Rev. Moose is the founder of Marauder, which helps companies, organizations and government agencies develop strategies and personal events that drive change and drive growth in the independent music industry. An industry veteran with experience in artist development, marketing, advocacy, nonprofit management and international program development, he is the founding and executive director emeritus of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF), as well as co-founder of the Association of Music Offices (AMO).
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As Halloween approaches, the music industry may heed some warnings from horror movies. Legend has it that vampires are only allowed into a house after being invited.
That’s exactly what we’re doing by allowing massive corporations to dominate what would otherwise be a competitive, independent music industry. Decades ago, powerhouse independent labels like Atlantic and Virgin made their own decisions; Today, these same companies, along with the vast majority of their peers, are under the umbrella of only three umbrella companies. These seemingly indomitable conglomerates lease out exclusive distribution channels to independent artists and record labels, giving even more life to the voracious monster under the bed. What is not directly owned is still dominated by the same forces regardless of opposition.
Horror isn’t just a movie trope; It is the controlling power of the music industry. As market consolidation exists, taking a vocal stance is likely to echo in empty halls. All the major artists who pulled their music from Spotify in the post-COVID years due to Joe Rogan’s misinformation campaign have returned to the platform; Spotify showed no significant negative impact of calls to action. Exactly one year later, Lawrence, the band who testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee about Live Nation’s monopolistic practices, announced a tour promoted and hosted largely at Live Nation and Ticketmaster venues… They had no choice if they wanted to perform in rooms of a certain size.
To be successful in this business, collaborating with these huge multinational corporations is considered a necessary evil. As Ellie Goulding’s lawsuit against her former management shows, the argument that working with one sector of a conglomerate means using the rest of the machine to the artist’s advantage is no longer valid. The more power is lost, the less option an artist has to make independent choices about who to work with and under what conditions in the future.
This gradual consumption of the market has resulted in the control of an untenably small number of companies that control every major sector of the music business (touring, recording, publishing, media, distribution, management and more). Many of these companies have largely overlapping interests. This leaves multiple, conflicting revenue streams in the hands of a few decision-makers who have only their own interests (and the closing price of their shares) in mind.
It is detrimental to our societies when a handful of corporations control the mechanisms through which art reaches audiences. In my TEDx Talk titled “All Music is Local,” I said that artists have very little say in working with these big labels if they want their music to be seen, heard, or paid for. It’s not that independent options aren’t available; A multitude of independent labels, managers, agents, publishers, distributors, venues, promoters and media outlets emerge every day. But how visible can an artist realistically be without engaging with one of these primary gatekeepers?
In the horror movie that is today’s music industry, many independents run through the jungle trying to survive as public giants lumber behind with brute strength and a steady gait. Quarterly reports boasting about job creation and economic impact make no mention of local, independently owned businesses being squeezed to make room for themselves, or the silencing of voices from local communities by default because they do not conform to a globally marketable ideal.
While Live Nation claims billions in revenue, nearly two-thirds of independent venue operators are losing money to stay open. Is one company really better at running a business than thousands of others as it claims, or is the market being deliberately skewed in their favor? Live Nation’s latest claim touting positive economic impact in local communities has been belied by a report showing taxpayers are subsidizing a company at the expense of locally owned and operated businesses. None of this even mentions the silencing of cultures within these communities as their origin stories are blocked due to a lack of local representation.
The music industry has been and continues to be taken over by a small number of companies whose sole goal is complete and total domination. The European Union, as well as the entire independent music community, took action against Universal Music Group’s purchase of Downtown for some reason. What’s even scarier is that the age-old path to an independent success story seems unattainable, at least without major financial backers. Bandcamp, a platform built on artistic control, should have been a model for financial independence. Instead, it was sold to a gaming company and the staff was drastically reduced by subsequent owners. Here we are, once again complaining about a company built on target audience and ideals.
Change starts with making conscious decisions about which partners we work with, which platforms are sustained by our advertising budget, how we prioritize ownership structure within our teams, where we provide access, and finally, who benefits when fans buy tickets or enjoy music. This is not just idealism; These are very real steps we can take the next time we’re reviewing a tour route or advertising buy or deciding which contract to sign. To be clear, this is not about passing judgment on those who work with big companies; When there is one demonstration in town (often literally), compromise is oppression, not submission.
Things won’t change overnight. Systemic changes start with intentional actions, like checking a child’s candy stash for razor blades. Or, to quote “Night of the Living Dead,” the scariest movie ever made, “They’re coming for you, Barbara.” And we all know how it ends for Barbara.