Everyday, it seems Zillz and I have these impromptu heavy convo’s about different things, and he asked me about posting the following on the Little Brother Fansite. (source)
zillz: I got a question to ask you about the hip-hop game that i might wanna put on the LB Fansite.
Dan Johns: Okay.
zillz: Given the technologies and avenues that we are afforded today, where do you see promotion and sales going to in the future?
Dan Johns: CD sales are going to go the way of the cassette tape in the 90’s…and I’m not sure if mp3 sales will rise enough to compensate for the drop off. Artists are being forced to use their music and free releases to create a buzz for tours. I see music being more of a bargaining chip to open other doors. I don’t know what will be tomorrow’s “ringtone,” but musicians are going to rely more on live shows and other avenues to get money.
zillz: Making true money off of cds is pretty much dead and really just an official promotional tool now. Where does that leave the musician? Suppose there’s no other avenue they’re interested in…are they stuck?
Dan Johns: your last 2 questions are the reason that most musicians keep their day-job and make music as a second full-time job so, yeah, in some ways they are stuck. WE are stuck.
zillz: If you had to guess, where’s the win for the musician?
Dan Johns: Tightening up the live performance, working hard to keep new material coming out, and trying to find a unique connection with the fans.
zillz: How do you feel about the internet’s role in the landscape of music now.
Dan Johns: It’s a tremendous tool, as well as a tremendous hindrance all at once. The net is responsible for “shrinking” the world so that artists can reach like-minded fans worldwide. But the consequence is how easy the net makes it to find albums without purchasing them. the ease of finding new music decreases the “shelf live of every release. one release a year isn’t acceptable b/c the landscape is so flooded but at the same time, the net is the only solution to the problems that it has caused. Crazy, I know.
The Hype Machine EP coming soon!
DANJOHNS.COM 