Has music become all about concerts?

[clubcake]

Just make music that people love and sooner or later you will be asked to Dj. Thats how many producers have become Djs and can earn some cash.

[MarkHenry]

In today's world music is all about earning money by doing live concerts. The true meaning of music has been forgotten now a days. Previously music was all about connecting the heart and soul. But sad to say that today things are changed.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

artists make much more money via live shows than their cds/records....albums are just a sideline for live shows IMO!
especially the merchandise side of it...i was watching a doco on The Stones yesterday and they were saying that most bands allow to make $20-$30 per head of attendees at shows on things from the merchandise stands, but acts like The Stones and McCartney make upwards of $100 per head per show on merchandise, times that by say a 15,000 seat stadium and these old guys make an extra $1.5-$2million per show on t-shirt sales etc...then add in the extra cds from their back catalogues they will also sell during a tour and ticket sales profits and they make a lot more than you think!!!!!
even at $30 per head in merchandise sales at 15,000 attendees...thats close to 450K-500K extra per gig...very lucrative game to be in if you have "made it"!!!!!

[Mrrusty1]

yes it has become a business now and unfortunately in a lot of cases that takes away the art.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

yes it has become a business now and unfortunately in a lot of cases that takes away the art.

i agree with the "business" comment you made, but not he "takes away the art" comment because i think music has become more of a "visual art" than an "aural skill" nowadays, music used to be about passion,feeling and energy(sometimes all at once), but IMO, today, it has become second to the "video".

look, there's very little wrong with Michael Jackson's material, but his 1980s video's set a precedent for all others to follow by making very visual video's to compliment very good songs, unfortunately i believe that the video's cost more to make than the songs today,thus more focus is put in the making of them....if you have a brilliant video you will sell a million singles, if you have a crappy video you'll barely make the top 40...a sad but true indictment on society IMO!

[Tiggi]

This may all be true for the big artists out there, but IMHO there's plenty of musicians around who are just making a bit of a living, and doing it for the love of their art.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

yes that is true..i know several people who are in bands, all happy doing what they are doing,making enough money to support themselves with

[Terorero]

Oh well it's not impossible to make electronically produced music work also live with a band. In my opinion for example the live versions of "Insomnia" by Faithless are stunning with the live instruments. Though it's totally another thing how to get into a level to be able start touring with a live band.

Faithless - Insomnia live: Faithless - Insomnia | Live @ T in the Park 2010 (HQ) - YouTube
Alexia - Medley Dance (some of the biggest of 90's eurodance): Alexia - Medley Dance (Live At Ale & C. WorldTour 2009) - YouTube

[gater]

The best examples, to this day, of an artist/band making huge coin from touring and merchandising would beThe Gratefull Dead, followed in the far distance by Kiss.

[SteveO]

According to my musician friend who is the leader of three bands from three different genres(smart move !)....CHINA is the place to tour ...tons of money and the kids are starving for music from the West !

Evil showed me a clip of Lamb of God live in China...pretty amazing to watch the Chinese kids go nuts and they know their music !

The best examples, to this day, of an artist/band making huge coin from touring and merchandising would beThe Gratefull Dead, followed in the far distance by Kiss.