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The music game is crazy right now!! For so long, major record companies served as our music ‘filter.’ They decided which artists succeeded or failed, and we listened to whatever music they told us to listen to. The process of recording and releasing music was very cut and dry, with little room for marketing creativity. However, they were making money by the millions. Why fix what isn’t broken, right? What’s crazy is that those same record execs, the ones that were once on top of the world, are now struggling to even stay in the game. Success used to be determined by the recording and release of an album. That was how you knew you ‘made it.’ However, it’s no secret that ever since websites like Napster and Myspace came into existence, the music industry has completely revolutionized. Now, even further with Twitter, Facebook, iTunes, and the list goes on. The options for building a career and releasing an album are endless.

The hardest part for an artist used to be just being seen by a record label. Today, we still want to be seen. However, the issue is trying to be seen by the masses in the sea of artists they encounter on a day-to-day basis; the hard part is being noticed at all. Things have changed. Any and everyone can release an album, but no one is spending the money to buy it. It doesn’t matter if it’s Lady Gaga’s or your neighbor’s grandmother’s latest single; music sales have plummeted and record companies are floundering while trying to figure out a solution to illegal downloading. Well I have come to tell you that I have the answer!!!! The solution is….

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…. THERE IS NO SOLUTION! Give music away for free! The sooner people in the industry start realizing that music sales will no longer be their primary form of income, the better. Until then, their unwillingness to embrace change will continue to cripple them. In that same light, artists need to realize that they don’t need a major record deal in order to succeed. Honestly, they are better off without one. I cringe every time someone says, ‘I just finished recording my demo, and I’m about to start shopping it to labels.’ I hear that line way more than I should in this day and age. Major labels are useful for worldwide distribution, but we all have that at our fingertips (literally), on a daily basis. The only mountain left to climb is figuring out a way to stand apart from the rest. Instead of signing our careers away for fear of the unknown, we need to be confident in our craft and go head-to-head with every other musician out there. Create quality music, and let creativity and innovation drive your marketing strategy. Eventually someone will notice.

-Samantha Marq

Follow Me On Twitter @samanthamarq