Nearly everything has a price: viral tweets get paid by the view, celebrity engagements have odds posted before the proposal, the Nobel Prize committee has insiders trading on the winner.
Part of the reason that selling out for these genres has been villainized is because of the politics of the bands. Many of the bands have made music that is deeply anti-capitalist, critical of oppressive societal structures, and otherwise quite radical. If you “sell out” and begin having super high ticket prices, tons of expensive merch, and hang out with celebs then it creates dissonance with your message. It’s properly seen as inauthentic or hypocritical.
That’s true, though I suspect indie / punk bands few decades ago would’ve villainized “selling out” far more so than today. What do you think?
This is partly a function of the platform shift: if your music is discovered through algorithms (Spotify, TikTok, Instagram), you need to “sell out” in some sense to be discovered. But if your music is discovered through human curation like record stores, radio DJs, and friends, you can stay “authentic” for longer.
This assumes a single currency? What if there were other forms of intermediary currency that weren't so blunt? These currencies themselves could be traded for $USD. $USD though can not be used directly.
I’ve noticed that indie and punk bands have always villainized selling out while rap artists have, in their own way, often celebrated it.
Part of the reason that selling out for these genres has been villainized is because of the politics of the bands. Many of the bands have made music that is deeply anti-capitalist, critical of oppressive societal structures, and otherwise quite radical. If you “sell out” and begin having super high ticket prices, tons of expensive merch, and hang out with celebs then it creates dissonance with your message. It’s properly seen as inauthentic or hypocritical.
Good point
That’s true, though I suspect indie / punk bands few decades ago would’ve villainized “selling out” far more so than today. What do you think?
This is partly a function of the platform shift: if your music is discovered through algorithms (Spotify, TikTok, Instagram), you need to “sell out” in some sense to be discovered. But if your music is discovered through human curation like record stores, radio DJs, and friends, you can stay “authentic” for longer.
Isn't it more that "Money is the Message"?
This assumes a single currency? What if there were other forms of intermediary currency that weren't so blunt? These currencies themselves could be traded for $USD. $USD though can not be used directly.