Commercialization of the Music Industry

Commerce has found a way to weave into every single industry that has ever been introduced into the society. Alas, the Music Industry was no such exception. Commercialization was inevitable since its inception. It is in the very nature of the word 'Commerce'. To someone who just listens to the music, it is as simple as listening to it on the radio, watching music videos on the television, or going out and buying the cd. However, it goes far beyond this simple assumption. What really happens behind the scenes? Only artists and their respective record companies know exactly. To a naive artist who has just entered the industry, it is a place that holds the key to their future; promising all of their dreams and aspirations, but little do they know what is actually in store for them.

One small compromise is all it takes. Once the first compromise has been made, they unknowingly get pulled into the trap. They tell themselves that the compromise is necessary to pave the path of their career, and they might not be wrong at the time. But one compromise leads to another, which leads to another until they become the record company's personal monkeys. Artists are pulled into their trap ever so carefully that they probably don't even realize that they are doing something against their will. Big shot record labels have a way of convincing artists that they are independent artists irrespective of being signed. However, artists like Ed Sheeran have found ways to step out the rat-trap and tell off the labels. The Grammy Nominee released a track called  'You Need Me, I Don't Need You', in which he sings about how artists make the record companies what they are, and not the other way around. He goes on to talk about the defiance of norms set by the music industry. Another band, 30 Seconds to Mars have released an album called 'This Is War' addressing an unfair damage suit. Their record label, Virgin Records, filed a suit of $30 million in damages against the band, claiming that they failed to produce three of the five records they were obligated to deliver. The amount of ridicule in the above statement is unfathomable. Is this what the music industry has come down to? Taking undue advantage of the artists that make the company; not providing them with the freedom and liberation they require, is not the way to go. It has come to be that, even though they sing, their voices are being silenced.