Tens Of Thousands Of Artists CAN Be Wrong

Chris Anderson of Long Tail fame makes the argument that touring is what will make all the difference for the tens of thousands of bands giving their music away for free online.

I like the Long Tail. Really, I do. But I have to call bullshit. 99% of these bands giving their music away online aren't going to make any sort of significant money touring, either. Citing a $61 average ticket price and the revenue from the top ten tours of the year is so deceptive I have to think it's willfully disingenuous, because it's in no way representative of those same "tens of thousands" of artists. It's like pointing to executive pay as an indicator that the economy is getting better, and if you believe that, you're probably not reading this.

Once again, this makes me wonder if I need to get back on track with the book on the evolution of digital music. There's a middle ground between "recorded music should be free" and "consumers should have to pay for every use of a sound recording, in any way, shape or form," but those are the two stances that get all the media attention.