Joe Franke Guest Blog

The music industry is changing, and in some cases, as we know it, collapsing. Technology is at the crux of these changes, with artists successfully self-representing themselves with the aid of the internet, people downloading music rather than purchasing a tangible objects or packages, and digital recording, editing, and mastering becoming ridiculously affordable.
Near the beginning of the record industry, an artist would enter the studio for a very short time and “Cut some sides,” recording only a few songs meant for sale or broadcast. These early formats played at fast speed, the playing time was limited, and the songs were short. A single, either a 45 rpm or 78 rpm record, was released with the intent of broadcasting (or selling) one song, primarily. With exceptions (such as a song continuing from the beginning of one side of the record to the end of the other side), a record had a “A” side, and a “B” side. the “A” side was the popular track at the time and, in some early cases and many later cases, the “B” side was the earliest example we have of “filler.”
When these records were packaged in album format, it was literally an album, a booklet with removable records, consisting of “sides” recorded on many occasions, and if they were all “A” sides, the album was the equivalent of a “greatest hits” package. Collections, even posthumous presentations on LP format, had the same result.
With the advent of the LP format, methods of recording changed. Bands would enter the studio and record many songs, more than a half hour’s worth of material, and release the singles after the fact. Artists were freer to experiment with longer songs and concepts, and, alas, forgettable recorded material.
With the advent of the Compact disc, the time the artist had available to them was now doubled (to 70 minutes!). Both artists and record labels were unsure what to do with this additional time. Early editions of albums on CD had bonus tracks or E.P.s tacked on. Rap artists would add skits, or “Shout-Outs” to fill up the disc. Though the opportunity for more than an hour of great music was there, the reality was that the ratio of “filler” would sadly increase.
That brings us to the present. Music fans download entire albums (or parts) without walking into a record store or leaving their house. They enjoy music without opening a record sleeve or turning on a stereo. Record stores are disappearing. Chains of record stores are disappearing. Record labels are disappearing. Record labels are consolidating and reconfiguring. Some of the most notable bands and artists are leaving their labels and, by using the internet, are often doing better. This is known in the pimp world as “working as a free agent.”
Anyway, folks are downloading music. Sometimes they’re paying for it, sometimes they’re not. But in this downloading age, people aren’t going to buy an $18 CD for “one good song.” They will download one good song, they may pay for one good song, but there is no reason for them to buy, beg, borrow or steal “filler” at this point. Importantly, nor is there reason for bands or artists to record “filler”. It is a free musical country still (in some ways more egalitarian), so artists can remain self-indulgent and fans can remain obsessive. Because there is no longer a format, there is no package which must be purchased (or stolen) completely.
So, while the downloading of music may continue to destroy the music industry, it may redeem itself by being a slight return to a time in which music was good, or at least, when the standard of quality was higher.

Joe Franke.

(I took the liberty of adding Joe’s business links below–US)
http://www.axisrecordsandcomics.com
http://www.calendarofdeath.com
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