In sidebar: I expect that the reader might wonder, at first, how this may pertain to the political discourse at DailyKos. I present it under the general topic, Economy, and in the interest of presenting some matters of business and the musical arts - ultimately, in the interest of furthering a discourse about some matters of business such that, one presume, may naturally "fit" with the more holistic concerns of the Democratic party.
The entertainment industry has been something that I've had some limited experience with, personally. I've performed, onstage, in theater, and worked in theater craft, in college. I've been developing my own views in regards to theater and broader arts and entertainment disciplines, since then.
Today, I noticed a certain market report published by TechCrunch. It's titled, with a stunningly positive tone, The Sky is Rising. The report can be downloaded in a PDF file, at the link, and there's a nice infographic there to illustrate the matter. An effective abstract of the report, quoted from the link, would be as follows:
For years now, the legacy entertainment industry has been predicting its own demise, claiming that the rise of technology, by enabling easy duplication and sharing -- and thus copyright infringement -- is destroying their bottom line. If left unchecked, they say, it is not only they that will suffer, but also the content creators, who will be deprived of a means to make a living. And, with artists lacking an incentive to create, no more art will be produced, starving our culture. While it seems obvious to many that this could not possibly be true, since creators and performers of artistic content existed long before the gatekeepers ever did, we've looked into the numbers to get an honest picture of the state of things. What we found is that not only is the sky not falling, as some would have us believe, but it appears that we're living through an incredible period of abundance and opportunity, with more people producing more content and more money being made than ever before. As it turns out... The Sky Is Rising!
I thought that it might bear a highlight here, as it being a matter of developing business. Considering the recent redux - such that, I think, President Obama has given a generative keynote to, with his recent SOTU address - in regards to concerns about economic progress, economic sustainability, and economic development, I suppose I could fit it under the proverbial umbrella here.
So, there's that resource at TechCrunch, such that I've linked to. Some of my own interpretation, at this moment, would be as follows.
I'd like to set this to the tune of the song, OCT, by Solar Fields
In my own studies thus far, regarding the business and crafts of the entertainment industry, I've focused some of my attention onto the music business, in what I may be able to learn about the same, without yet being a too active participant in the business - my being on contract to a job not really leaving me any opportunity for a lot of self-motivated civic involvement, to say the least.
I guess that my own interest in the music business was kind of keynoted when I first chanced across Moses Avalon's book, Confessions of a Record Producer. It's a gritty and telling book, about the music industry in its most common form. Granted, in the edition I've been reading, it hasn't so much touched on any changes that may have evolved out of the industry, in regards to music distribution, and as may be attendant with such regulations as the DMCA and related matters of legal policy. It is, however, a substantially telling book, in regards to the actual, pragmatic form of the music industry, in her most corporate form of expression.
Furthermore, maybe it doesn't touch, so much, on indie music. I might be just as happy with that, though - as a connoisseur of some indie music, I suppose - considering that I think a lot of the music might loose its original shape, if subjected to the corporate pressures of corporate music industry. Of course, then, there is the concern for "the struggling artist" seeking to be organized and so on - but I digress. ReverbNation and Bandcamp are not the only options out there, for the independent musician, but they are two notable options, nonetheless.
To bring that back around to center, here: I think it's worth noticing that music, it being a part of culture, lends support to the economy, ultimately as it providing something around which people can come together in community - whether in listening to music, privately and with friends, or in the context of a club or festival.
Personally, I might like to develop my own interests in regards to music promotion, by bringing local bands together to make and publicize shows. My being on contract to a job not really permitting that, though, I notice that I can only develop my own "designs" with regards to the same. Inasmuch, I suppose that it bears some relevance, in a broader social context, for that community quality of music, in performance - whether in live performance or recorded performance.
I think it's something that the political movement of a party might wish to take to mind, as well - not firstly that there may be some momentum in some trends in music, but firstly, because if music and music events may soever serve in a means for the party to make its own principles and identity more known, to the public, and if it could be managed - that "branding" as it were - in such a way that could benefit both the party and the public overall, I would suppose that that could lead to good results for every party concerned. Granted, then, I think it would take some responsibility, to manage such a "branding" endeavor. It would be none too trivial, I think.
I know, that's a little broad - and perhaps I cannot really explain my thinking, there, in one single paragraph. In fact and of course, I am still developing my own thoughts with regard to the relevance of music as a feature of community events, and furthermore, the relevance of politics overall in society and community. I don't suppose it's too bad to share a rough draft of a thought, though, and perhaps one can find some feedback about the same.
Frankly, I am a bit at a loss as for whether the community would second the statement that it may be a matter bearing some further attention. The least thing that I thought I could do about the question, tonight, then, was to bring it up here - it being, I think, an appropriate community for such a matter. So, then, what should I clarify about my thinking as such? I would appreciate any feedback about it. Thank you.
Of course, then, this might be in some contrast to my recent interest about downshifting as a means for withdrawing oneself, personally and philosophically, from within a climate of consumerist obsession - kind of "removing self from the equation" to paraphrase that philosophical matter brought up in the film, Tron: Legacy, in fact.