A Review of the Songwriting Business

Mixing Art and Commerce sounds like something comparable to pairing the Beauty and the Beast, or strange bedfellows at best. In reality, however, the successful production of music today requires the coordination of a number of functions, from the artist to the accountant. There are many who view the contemporary music industry with scorn and contempt, and many of the criticisms are justified. Artistic decisions are frequently colored by financial considerations, and musicians often refer to themselves as whores. Many untalented composers and performers attain a level of success that is very frustrating to genuine talents , but this success is usually short-lived. The incompetent and untalented cannot sustain their success indefinitely. It should be encouraging to art lovers that the increasing average age of the record buying public has forced the industry to raise the level of quality and sophistication of the material. A fewer percentage of songs on the top 40 charts are now aimed at the teenage market than just a few years ago. Regardless of where one stand on this issue, it is a fact that art and commerce need each other to survive, if not fluorish. One purpose of this work is to p rovide an insight into the business side of the music industry, for this understanding can only enhance the chances that the music will be heard