Urgency and action

My experience in the music industry is slim, but I have studied the tech industry from the inside and out for 30 years.

And I can say the following sentence with complete confidence:

This moment is as good as it will ever be in the current system.

It will only worsen from here, as it has since the needs of platform companies became more important than those of independent artists, labels, and fans.

Spotify, YouTube, and the others will not suddenly come to their senses and decide to pay more for music rights or cede power back to the people.

On the contrary, they may decide to tweak the algorithm, much like Facebook did to the news media a few years ago, and render our role irrelevant in future discussions.

Spoiler: they already have and will continue to chip away.

This moment demands urgency and action.

That’s why the tech industry continues to dominate us all. They move faster and with more conviction, compounding their already considerable advantages and consolidating control.

We can change that if we work together.

Real talk.

I am an industry outsider. It’s a strength on most days and a glaring weakness on others. I spend most of my days seeking allies and co-conspirators within the industry.

If we haven’t met, please say hello. If there’s someone you think I should meet, please connect us.