Wednesday, June 25, 2014

'Don't Worry Baby (Maybe)'


Music streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora are, though still very popular, effectively old news. Since the success of their model has been established, it was only a matter of time before Google got in on the action. They have been very quiet about their plans until recently when they began contacting musicians with YouTube accounts to notify them that their music will be taken down. Before you panic, you should know that this primarily applies to artists represented by Major or Independent labels who have already struck a deal with Google. (*note that in this context ‘Independent’ refers to labels that are generally owned or connected to major labels, with a few exceptions…so if your college roommate has been putting your music out on cassette, your probably safe).  

For now, the only thing known for sure is that this will affect significantly established (profitable) artists and as far as smaller or “Local” bands go, the information is vague if there is any information at all. Basically, it is something to keep an eye. You may also want to considered some less-than-official but highly possible ramifications, 1) YouTube may no longer offer a highly visible platform for your music since bands that the general public would look for will no longer be there. 2) It has the potential to decrease the relevance cover songs since they will no longer be linked to the original versions. Keep an ear to the ground but know that for now, your band’s YouTube page is probably safe and as effective as ever.



No comments:

Post a Comment