And the record label can lose interest at any stage and drop you.

So why is the new model so much hard work? Because you need to put your self on the line. You need to be willing to open your heart and share it with the world. You need to be genuine. And for some reason we have been taught that this is a bad thing in our society, like it would be a form of weakness. The truth is, it’s actually a genuine sign of strength.

So are you ready to embrace change, or still holding on to the way things were in the past?

J.P.

The author J.P. Kallio is a singer songwriter
To get EIGHT of his songs for free go HERE