Two years ago, when I started here, I was blown away by this concept. ^{I thought it would revolutionize the entire arts and entertainment industry.}

I Thought

^{The multibillions generated yearly by the arts and entertainment industry would slowly find it's way here, to this blockchain.}

Signing up was a no-brainer, instantaneous, and all I could see was a bright future ahead.

Many either don't know or seem to forget what it was like in the late 90's and early 2000's for artists as everything transitioned over to the internet when we were first entering this digital age.

There was a file called an MP3. That was and still is a music file; most of us could easily find music, online, for free, back then, much like today.

The only difference was, those were pirated copies of songs and albums. Eventually, pirated copies of movies started to circulate as well. The big corporate media conglomerates hated this. They noticed a decline in profits and realized their product was being shared freely all over the internet; so they stepped in to attempt to put a stop to it all.

I remember bands like Metallica, back in the day, making worldwide headlines because they openly came out and said people were stealing their music; that didn't sit well with them. I'm sure you'd be pissed off as well if you bought twelve houses for your supercars and suddenly couldn't pay for any of it.

A file sharing platform called Napster also made worldwide headlines at the same time. Millions of people used Napster and the big corporate media lawyers were shutting it down. This made many content consumers angry because they had been taking free entertainment for granted for quite a few years and now suddenly, they might have to pay again.

Grr!

^{It became a battle against artists and the people who enjoy art.}

Artists didn't think it was fair to work for free, and patrons of the arts didn't think the artists should make money.

I didn't pick sides back then even though I was one of these disgruntled media leaches who thought people should supply my entitlement issues with entertainment, on demand.

One of the downsides to what happened back then:

^{Sour grapes. Some content consumers still despise the fact artists make money to the point where they don't like artists, even though it's the big corporate media conglomerates and their lawyers who should be getting the evil eye, and not the independent artists, like me. Big media and the general public's reaction combined made all artists look like greedy selfish shit-bags.}

Eventually

^{Artists embraced this new technology and found other ways to make up for the lost revenue.}

I can turn on Youtube right now and listen to a steady stream of music, even though it's interrupted by advertisements after nearly every song, while Google watches my every move so it can provide better advertisements in the future.

Single tracks are available to purchase from platforms eerily similar to the ones that got taken down, back in the day.

If you would have told me, back in the day, I'd be able to consume online content and get paid every time I like something, I would have called you a liar.

If you would have told me, back in the day, I could produce some content and get paid simply because people liked what I shared, instead of charging them a fee, I would have called you the biggest bullshitter in the history of lies.

Here we are.

^{The dawn of a new age.}

Or so I thought.

^{Back when I started here, we had more curators, more investors eager to help make this platform thrive, less people being paid to look away, and nobody could steal the spotlight from someone with actual talent by posting a Facebook style status message about the value of a certain token going up or down, then paying middlemen (bots) hundreds of dollars, just so the Facebook wannabe can earn two dollars for presenting information that was outdated five minutes before posting; effectively pushing the actual talent away to other platforms along with the eyes and ears who prefer talent over junk.}

So, unfortunately, I guess these investors here and now can kiss those potential billions goodbye and replace it with the few thousand they'll earn selling votes, until everything falls in on itself.
^{Yes, I just said all that. Deal with it.}

Genius!

But I'll be honest. I still see potential here on this blockchain and I still think it can revolutionize the arts and entertainment industry.

Back in the day, the independent artists were the first to actually embrace the internet and this concept of sharing as a way to earn potential revenue. They'd develop a band webpage, for instance, and release a single track in MP3 format while offering the full album as something for sale in their online store.

Big media embraced the digital arts years later, once they saw what others were doing and had enough ideas to steal (probably/purely speculation).

Looking around this place, all I see are the trailblazing independent artists making waves. Big media will attempt to crush this movement first, then move in later. We will not see large media corporations investing in this platform. They'll steal the idea though, once the coast is clear and they have a firm stranglehold on most of the potential profits.

What the big media types won't like about this place is the fact all but the cut content consumers take away in the form of curation reward goes directly to the 100% independent artist. There's no middleman and that has always been the corporate game; their way of creating the starving artist, while they earn billions.

Nobody needs those corporations anymore.

^{The middleman is only good for one thing.}

That one thing is: Nothing.

The artists and/or content producers do not need middlemen dipping into their profits in order to get ahead. Why that business model works in the mainstream world is simple. If you were a broke-ass and someone offered you five million dollars to produce whatever it is you do, you'd sign the contract, even though that five million is only a ten percent cut of the entire potential profit.

Many people want to be rich and famous, the easy way, and they'll do anything to get it, even if it means making ridiculous business deals to get there. You can see this happening now, on the trending page, here.

Moving on.

Now

^{I'm going to use Alex Jones as an example.}

I am not a fan of Alex Jones but I do enjoy some of his work.

I love his business model.

^{Many think he is a provider of news.}

In reality, he is an independent performer in the arts and entertainment industry.

Much of his success stems from his online presence.

He built his own website, provides his own unique form of entertainment to content consumers, has his own line of merchandise in the form of everything from shirts, hats, supplements, and of course more media content to purchase and consume.

He did everything right except piss off a few of the big media fuckers that don't like to see independent artists thrive. Doesn't matter though. The man has a net worth of ten million today. He done good!

What am I getting at?

^{Simple stuff.}

Not many seem to see potential in content producers on this blockchain. Investors think their role in all of this is the most important. Developers think it's them who do everything and deserve the most. Content producers seem to come in last, which is silly, in my mind, because of those potential billions that can and most likely will trickle their way into this blockchain, provided the folks working to impede the progress of actual talent around here, stop doing that.

Content producers, developers, and investors will all work together, someday, hopefully, much like every other successful business.

Maybe the Alex Jones types can't come to Steemit and expect to be successful now, under the current conditions; but what's stopping them from taking that entire business model I mentioned above, creating an app that runs on this blockchain (instead of the traditional website approach) and an SMT, cutting out the middleman completely, and taking the world by storm?

Nothing

^{Nothing will stop them.}

That's the future, right there. Provided everyone can actually wrap their head around the simple fact the arts and entertainment industry generates billions each year.

Part of the big name content creators success will be the simple fact many will want to get their hands on those ALEX tokens. People will be able to earn more rewards for enjoying Alex Jones content if they hold more of the SMT, much like how we have Steem Power now. Discounts on merchandise can be offered. The more Alex Power one has, the cheaper the merchandise. Purchasing Alex Power would be much like buying a subscription. Access to exclusive content only available to hodlers. I could go on and on (like Alex Jones).

Sure, there can and will be apps that cater to a specific niche. We won't see the National Geographic App right out of the gates, but we will see independent online magazines start from nothing and begin to flourish. Like I said, the mainstream stuff will be far behind the curve, busy protecting their old fashioned ways.

A group like Insane Clown Posse, with a net worth of 35 million, sold over 6.5 million records, and still tours today after 29 years of being on the scene independently, would be all over something like this if it happened twenty years ago. They too embraced the online world long before the mainstream and made a shit-ton of money by staying ahead of the curve. Love them or hate them, they're one of the most successful independent acts in the history of music. Their loyal fans purchase everything they put out and that would include a special token that comes with certain perks.

Plenty of independent acts in the music business will catch on fast, long before the mainstream stuff. We'll see apps for artists and apps for online record labels hosting their own roster of unique talent. Many big names of the future will start out in this fashion.

Wise investors will scout talent. If they see potential, they're going to want a piece of that pie. The earlier they get in, the better. Instead of investing in the hype so many cryptocurrencies put forth these days, an investor can say, "That kid has talent, she's going somewhere, in ten years she'll be worth millions."

Nearly all independent online talent will most likely be interested in this blockchain app/tokenized approach. Right now many of them will ask for donations. If they had investors, it's a game changer, and they'll do everything they can to get in on it.

Big names will come later, once their contracts/death sentences with the big media corporations are finished. Hopefully they'll have the business sense of an independent, because they'll be on their own.

Wishful thinking?

^{A man can dream, right? Far better than FUD.}

Where do I fit in? I could do the same. Create my own app, my own token. I'm already invested in this bright future though. I'll have thousands of STEEM, sitting here, waiting for the masses to come and buy more so they can set up their new online business models and begin to enjoy what some of us have already been doing for over two years.

This isn't financial advice. I could be dead wrong, but you don't see me panic selling. Just think about how many thousands of content producers there are in this world. Many already have their own apps and businesses. This isn't anything new, what's coming is just better.

Sometimes I look around this place. I'm not sure where it's headed; people in the know are quiet. The vision; the general populace seems to be lacking one. What I just said was my vision, my opinion. I like what I see.

The point I'd really like to drive home today though is the fact: One single content producer can do one hell of a lot more than many folks around here seem to realize, given the right tools, support, and platform.

Have a nice day.

Credits:_{Youtube video linked to source.}All art and images seen here were produced digitally, by me.
^{"It's not the end."}

^{© 2018 @NoNamesLeftToUse.}