Why don't artists take risks anymore?

Are artists being actively discouraged from pushing their own artistic boundaries today? Are more daring artists just being buried by the algorithm? What can we do about it?

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[MythMakerMusik]

Another problem is that there are no more A&R people at record labels. In fact, these days, record labels don't really even exist as such. They are simply marketing agencies that specialize in music. They won't get you studio time, you won't write music or mix and master it with them, sometimes they don't even book you gigs or expect you to even play gigs. They expect the artist to have a fully finished song or record: written, recorded, mixed and mastered on their own time with their own money. Then the label will sign your song or album if it fully conforms to what they want. This means that people who already have lots of money and time will be successful in this industry while someone who is extremely talented but cannot afford to record, mix and master will fail. Someone who is half-assed but can get their songs mastered will have the advantage because A&R people don't exist. No one is looking to help that talented musician. Being a successful musician is like winning the lottery. We have a nonsense culture of American Idol, America's Got Talent, Eurovision, hustle and grind, be obnoxious, be extroverted and loud, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, etc. This mentality.

A&R people used to go out and look for new talent and sounds to develop and foster, these people had taste and intuitive knowledge of what constituted "good" music. They would work with the artist for their entire lives. It was a very special sort of job that simply doesn't exist anymore. Today we look back and call them evil gatekeepers. Perhaps there is sometimes a good reason to have gatekeepers - as long as they are honest and good at what they do. More signal, less noise.

Today, playlist curators and record labels (read: marketers) just sit back on their laurels and expect the artists to do all the work and come to them instead of going out and looking for artists. They can't be bothered to actually do their job. All they want is as much money as possible with as little effort as possible and the most successful music producers have the same mentality.


There is a new archetype within humanity that just appeared last century known as "The Business Man." It never existed before. We have lots and lots of businessmen today who are really good at business, but none of them see themselves that way. They think they are musicians, or spiritual teachers, or photographers, or some other type of artist when their actual talent is business. They are mediocre artists and spiritual teachers at best, and instead of going out looking for real artists and spiritual teachers to support and help foster utilizing their talent of being the business man who deals with the money side of things and gets the artist/teacher the recognition and work they deserve and that the world needs, they all fancy themselves the great artists and teachers. It's an age of narcissism and when a narcissist is good at business but has the delusion that they are wise spiritual teachers or talented artists, real artists and spiritual teachers cannot hope to compete against such people in the world of money and marketing. A business man's real job is to help others achieve success so that everyone can make money (because money is their goal; money is their success.) But the business man today doesn't only want money, they want fame and ego gratification as well. The creative and spiritual fields are filled to the brim with businessmen who don't belong there.

[WithJustaWhisperMusic]

Any honest musician/producer/composer has pondered these questions and it's good to see people talking about these real struggles that most people don't want to have to talk about. IMHO I think most people who make music would find more contentment making music as a hobby, rather than pursuing it as a business, at least that's what I've discovered.

[michaelkonomos]

Yes! This is the way. As a Gen Xer I just want to hug you because this is what our generation was born out of - authenticity. It was like our North Star. A love for the art itself, a respect for it, is kept alive by people like you. Our generation had its own system of gatekeepers and obedient artists too, and those rebels who found their own way to success. Seems to be the same cycle in new forms each generation. Good for you, hanging onto your own truth instead of just being a follower.

[lofomuses]

Thanks, Jameson. I am very close to being semi-retired, after well over 40 years of work as a chemical engineer.
During those years, I have also been a church pianist, then church keyboardist/worship leader, and wanna-be synth guru.
After being 'in the box' for many years (after owning and then selling a Yamaha DX7 to get my first 88-key MIDI controller), I am just today receiving a Waldorf Iridium keyboard by courier.
Looking forward to having the time to devote to expressing my 'voice', without the need to make any $$ from it. This video has been very liberating. Thanks again for the inspiration.

[dominiquecharpentiermusic]

Hey Jameson! I agree but not totally. You can perfecly do both while focusing only on composition by making a few playlist friendly tracks (let's call them marketing pieces) and pure artistic albums that nobody will listen to (which is fine). Also when making a track that could be added to a playlist you can still maintain a high artistic value even if the artistic purity is compromised. That said your way of living the composition without the stress of paying the bills is indeed valid, but maybe not for everyone.

[Arkansya]

15 years ago I was faced with the choice to try being a professional musician or keeping it as a personal endeavour. I decided to keep it free from the necessity to make money and went the dayjob route, but always with music in mind (chose to work part time, then full tile but as a civil servant to get a nice number of paid leave etc. so I can push my art projects the way I want them to be fullfilling.

and I'd never go back :)

your passion or art doesnt need to make money to be real, and in music we can do with dayjobs, so we should take advantage of that !

[themanupdtairs]

I am pushing the envelope. I opted out of the commoditization of it all.

Currently putting into place the work to be found by future academics that want to make a name for themselves.

[modulated_]

a crucial topic that needs to be discussed at large in circles of artist/producers. we cant forget why we started doing this in the first place!

[mikelazarev]

Very well said, JNJ. I never understood this demand from musicians to "do what I want" and also expect other people to pay them for it. If you want their money, you have to do what THEY want. This is how it always worked. That's why it's called a job, where you provide a service or a product - just like you said.

[Sam_Utah]

Testify brother! Creation is sometimes breaking the rules, IMHO. How do we become unique expressions if we follow the leader? Certainly there are influences but it is our job to break through a boundary now and then. Your words are inspiration itself. Good stuff.

[detritus]

I work full time as a data scientist and social scientist. I love my career, and it enables me to make music that is just about what I want to make. I've been signed to a label, and done a lot of gigs, but I feel so much happier now that I am producing solely for the love of producing.... Like you said, and I echo the sentiment 100%... I don't want to be a product.

[SergioValenzuela]

Thank You for saying this and pointing in a much more honest direction. We now live in an era of nauseating sameness, and compressed experience, thanks to the dictatorship of the algorithm. Every coffeeshop looks the same across the globe, because instagram....Our mental world has shrunk and flattened instead of exploding, a broken promise of the internet. We need to go back and keep the hard work, introspection and ethics of the analog art making process.

[stereo]

There's a saying that goes "Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life", but then there's also another one that's something like "turn your hobby into a job, and lose your hobby".

[WEL]

This trend has been a thing for a century. When records were new, sales were suddenly king. But we didn’t have real time metrics at the time, so of course there was lag which permitted more experimentation. Then radio hits, AM shortly followed by FM and then FM stereo. During this time weekly charting becomes much more… reactive. And now we have streaming platforms. Streaming is “now” and “trending now” and there is little tolerance for taking chances and messing up.

You know all this. But if your thesis is “take chances” then I agree. Let’s save music from the mouth of the beast, take chances, make mistakes, and stay creative.

For the sake of music itself.

[devinbelangermusic]

Great video dude! This is why one has gotta have multiple projects and avenues to follow in music. It's way too easy to get depressed doing only one thing and choosing either to make money and conform, or explore genuine creativity and starve LOL.

[xtrullor]

Wonderful perspective. I had a similar experience, in a bit different way.

I happened to make certain kind of music at one time, and it just happened to be recognized by a sizable gaming community which relied on using other people's music for levels. Mine got very popular and almost overused, and got me millions and millions of listens.

Those tracks are old now, and I don't really do that kind of music anymore as it's not what I am as passionate about. I have more new things I want to make and learn, but I get only a fraction of the listens for those works.

I still live off of those tracks really well somehow, but I don't think it'll sustain itself forever.

So I got into making music for games. That alone within a year seems to have given me just about the same amount of money as I did from all the streaming revenue for that year. And I am doing small stuff, still.

It's a nice plan B that allows me to still do what I want with my own music. I used to be so afraid of losing that revenue from the audience, so I started getting an anxious relationship with my style.

Now, just who knows - maybe the cultural conditions happen to align similarly in the future where this explosion may happen again for the music I want to make. That's how I got it the first time - why couldn't it happen again, perhaps? I just need to give it time.

And if not, I still am making income from other side gigs to keep production going.

Making music feels great now.

[thomasberner]

That's a very nice video with a great summery! My then girlfriend now wife asked me a few years ago, why I make my music (dark, dubby, atmospheric techno) and not more mainstream-friendly EDM, if I'm capable to do so. My responce was "I don't have to". I have a day job, that I like and enough free time to make the music, I want to listen to. There's nothing for me to change...

[glennweber]

Your channel is oddly therapeutic. I really appreciated this one. Making piece with what isn't in your control, but still exerting force and effort in the areas that directly reward you is one of those lessons society doesn't want to teach you. I like your teacher's advice. That's kind of where I've been at for awhile.

Side note, your project that has vocals? I really like that stuff too. Keep doing what you do, whatever it is that's interesting you in the moment, and do so without self censorship.

[EchoKraft]

Great video as usual and I’m one of those people who I write music for myself and if you like it cool.
Thank you for this video.

[UtopiaFade]

this put tears in my eyes - Thank you so much