When people ask me if I think mp3 downloads have ruined music, I’m always hesitant to answer with confidence. On the one hand, the instant community granted the music loving geek has made an entire world of bands, both major label and self-distributed, available with the click of a mouse. This is undoubtedly a good thing. It’s also enabled musicians to get a firmer grasp on their career, since they don’t need a major label to propel them anymore.
On the other hand, the quick-serve music community online has challenged independent musicians. They don’t need a major label or a tour of large stadiums, but they do need a hook, something to grab the attention of a music community that has become so inundated with rapidly unfolding trends. As thousands of blogs work tirelessly to stay ahead of the curve, the amount of time bands have to make their impression shrinks. Once again, this can be a huge positive for artists, since it’s their responsibility to make the most of it. The web might be diminishing the music community’s appreciation of the album by emphasizing YouTube to MP3 downloads and short bursts of content, but the bands have a unique opportunity to capitalize on the web journalist’s need for timely, relevant content: they can play shows.