4 ms·

It was always true that anyone could make music, since the earliest days of modern humans. By "music" you really seem to mean the recording industry, which is

It was always true that anyone could make music, since the earliest days of modern humans. By "music" you really seem to mean the recording industry, which is a very different beast than the concept of music.

jerf 2y ago
I think the point is the recording industry was a very different beast. Now it's not. What would pass as a high-quality studio in the 1980s is now home hobbyist accessible, with bits and pieces state of the art for even the current decade like the digital processing. Anyone willing to put in enough time to have music worth recording can record it with only a modest percentage increase in time and money. The gate was never that music is hard [1], but recording and distribution. Well, recording and distribution is now very, very feasibly done without companies, and even the process of making it is easier than ever. Why would we expect anything but an explosion in supply? Most of it will, of course, be crap. Sturgeon's law can not be denied. But 10% of a 50x increase is still a lot of new good music, and 10% of 10% of a 100x increase is still quite a bit of new great music. [1]: Music is, of course, hard. But it's hard in the way programming is hard, accounting is hard, being a biochemist is hard, plumbing is hard, etc. Many, many things are on this level of "hard". It's the sort of thing that takes enough investment that you are making a choice to pursue it rather than other things, but it's well within an individual's capability. No need to form a 1000 person company in 2024 just to record some tunes, whereas if you want to distribute your music nationally in the 1960s you are looking at "1000 person company" sorts of tasks, where the successful companies were larger than that.
- QuercusMax 2y ago
  "If anyone can make music then music has demeaned itself, and maybe it simply wasn't ever a big deal in the first place." That's what I have a problem with. Music hasn't demeaned itself. Music is just as meaningful as it's ever been.
  - CrimsonRain 2y ago
    Why are you failing to read the context? Demeaned economically. And you can't charge me $100 to buy your album. I have plenty of alternatives to choose from. Basic supply and demand.
    - QuercusMax 2y ago
      "Music has demeaned itself" is nonsensical. Music didn't do anything. Music will be around long after the music industry is on the dustbin of history. The comment I replied to seemed to think music is worthless unless people can make money off it.
- jen20 2y ago
  > What would pass as a high-quality studio in the 1980s is now home hobbyist accessible, with bits and pieces state of the art for even the current decade like the digital processing. The gear is accessible - but the acoustics of a studio certainly is not.
  - tjr 2y ago
    True, but there's still a whole lot you can do with virtual instruments, synthesizers, direct-recorded guitars, and minimal (or even no) good room acoustics. That does leave some niches open for the value of recording live instruments in a sonically good space, so surely some professional studios will persist, of course. And just for recording larger groups, regardless of the acoustics. Many home studios are fine for one person, or two, or three, but if you want to record a band or a choir or whatever you may just need more space.
    - jen20 2y ago
      Indeed, virtual instruments open up a whole lot of creative space. And not having to record everything in reverse order of importance while burning the previous version is a substantial benefit vs even professional recording gear of the past!
  - bongodongobob 2y ago
    The acoustics of a studio isn't important anymore and I don't think was necessarily a good thing. Make your space completely dead and load the Abbey Road studio A impulses. Now we have infinite options.
    - jen20 2y ago
      Completely dead is surprisingly difficult. And acoustics absolutely are still important, as is microphone selection and placement…
      - mrob 2y ago
        You can record the standard rock band setup with minimal hardware. Direct input guitar and bass, processed with amp simulation. Electronic drum kit with some good samples (most modern recordings use drum replacement anyway even if they're recording real drums). A single close mic for the vocals, and maybe some basic room treatment, which is relatively easy in the vocal range. Convolution reverb with impulse responses for the acoustics. Most listeners won't be able to tell the difference. Only if you insist on real drums does it become difficult and expensive.

jerf 2y ago

I think the point is the recording industry was a very different beast. Now it's not. What would pass as a high-quality studio in the 1980s is now home hobbyist accessible, with bits and pieces state of the art for even the current decade like the digital processing. Anyone willing to put in enough time to have music worth recording can record it with only a modest percentage increase in time and money. The gate was never that music is hard [1], but recording and distribution. Well, recording and distribution is now very, very feasibly done without companies, and even the process of making it is easier than ever. Why would we expect anything but an explosion in supply? Most of it will, of course, be crap. Sturgeon's law can not be denied. But 10% of a 50x increase is still a lot of new good music, and 10% of 10% of a 100x increase is still quite a bit of new great music. [1]: Music is, of course, hard. But it's hard in the way programming is hard, accounting is hard, being a biochemist is hard, plumbing is hard, etc. Many, many things are on this level of "hard". It's the sort of thing that takes enough investment that you are making a choice to pursue it rather than other things, but it's well within an individual's capability. No need to form a 1000 person company in 2024 just to record some tunes, whereas if you want to distribute your music nationally in the 1960s you are looking at "1000 person company" sorts of tasks, where the successful companies were larger than that.

QuercusMax 2y ago
"If anyone can make music then music has demeaned itself, and maybe it simply wasn't ever a big deal in the first place." That's what I have a problem with. Music hasn't demeaned itself. Music is just as meaningful as it's ever been.
- CrimsonRain 2y ago
  Why are you failing to read the context? Demeaned economically. And you can't charge me $100 to buy your album. I have plenty of alternatives to choose from. Basic supply and demand.
  - QuercusMax 2y ago
    "Music has demeaned itself" is nonsensical. Music didn't do anything. Music will be around long after the music industry is on the dustbin of history. The comment I replied to seemed to think music is worthless unless people can make money off it.
jen20 2y ago
> What would pass as a high-quality studio in the 1980s is now home hobbyist accessible, with bits and pieces state of the art for even the current decade like the digital processing. The gear is accessible - but the acoustics of a studio certainly is not.
- tjr 2y ago
  True, but there's still a whole lot you can do with virtual instruments, synthesizers, direct-recorded guitars, and minimal (or even no) good room acoustics. That does leave some niches open for the value of recording live instruments in a sonically good space, so surely some professional studios will persist, of course. And just for recording larger groups, regardless of the acoustics. Many home studios are fine for one person, or two, or three, but if you want to record a band or a choir or whatever you may just need more space.
  - jen20 2y ago
    Indeed, virtual instruments open up a whole lot of creative space. And not having to record everything in reverse order of importance while burning the previous version is a substantial benefit vs even professional recording gear of the past!
- bongodongobob 2y ago
  The acoustics of a studio isn't important anymore and I don't think was necessarily a good thing. Make your space completely dead and load the Abbey Road studio A impulses. Now we have infinite options.
  - jen20 2y ago
    Completely dead is surprisingly difficult. And acoustics absolutely are still important, as is microphone selection and placement…
    - mrob 2y ago
      You can record the standard rock band setup with minimal hardware. Direct input guitar and bass, processed with amp simulation. Electronic drum kit with some good samples (most modern recordings use drum replacement anyway even if they're recording real drums). A single close mic for the vocals, and maybe some basic room treatment, which is relatively easy in the vocal range. Convolution reverb with impulse responses for the acoustics. Most listeners won't be able to tell the difference. Only if you insist on real drums does it become difficult and expensive.