Ryan Sprute dot com

Today is kind of a slow news day, so I thought I would take the time to talk a little about myself, well my band.

I’m in a very unknown band called The Matirns, although we are changing that name pretty soon, and hopefully we’ll become less unknown come the end of November, but that’s yet to be seen.

Being in a band is a weird thing, and it’s hard to compare it to many other pursuits because it’s a weird clash of business and art. First, clearly you are in a band because (hopefully) you enjoy making music and doing it with people who have a similar taste and style in music, who can help you create at a better level - this is certainly the case with my band, without a doubt I am the weakest member, and I consider myself to be an adequate drummer.

However, there are many other factors that a band has to deal with besides making music, and that is where the weird conflicts come in. Yes, we deal with many creative decisions, but they aren’t always musical ones. We argued for TWO YEARS about a band name, but that is a rare example of something we can’t resolve quickly. See, being in a band is a lot about compromising - not necessarily artistically, but in other ways.

You aren’t always going to get your way, and you’re not always going to be happy about it, but that’s life. If you can’t work with other people in your band, you might as well leave. I consider myself very lucky in that I enjoy being around my fellow bandmates, but I definitely still have my frustrations and trying moments. I have no idea what it’s like to have to deal with a “diva”, but I’d imagine it would be spectacularly unpleasant.

I think it might be hard to imagine exactly WHY bands fight, and you hear about bands that were torn apart by the industry. I can’t speak upon the impact success has on a band, because…well…we haven’t exactly HAD any major success yet. But I can say that making music can be a very emotional and exhausting process, and one can become very attached to ideas. It’s easy to get personal, and being in a band successfully - something I believe I CAN speak on, considering I’ve been with my band for nearly 3 years now - relies on your ability to not take things personally and think about how something affects everyone in the band, and not just yourself.

Plus, it’s a lot like a job in that rain or shine, you’re going to have to go to practice. You may be in a shitty mood, you may have other things on your plate, but you have to put your band before yourself. I don’t think I’m perfect at this, but it’s a crucial part of being a good band mate - putting the band first.

So here I am, taking a year off of school with my band to pursue a career in the industry - will I think it was worth it by the end of the year? I guess we’ll just have to see.

So I’m starting this blog back up again, this time focusing pretty much exclusively on the music industry. Also, this is going to be a lot rougher this time around - I rarely posted because I shelved most of my posts or left them in “to-edit” purgatory. This will just be a place to showcase my ideas about the future of the music industry and how to take advantage of this great upheaval.

So what will the industry look like in a few years?

-  There will be no majors

WMG and EMI (especially EMI) are NOT doing well. At all. They are ripe to merge and eventually the toxic DNA that both of these companies hold will be the end of them. I can’t say I’m too sad - I was at a music conference where a WMG rep was talking, every other word was “merch” or corporate-babble about demographics. I’m no dummy, I believe in the power of metrics, but if you are focused more on the method than the art you’ve got a big problem.

The big question is what will happen to “indies” like Sub Pop? WMG has a 50% holding share in Sub Pop, which makes them essentially a major-label subsidiary. I would be sad to see such a prestigious and important label go under, but my gut tells me they will land on their feet. After all, Sub Pop’s motto is “going out of business for the last 20 years”. Megan Jasper is a smart cookie, I’m assuming she’s not the only one. However, if they keep talking about “legacy” like it means anything to anyone besides other industry professionals and young bands wanting to get signed (ahem), it’s gonna hurt them.

- Artists will regain control over IP

The centuries-long injustice of corporations owning intellectual property will soon coming to an end. In Britain they’ve recently started a label that allows artists to own their own copyrights. This IS the future of record labels, I am absolutely certain of it. There are simply too many options for artists for them to foolishly let go of their most valuable card. Actually, it’s not even foolishness, there simply hasn’t been any other way before now.

The internet has allowed artists to directly connect with fans in a way unlike any other time in history. This has allowed the rise of the musical middle-class, who may never be rockstar-rich, they will be able to live comfortably while making their art on their terms.

That’s it for right now, but stay tuned for more.

My music industry predictions for 2009, hopefully at least one will come true so I don’t get totally embarrassed and feel so STUPID. Gawd. Anyway:

- Cloud-based music services will grow in popularity, and Songbird will rise as a serious contender to iTunes. Subscription services will also rise, hopefully in concert venues as well. However, major labels will fail to innovate and see their margins shrink even more. Apple will also lose the near-monopoly they have on digitized music sales.

- Sub Pop will gain a boost thanks to the popularity of Fleet Foxes, but unfortunately Portland will become even more competitive and maybe even surpass the Seattle music scene. Fuck Portland. Thanks a lot, Greg Nickels.

- Ticketmaster emerges as a competitor to Live Nation, with 360 deals and major artists on board.

- Two majors will merge to become one even shittier company, my guess is EMI and WMG.

- Grizzly Bear will blow up, and the indie/art rock scene in New York and similar bands will steadily gain more mainstream exposure. My band will not.