FEATURE:
No Charge
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The Future of Music Journalism/The Pressure on Artists to Produce
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THIS is a sort of double A-side…
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kind of feature, I guess. It ties together because, as I am looking around music and the media right now, a few things strike me. I wonder whether there is such thing as ‘writer’s block’ or whether there is a natural point where the mental ink well just runs dry. At the moment, I am struggling to come up with new ideas for features; not quite sure how to proceed. I guess, if you are writing something new every day, there is a point where you have sort of covered everything. The charge sort of ends and you need to get the juice back in the batteries. I might explore how best to approach writer’s block in a future article, but I wanted to look back at a topic I have covered a few times before: the state of modern music journalism. Every month, I hear news that a music website is either having to scale its operations back or close entirely. As more and more artists come onto the market, there is that demand for coverage and column inches. There are few industries that provoke as much passion as much – this extends to journalists. So many of us – myself included – sort of take for granted websites when it comes to getting our news and fixtures. I have just checked on Pitchfork and The Guardian for what is happening right now. Whilst I do my best to support these sites (donating where I can), I understand the cost involved in producing their stories is exceptional.
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Think about the costs a big site like The Guardian or The Line of Best Fit might have to shoulder. They have to go to gigs and review – this all costs. When interviewing artists, there are costs involved there and it can be quite eye-opening when you consider just how much is needed, financially, to keep us updated. The fact there is so much competition around means (big sites) often have to spend a lot of money either interviewing huge stars or producing these detailed features. I am indebted to music websites, because they help me when it comes to inspiration and what is happening right now. For the most part, I am looking out for news and features; I am not really that interested in reviews. It is staggering to think how many times I go to various websites to stay informed and find fresh leads. When possible, I contribute to sites to ensure that I do not have that ethical quandary. There are many that exist purely for free and rely on advertising to keep them afloat. I run a very small blog, yet I feel I am constricted because I generate no profit. Of course, I want to keep doing this for a bit, but I think it is hard to diversify and improve without money. I have been thinking, for a long time, about making videos that cover classic albums and various sides of music. Apart from a slightly nervousness, I feel the money needed to keep this up and reach people is too much.
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I do not feel right asking people for money because they can go to other websites and a lot of people do not have spare pennies to pay for music journalism. It may sound like music journalism is dying out and, in years to come, it will not exist. That prediction can never come true, because musicians cannot solely promote themselves. There is always going to be a place for journalist. Artists need feedback and reviews; we need t know the latest music news and all of us, at some point, will buy a magazine or check a music website. I think there is that split between successful magazines that can continue and thrive because of sales and advertising revenue and those sites that struggle because the profit margins are razor-thin. There are articles that claim music journalism is not dying, but merely changing. To keep the audience hooked and invested, each site needs to have their own voice and style. Putting some humour into the mix or creating something positive. Indeed, some people look for a more negative take on an artist because it is different and bold. I do worry that, whilst some magazines are stable and new websites are cropping up, it is the free nature of media that means a lot of great journalists will struggle – and it puts off future generations from embarking on that path.
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I want to source from a Europavox article that talks about music journalism in the digital age:
“For anyone harbouring optimistic thoughts about the future of journalism, it’s been a sobering start to the year. BuzzFeed and HuffPost, leading players whose viral content and revenue-per-click strategy were once considered groundbreaking, laid off over 1,000 employees, while Condé Nast, the media conglomerate that owns publications such as GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired, and Pitchfork, announced that by the end of the year all its titles will be behind paywalls. For sites and publications lacking in cred or venture capital millions, things are even bleaker; newsrooms and staff positions across Europe and the US have been decimated, with 2018 being the worst year for media redundancies since 2009.
How did we get here? The Internet was supposed to be the dawn of a brave new world for publishing, the multimedia possibilities of the digital age allowing anyone, anywhere, to access a wealth of real-time information. Editors could no longer act as gatekeepers, nor could journalists afford to be cavalier when it came to facts – anything could now be checked in an instant. The advent of smartphones and social media accelerated such changes; blogs, bystanders, and so called “citizen journalists” could help break – and shape – stories in ways that were impossible for TV or print. If knowledge truly is power, then the web is one of humanity’s greatest inventions.
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I think, as I say, there is this assumption that journalism should be free because we can get music for nothing – why would we pay to see something written about a song we paid nothing for?! It is an interesting debate but, as we are swamped with music and, if you pay for every song and article online, could you afford it all?!
“Part of the problem resides in perceived value; as music itself has become just another free – and readily available – commodity, the number of people willing to pay to read informed debate around it has also dwindled. Viewed like this, the difficulties facing music journalism are the same faced by music in general: ensuring content creators are adequately remunerated for their efforts, and gaining attention in an increasingly fractured culture. Yet clearly there is still some demand for intelligent, thoughtful writing. Therefore, the question becomes: what should music journalism look like in 2019, and what does it need to do to survive?
It has never been easier to make, and release, music. SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube…a sea of sounds, representing every conceivable style and genre, washes across the Internet every day. Navigating this vast ocean – in modern parlance, “discovery” – is no easy task; one could spend days clicking on links and following hashtags, and find nothing but mediocrity”.
Music journalism is important because it provides different takes; we are not solely relying on the mainstream or one person’s thoughts. In the same way as literature allows us to escape, keep our imaginations sharp and ensure we are informed, music journalism is essential for those who adore music and are hungry to see how the scene is changing.
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Artists always need that exposure and love, so we all need to, when we can, help subsidise sites we use a lot; try and buy music so that artists can continue to record for years to come. I know music journalism will continue and always be a thing, but I am seeing so many sites and publications disappearing because they cannot afford to keep things going without getting paid. Maybe it is a sign of the digital times, but I do think that we all need to donate where we can to sites; the Government needs to help fund music journalism to ensure that artists get covered and we all are able to get our fix of all the latest moving and happenings in the music world. I grew up reading magazines like NME and would hate to see the industry suffer because of a lack of capital. That said, there are some great blogs and websites that are able to produce excellent work because of their supporters and advertising – maybe everything is not lost in that sense.
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Maybe there is a connection but, as I think about music journalism and whether it has a strong future, I am also concerned about artists and the pressure on them to keep putting out new work. I am not sure whether there is a cause and effect link or a profit and demand connection, but I do feel artists are suffering because of the nature of modern music and how many others are out there. Because we can get music for free and there are platforms open to everyone, there is going to be that demand. This is especially true of mainstream artists but, when they release an album or single, there is that almost instant expectation to put something fresh out. Whereas the word ‘charge’ in the first part refers to finance and music media, here there is more of a physical and physiological meaning – artists being drained and tired by the effort they put in. Again, I am not suggesting all is hopeless (far from it) and modern music is in trouble. I do thing there is this feeling that artist need to be perfect or unique. As more and more musicians come along, parameters change, and the competition gets stiffer. For those who feel the quality of music has declined over the decades, consider how tough it is for artists now. For those starting out, there is the struggle to get noticed. Not only do artists have to use social media all the time to get people their way; their music has to have that spark and innovative streak so that it resonates.
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Mainstream artists have commercial pressure from labels, meaning they not only have to keep releasing music to stay relevant and popular…there is also that problem with fitting into the mainstream but also being original. This article from last year talks about perfectionism and the impact it can have on mental-health:
“More pressure comes from anxiety and perfectionism, says Cornelius – common issues for those working in the performing arts. “All artists put stuff out there to be judged, but the music industry is particularly challenging because you’re not just being evaluated on your music – it’s what scene you’re in, what you look like and what label you’re on. You then look critically at yourself, in the way that you think you’ll be viewed. It’s very destructive.”
No support. No advocate. No super. No sick leave. No annual leave. Long hours. Poor diet, occasionally comprised solely of liquids”.
Maybe there is a definite reality for a major Pop artist and a band that are just coming through. I do worry that artists are always having to think about their next move and are not being afforded time off. Constantly having that pressure can be a negative when it comes to songwriting. I think it is harder to come up with material if there is a sense of pressure; artists that are allowed more freedom and room can come up with more natural and better music. It is hard for artists because there is not only the recording of material they need to think about.
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There is the social media side of things, promotion and touring. As I am going through a period of slight period of creative stagnation, I can only imagine what it is like for artists – those who have a lot of eyes and ears trained their way. There is this assumption that, unless an artist releases an album every year or two, they have faded away or they will be forgotten about. Fans will show patience, but I do wonder whether the labels are thinking about how their artists cope with stress and deadlines. This article from The Independent investigates how artists have to meet expectations and it can lead to some serious problems:
“Will Gore, who worked in press regulation for a decade before moving into journalism (he is currently executive editor at The Independent), suggests that the “rock and roll” narrative beloved by so many tabloid journalists (and media consumers) “perpetuates a myth that musicians somehow ought to be capable of superhuman fortitude – until, that is, they burn out”.
He adds: “Yet the cases of burn-out, mental breakdown and even death only seem to add to the superficial allure of lives lived fast and dangerously. It’s not hard to suspect that this perception suits the industry down to the ground when it comes to marketing and sales – but it is hardly likely to help vulnerable stars who strive to meet such unrealistic expectations”.
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I will wrap things up in a minute, but I hope next year provides an opportunity for big labels and the industry as a whole to take a deeper look at the way artists are marketed and what is expected from them. Maybe things are that much more competitive now, but is the natural reaction to that pressure on an artist to the point where they are releasing material quickly and not producing their best work? Also, there is the strain on their mental and physical health; the fact artists need to take time off and, with that, there is that pressure for them to return. I think there is some great music around at the moment. In my view, the best albums have been released by artists who have had some time away; been allowed a period of reflection and, as such, have felt less anxious when it comes to the next album. I can appreciate the fact the industry is tougher now than ever, and artists in all walks and levels have to keep their name and music out there. I just think there are more downsides than positives when labels and fans are a little too impatient and feel releasing single after single is the best thing for an artist. Maybe some artists can defy the odds and strike out on their own terms, but many are struggling. I have spoken to several artists who feel like there is too much pressure on them to keep bringing out music. As we wind down this year, I do hope a lot of the big labels will think about how artists feel and whether they are expecting too much – that might seem like commercial suicide or something impossible! I started by discussing the future of music journalism and some personal writer’s block. As I type my final words, something positive has emerged: I have cured my writers block…
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IF only for a moment.