Has The Music Industry Gone Wrong? - Or Has it Just Evolved?

What Do You Think About The Music Industry? Is it changing for the independent artist?

Here's an extract from a rather lengthy essay I wrote for my music teaching course back in 2012.
There were lots of different avenues and website development for musicians just 6 years ago, but it was so difficult to earn any kind of money from just uploading your content to these sites.
I think we've come a hell of a long way since then, and with the new #Steemit #openmic #blockchain, @DSound and @DTube ....The future looks bright once again for the independent musician like myself.

Killer Tips For Songwriters:

1. Audiences Respond to Your Energy, Turn it On
2. Make Them Feel Special
3. Dedicate Songs to Them
4. Share Yourself Emotionally
5. Conduct a “Sing-A-Long”

Employability skills and employment skills within the context of the music industry.
“Employability is the capability of getting and keeping satisfactory work”
(Institute of Employment Studies, 1999)

15,788 plays in total - And Not A Penny In Revnue!
I new the deal when signing up to this platform.
Imagine how much I'd have accumulated if I'd had that amount of plays on the new @dsound site via #steemit?

Employment Skills are those required to gain employment such as, the ability to create #professional looking Curriculum Vitae, communicating effectively when phoning for job details and having an understanding of what the institution is about to which you are applying for employment.
An example of these skills could include:

• Filling in application forms
• Writing a supporting personal statement
• Having a good up to date CV
• Making a good first impression
• A confident Interview technique
• Adequate vocational skills
• Knowledge and understanding of the role
• Experience gained through working

For someone who is thinking of entering into the music #industry and gain employment, it would be a good idea to have an up to date and professionally produced CV, business card, portfolio of recent works and some dependable references. Networking and talking to people using good communication skills is vital to gaining work and becoming successful in this industry.
Employment skills are the first thing to consider when searching for jobs within the music education sector. A possible series of interviews would #follow after applying for a position within an institution so it is best to understand what skills are needed for the role. It is here that your employability skills are being looked for to see if you would be able to operate in the actual job.
Employability Skills can be split into two areas: Core skills and soft skills. Specific skills are required to work in a particular role such as:
• Technical ability
• Communication skills (written and verbal)
• Analytical/Research skills
• Computer/Technical literacy
• Flexibility/Adaptability/prioritising
• Interpersonal skills
• Leadership/Management skills
• Cultural awareness/sensitivity
• Planning/Organising
• Problem-Solving/Reasoning/Creative flair

Technical ability within music education would be the ability to demonstrate/perform and sight read. For someone working in the music technology sector this would extend to technical literacy using various software applications and information computer technology. A Peripatetic #music #Teacher would have to be flexible and adaptable, and have good communication and interpersonal skills in order to deliver what the client expects of them and has contracted them to do.

“Employers generally see a graduate’s achievements related to the subject discipline as
necessary but not sufficient for them to be recruited. In some employment contexts the
actual subject discipline may be relatively unimportant. Achievements outside the
boundaries of the discipline (such as the possession of so-called ‘soft skills’) are generally
considered to be important in the recruitment of graduates.” (Leicester University)

In some instances, a chance meeting or unofficial visit has been the catalyst to a music Teachers employment. #Networking #skills are very important in making a good first impression which would show off their personal qualities (possession of soft skills). The employment skills would be looked at once the job offer was actually made.
Examples of these soft skills include:

• Honesty/Integrity/Morality
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Dedication/Work Ethic
• Reliability/Responsibility
• Loyalty
• Positive attitude/Motivation
• Professionalism
• Self-Confidence
• Ability to work independently
• Willingness to learn.
Review the advantages and disadvantages of each in the current marketplace/workplace.

Employment and employability skills are not always advantageous to an employee. A good mixture of both sets of skills would ensure that a careful balance of core skills and soft skills would benefit and meet an employer’s needs when advertising a job. An example of this in the #music industry would be the difference between being #creative and reliable. A #musician would need to find a middle ground and not let one skill outweigh the other:
An explanation and set of examples can be found in the table below:

SKILL ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE
Qualifications You have the necessary industry knowledge to do the job An employer may consider you overqualified and therefore unlikely to stay.
Experience You have done the job before in a different capacity and therefore possess the core and soft skills required. Your experience and style of playing in your field may have made you too stylised e.g. Drumming technique for rock music. You may also be too in demand and therefore not able to work much.
Leadership You are able to guide a group of colleagues in a project. You may be unable to take criticism and listen to others ideas.
Self-Confidence You appear to be knowledgeable and experienced in your chosen area and therefore be a reliable source and good artist You may be an over dominant figure and therefore intimidating to colleagues or come across as arrogant to clients/audiences.
Technical Ability You have good understanding and knowledge in your area. You are unable to be creative and may have a fixed approach.
Creativity You have a raw natural talent and are able to improvise and create from inspiration You are unable to transfer your creation to a format which others will be able to read in order to recreate.
Interpersonal You are good at communicating verbally May spend too much time conversing and not enough on work.
Organising You can work to task and meet deadlines No flexibility.
Computer Literacy You are able to use modern technology for communication purposes and work orientated tasks. You are unable to master basic Maths and English based tasks un aided e.g. spelling vs. spell check
Application Forms You can write well, have good presentation skills and clear handwriting You are unable to operate ICT and therefore keep up with applications used within the organisation

It is important to understand how these key skills are applied within the UK music industry. According to - UK Music 2012

The #British music industry is at the heart of the creative #economy and contributes significantly to UK culture and society, as well as to economic productivity. Specifically, the #UK music industry generates over £6 billion per annum, contributes significantly to exports and provides more than 130,000 UK jobs. This enormous value is fully recognised by Government as well as the pivotal role that the creative industries all provide to Britain's future prosperity.

Summer 2015

"So government must get out of the way where it is inhibiting enterprise and it’s got to get active in those areas where it is needed. And there’s a third, crucial part of our coalition #strategy for #growth – which is to rebalance our economy.
Today our economy is heavily reliant on just a few industries and a few regions – particularly London and the South East. This really matters. An economy with such a narrow foundation for growth is fundamentally unstable and wasteful – because we are not making use of the #talent out there in all parts of our United Kingdom.
We are determined that should change. That doesn’t mean picking winners but it does mean supporting growing industries – aerospace, pharmaceuticals, high-value manufacturing, hi-tech engineering, and low carbon technology. And all the knowledge-based businesses including the creative industries." - Prime Minister David Cameron

UK Music represents the UK music industry as a whole. We engage in #ypublic policy development at national, EU and international levels to ensure that the interests of our members are effectively advocated and considered.
UK Music 2012
Some statistics from the National Careers Service shows that:

Me playing on local BBC Radio here in the UK a few years ago.

•There are 102,220 people working in the music industry, of which:
◦50,780 work in live performance
◦21,930 in production, retail and distribution of musical instrument/audio equipment
◦15,130 in retail and distribution of recordings
◦10,190 in #recording
◦2,890 in c#omposition of musical works and music publishing
◦1,300 in #promotion, #management and agency related activities
•Employment in music increased by 8% between 2004 and 2006.
•25% of the workforce is located in London.

•There are 13,760 #ybusinesses, of which 89% employ less than 50 people.
•The music industry contributes £4.2 billion to the UK economy.
•46% of the music workforce is self‐employed.
•34% of the workforce works part‐time.
•#Women in the industry are slightly more highly qualified than men (38% have an above level 4 qualification as their #highest qualification compared with 35% of men).
•Women are likely to earn less money than men (78% of women in music earn less than £20,000 per year, compared to 51% of men).
•36% of those working in the music industry have at least a level 4 qualification.
•8% of the workforce has no qualifications.
Jobs in the industry include: #agent, artistic #director, classical musician, composer/arranger DJ, lighting technician, lyricist/songwriter, manager (music), music and #audio manufacturer, music conductor, music teacher, #performer (recording artist), publicity and promotions, singer, sound engineer.

I hope you found this an interesting read.
Please feel free to #resteem and share.