The power of music is undeniable. It has the ability to unite international supporters during the World Cup, and to connect crowd-surfing fans at concerts, to lead religious worship and it acts as a messenger of social causes such as Live 8 and Live Earth.
The music scene is not just about the musicians. It’s about the big record companies which selects artistes it deems to be marketable. It’s about radio stations choosing music friendlier to the masses. It’s about concert organisers who are constrained by profit margins. And it’s about the fans who wished their favourite song would get played outside of their iPods.
With some reference to Singapore, this site will explore and critique the issues that plague the music industry such as low sponsorships, the popularity divide and economic motivations of the industry. The future and challenges up ahead for the local music scene will also be discussed.
Regional and international music news will also be covered to compare and contrast how similar issues are tackled there. Besides news sources, getting insiders’ perspectives on these issues will also provide a clearer idea of what is happening in the industry.
So why focus on this?
After the slew of international bands performing here and with more homegrown events such as the Mosaic Festival announcing a record attendance last year, there is a growing market for music that is less mainstream. This gives the ‘indie’ bands more opportunities to promote and make their music accessible to a wider public.
