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.
