Good Step in the Right Direction for the Music Industry

In 2010 there was a big commotion about artists getting paid royalties when their music is played over the radio waves. There were a lot of different point of views over the course of the year, but in the end everything fell through. Recently, Clear Channel and Big Machine inked a deal that would now provide artists with a percentage of royalties when their music is played over the air. For now it would only be the country artist who are signed to Big Machine, which is a country music label but is forecast to expand over the next few years to include other music genres as well.

This is a great move in the right direction for artists and labels. This move can also be detrimental to the digital radio platforms but at this moment that is not a big concern. Clear Channel is 98% broadcasted and 2% digital at this time so the concern is minimal about the digital downfalls in the near future. Clear Channel has 850 stations so just imagine an artist's music being played on 425 stations and the royalties that will be earned and received.

In my opinion this will give the country music industry a chance to grow more and become more popular among other music genres. For example, in an urban area that only hears R & B and rap music, this will be a great opportunity to play country music on some of the urban stations even if its only for an hour a day and vice-verse. I think music stations should become more well-rounded than just specializing in one type of music.

With Clear Channel and Big Machine collaborating, this should be a great opportunity for even new an up an coming artists to get greater exposure at a faster rate. Also, since there are concerts that are sometimes sponsored by Clear Channel, you can even use those country artists to open up for a major artist. There will be an unlimited amount of opportunities for Clear Channel and Big Machine as time goes forward. For all those country artists, now is the best time to in a deal with Big Machine.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118055042?refCatId=18