On Internet hype (not machine)
Does Internet hype destroy bands? Does it reward bands that offer immediate gratification without lasting value? Will we only hear about new bands that fit with the active Internet publishing demographic (the vocal minority)?
These were recurring questions I’ve heard in the past few days, and they are worth asking.
The answer is not nearly as exciting as we wish. The Internet isn’t destroying anything or irreversibly altering culture (for worse), it’s removing stopgaps and middlemen that previously held the passionate and talented people back.
Among the requirements for an artist’s success is the ability to navigate the cavernous music industry, negotiating, talking and eventually teaming up with the right set of people. This process has nothing to do with their talent or style and everything to do with them as an entrepreneur. This is still a huge help for a successful musician or band (or is it actually a “team”?) today, but the web allows music to bubble up if it resonates within certain, very real, communities.
Hype is a rare opportunity for an artist to communicate their message and art and reach a large number of people – something they could have only done in the past with the help of a label marketing team and thousands of dollars.
That said, if what the artist created doesn’t last, it doesn’t last. This is where little has changed with the arrival of the web. If your music doesn’t start an ongoing dialog or stay relevant over a period of years, things still don’t work. This is noone’s fault but your own. The fix here is to keep creating, practicing, sharing and thinking.
