At SXSW, Pragmatism Replaces Panic About Streaming Services
Casual, off-the-record conversations at SXSW reveal people are less panicky and more optimistic about streaming than ever before. Artists are starting to make good money from streaming.
Labels are figuring out how to monetize their catalogs — building their brands, utilizing playlists — in new ways. And although there can be improvements in how royalties are collected and distributed, the problems don’t overshadow the fact that streaming’s prominent place in the industry has become settled law.
There are three types of music industry professionals. One type knows only a world of streaming, brand sponsorships and piracy. They might sell vinyl but don’t think much of the CD. Another type of professional remembers a time before Napster, compares current industry revenues to the peak of the CD in 2011, and obsesses over the amount of streaming royalties rather than the revenue the services generate.
Source: Billboard