Sam's Internet

One of the most interesting implications of the long tail model for me comes in the form of the effects that it has had on the music industry. Both of my parents are musicians—my mom is a violinist in the Metropolitan Opera and my dad used to be a trumpet player in the MET Opera as well and is now a professor of music. It has been interesting growing up hearing their side of the story and what their perspective is on the revolution that has occurred in the music industry.

As I mentioned in class, occasionally my dad gets royalty checks from music streaming services for a few cents or maybe a dollar or two. Many of his friends, who are also musicians, have similar experiences when it comes to these music streaming services. Though the long tail model allows access to a broader variety of music, it is not profitable for the producers of that music that are getting a couple plays at the end of the long tail. At the same time, the Internet allows certain artists to be discovered and shoot up in popularity and make a great deal of money.

That being said, my parents are not opposed to music streaming, and both use music streaming services. What my dad tells his music students is that there are essentially no jobs in music (especially classical music)—you have to create your own job or hustle to get by. In the past, a musician could get an orchestra job, but now the industry has changed such that you have to do something more niche to be profitable. For example, one of my mom’s former colleagues now produces jingles for companies. The music industry has evolved such that there are more niche markets for music and musicians, yet some jobs are being completely eliminated.

Another interesting phenomenon is that the Internet has forced the opera to evolve as well. Now, a select number of the productions at the MET Opera are live streamed to movie theaters, allowing for broader access. People apparently get dressed up to go to the movie theater and watch the opera, just as they would if they were going to the actual opera.

This evolution of art and the economy of art was not necessarily natural, but forced out of the competition brought on by the Internet. There will always be purists and luddites who will oppose this evolution of the art form, but I think that any time art and music can be exposed to a broader group of people, it is a positive.