Music bands are doomed. The Internet era has completely shifted the distribution platform. It used to be the record shops. Today it's all about streaming monthly subscription. There is one good news and one bad news to that.
Good news is that the customer accesses to pretty much any track on powerful streaming platforms such as Spotify.
But bad news is every band or artist has now the same visibility on the distribution platform. I mean the size of the record shop is limited by the space in which a limited number of records can be on sale. And therefore a selection is made up. The customer easily finds what he's looking for. The artist can somehow size up his audience.
Although with the streaming platforms there is no limit. In a couple of minutes the customer can switch between as many as ten records. Because aside from the TOP 50 songs, there is no selection. The customer is lost with the ten million tracks choice. So he's trying out a bit of everything and is frustrated of leaving some unheard.
If the physical record get purchased, a meaningful connection is established with the artist as the customer will dedicate time and attention to listen to the record. Because that's a physical thing that you can hold with both hands. While the digital record is manipulated from your fingertip for a few seconds. The perceived value obviously is here close to nothing.
For an artist to get valuable audience, customer's attention needs to be focused on an experience for some time in the proper context. So that's a lasting moment.
This is going to be pretty tough for artists as the attention span is getting smaller and smaller. Even though there is a solution. They've got either to be really good in social medias or to make really great music. They can be either a member of the tribe or they can set the tone for what everyone is talking about within the tribe.