The claim: As survival in the music industry is tough for musicians due to the transition to online streaming and high competition, the act of using music in advertising is justified.
The argument regarding the involvement of musicians in using their music in advertising leads to anti and pro-discussion, as some analysts believe that selling music in advertisements is a smart and intelligent choice in the highly competitive music industry. The counter-arguments disagree with musicians’ strategy of using their music in advertising because it generates negative impacts and threatens the stability of the music industry. Musicians should use their music in advertising to stay in the industry.
Supporting Claims
Due to the increased dependence of the youth and music lovers on online streaming, using music in advertising creates survival opportunities. Many musicians, even the popular ones, involve themselves in singing for advertisements. Increased online streaming influenced the business of artists as sales declined. Parkinson, in the article “Is selling music to advertisers still considered selling out?”, supports the central argument. Parkinson states, “Artists have to find new ways to earn a crust – most of their income now comes from touring, merchandise, and yes, advertising. It may well be that artists are simply doing what they need to survive” (Parkinson para. 8). According to Parkinson the main reason for the artists to sell their music for different advertisements is to earn revenue. The claims in the article strengthen the main argument as it explains that relying solely on albums is unintelligent in the present world. According to Parkinson, online streaming and downloading adversely influenced the sales of videos and music, thus limiting the scope for revenue generation. The textual evidence leads to the conclusion that selling music in advertisings in not wrong (Parkinson, 2014).
Using music in a commercial sense remains a safer choice for musicians. Sanburn, in the article, highlights the reasons for the music industry’s transition to advertising. Singers sell their music for advertisements because it allows them to overcome the losses of declined record sales. Sanburn mentions that “a fancy term for pop music in ads hit an all-time high at $2.5 billion” (Sanburn, p. 5). Selling music in advertisements allows singers to earn substantially higher profits compared to selling original albums (Sanburn, 2012).
Counter-Claim
Musicians lost their value and status due to the selling of music in advertising. The practice deteriorated the dynamics of the music industry, making traditional music non-existent. Sisario and Russell in the article, “Is shift to streaming, the music business has lost billions” provides counter-argument against the central claim. Sisario and Russell mention that “it may be possible for the music industry to wring more money out of YouTube. But it seems doubtful that it will ever earn back what it has lost from the CD” (Sisario and Russell para. 13). According to the authors, the involvement of musicians in singing for ads declines the scope for videos and original music (SISARIO & RUSSELL, 2016).
Conclusion
Selling music in advertisements is an effective choice for surviving in the highly competitive music industry. Relying solely on recordings has become less prevalent due to the transition of present listeners to online platforms. The main argument proves that musicians sell music in advertising to generate revenues. Parkinson and Sanburn, through facts and evidence, provide support to the main argument. The inclusion of the revenues and figures adds more strength to the main argument, thus leading to its acceptance. The counter-argument represents opposing viewpoints but fails to provide sufficient support to the claims, thus resulting in its reputation.
References
Parkinson, H. J. (2014). Is selling music to advertisers still considered selling out? Retrieved 03 04, 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/may/22/licensed-to-ill-selling-music-adverts-commerical-ads-selling-out-bands-corporate
Sanburn, J. (2012). Advertising Killed the Radio Star: How Pop Music and TV Ads Became Inseparable. Retrieved 03 06, 2018, from http://business.time.com/2012/02/03/advertising-killed-the-radio-star-how-pop-music-and-tv-ads-became-inseparable/
SISARIO, B., & RUSSELL, K. (2016). In Shift to Streaming, Music Business Has Lost Billions. Retrieved 03 06, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/business/media/music-sales-remain-steady-but-lucrative-cd-sales-decline.html
