Essay Sample on Should Musicians Change Their Tune?

There’s no doubt that over the years the means by which fans listen to and purchase music has changed. Now that media like records, CDS and cassettes are fading out of the picture free ad-supported streaming services like Spotify are becoming more popular. Although being able to access your favorite songs anytime may be more convenient for fans, musicians have to adapt to a completely different way of earning money. I support licensing out songs because it not only helps artists gain exposure but also allows them to earn a profit for the use of their work. Firstly, for many new musicians the stress of building and image for themself and trying to get recognition at the same time can be overbearing. Although “selling” out may put the artist at risk of soiling their image, it can also help expose their music to a new audience. As stated in the text, an example of this was when The Shins, a fairly unknown indie rock band, gained a large fan base after their new single was featured in a McDonald’s ad. In many cases exposure can be just as important as income. This can be seen with the widely popular pop group the black eyed peas. They fully embraced branding and it helped them to further their career and get to the position they are in today. 

Secondly, with the use of mobile streaming services becoming more mainstream musicians are earning less money for their songs. As stated in source one “ a signed solo artist would need about 5,478 iTunes downloads of a song per month versus 4,200,000 YouTube streams per month just to make the U.S. minimum wage.” Under these conditions, it can be almost impossible for new artists to earn enough to sustain a livelihood and have a successful career. Because of this many of them end up quitting or giving up. Pairing up with companies allows smaller artists to gain enough income to continue producing music and support their daily needs.

Many may argue that selling out music isn’t necessary and that their are others ways of gaining exposure. Although it’s true that there are other means of gaining exposure, these ,ethics are not always attainable. Touring and creating merchandise are almost necessary in order for artists to effectively promote their music. The costs for all the supplies needed can take a huge chunk of their income. In many cases, the musician can even end up losing more money than they’re earning. Teaming up with large corporations can help to provide artists with the money to cover all of these expenses. 

In conclusion, artists “selling out” is not necessarily a bad thing. It is nothing but a way of helping musicians to support their careers and should not be viewed as taboo. Without advertising, many of todays most popular artists would not be where they are today.