Gone are the days of acoustic guitars and piano accompaniments. Now its all synthesizers, auto tuning and electric drum kits. For some, this is seen as a nightmare, a disaster to music as we know it. Others say it’s the best thing that could happen to the industry, it’s ‘Modern’. Personally, I have no extremist opinion of such a movement. Yeah, songs all sound the same now, and mainstream music is nothing more than electronics, but think about music as a whole. Many experience individuals with a fair amount of free time can now produce music of arguably a better standard than industry professionals. This may sound like a petty claim, but this means the music industry in its entirety is now in the hands of people at home, with nothing more than a computer.

Of course, this isn’t the whole point of my article, but it does lead me nicely onto it. The fact that this electronic music is becoming so popular means that a lot of people have taken it upon themselves to give it a go. I mean, what does it really take? A sense of rhythm, a computer, and what is most likely an illegally downloaded software package naijavibe.

The era of electronic music has opened up the doors to many independent artists, and that’s great! But it has also opened up another huge aspect of the industry. Remixes. The change in modern music has sparked a massive revolution of young people, armed with a computer and some software, producing amazing remixes and unique sounds. This may not seem like a major breakthrough to the industry, but it is.

So many of these ‘Remixers’ as I shall refer to them, are prepared to give away this music. A mainstream artist relies on album sales to generate an income, let alone all the record companies behind them. But now, teenagers are able to make their own music at home, and are prepared to give it away for free. Now we are getting somewhere right?

This in the long-term could single-handedly destroy the music industry. Peoples preferences towards music are now shifting towards the electronic side of things, and now, it’s easily accessible online.

I would like to make clear that I am not in any way against this. I’m not one of these people who insists that downloading music is the worst thing since WW2. Because it isn’t. After all, what harm is it doing? These remixers are making the music for free, and they care more about sharing it with other people than selling it. If anything that’s quite morally correct? Right?

However, all this isn’t really as fine and dandy as it may seem. the outdated laws of copyright quickly come in and ruin everything. Just by using a 5 second bit of a song, you can’t sell it…OR let it be downloaded. THAT’S where it gets ridiculous. So, I’m guessing/hoping that you wonder what my solution to all this is. Well it’s quite simple really. I think ‘Remixes’ and the like should be looked at as different music. They should not have to face the ridiculous copyright laws.

‘But that’s ridiculous! Surely then they can use other songs for free?!’

Yes. After all, people who want to listen to a remix of a song, don’t listen to it just for the bits of the original song you have used. I may have made it seem the copyright laws are the worst thing ever, that’s quite unfair. Some record labels are started to allow this ‘Remix Trend’ but only to capitalise on it themselves.

Personally, I think that as long as people are sensible about it all, it’s absolutely fine. If anything, there should be websites promoting ‘Remixes’, and ‘Mashups’, and that sort of style. After all, the change in modern music has proved that it’s WHAT YOU WANT. Surely websites that provide such a service are just giving people what they want? I struggle to believe how that could be a bad thing.

So whether or not I have influenced your view on the music industry, let me leave you with this.

Lets stop clinging onto the old music, desperately hoping for this phase to all go away. Instead, lets just on the bandwagon, and see where it goes. You never know, you might be pleasantly surprised.