When I put up this video I expected to get maybe a couple of thousand views and a ton of hateful comments. But instead I got, at this point , around 20k views which is awesome! And the comments have been not only the most I've ever gotten but also (mostly) the most thoughtful, insightful and well articulated comments ever. I've never done a video like this before and only recently started doing videos where I'm mostly talking after a suggestion from @everythingalways who watches some of my videos (I usually do heavily edited videos that are more story focused). I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who watched, subscribed and also to all of you who had such great comments, even the ones that challenged my position because it has made me rethink a few things and has inspired me. When I started this channel I swore that I would answer every comment (except the stupidly nasty ones) and I've mostly been able to do that. I've been trying to do that here and I think that I got everyone but I might have missed some. I haven't gotten back to responses to my replies yet because so far this has taken 6 or 7 hours to do and I need to work on another video as well as some producing / mixing projects and I need to get some sleep. Again, thank you so much!
@FreakingOutWithBillyHume you made some great points, it was honest, simple, logical , and informative. It is also really positive because I feel we are kinda lacking in that on UA-cam at the moment.
Hey Billy. Lots of stuff to chew on in this video. I do agree that all technology has done is democratise the creation of music, leading to so many more people being able to get their music out there without needing to deal with the gatekeepers. It's also easy to look back with nostalgia at the old system and talk about all the great music that was produced and forget about all the crap that came out alongside it. Steve Albini had something similar to say. He said if he wasn't dealing with creative people all the time, he would have closed up shop ages ago, but he hasn't. Creativity hasn't died. It just needs to break through all the noise. But I think where technology has really hurt music is that video games and streaming are now the main kinds of leisure that people focus on. Society itself has seen a big shift. We are no longer in the time when tv, the radio, and music were the only options for home entertainment. And I think that is what the conversation needs to be about. It is not about whether or not technology has made music worse, but rather what the place of music as an artistic and entertainment medium will be in society going forward. At the moment, we don't have any rock bands that are popular, but we still have lots of solo artists like Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars who are big. But will even these guys exist in the future, or are we headed into a world where music is reduced to background noise and only matters in the context of a film or a video game?
Great stuff ! I feel the full potential of innovations that even less recent technology can bring to music and art is immense with still so much untapped potential to explore, when I hear people bash the use of technology in art and music I almost feel that they are essentially the creative equivalency of the amish.
Rick needs to stop listening to mainstream music industry-type of tracks created by celebrities. If he listened to the music created by non-famous artists in the underground, he’d hear firsthand how much incredibly brilliant things are being created at this point in history. It’s everywhere. It doesn’t get millions of streams.
Exactly dude, I asked myself this so many times. He has a HUGE platform and always shits on music nowadays but only listens to POP bullshit that ways ALWAYS crap. Well, WHY don't YOU use your HUGE platform to promote fresh and creative artists!? He is so full of shit
The Black angels (Austin TX), Uncle Acid and the Dead Beats (UK), Meshuggah (Sweden), Black Emperor (Canada🍁), Dirty Honey(LA)...damn man, there's just so many great Rock bands 🎸 around that almost noone hasn't ever listened about!
I think yours and Rick's points can exist in parallel. There can be more than one perspective on these things. It doesn't have to be "you're wrong, and i'm right". Things have gotten to how they are through super complex processes that you can never quantify. It is what it is. Make the best music you can. Give the best advice you can. Cheers!
@@skiptowne8533 I'm (way) over 35 so feel unqualified to speak about modern pop music. I think the future of music is absolutely A.I. and it's going to be startling and amazing.
Sometimes you dont even need to look, Spotify told me this morning on the way to work that Quicksand covered Refused's The Liberation Frequency. Suberb and delightfully human.
I was and independent artist in the mid 80's and 90's, scratched out a living, supporting a large familly. As home studio recording progressed, my goal became to make a would class album. I managed to get two releases out that sold around 25-30K and got some airplay going on about 50 stations. Recorded on and Akia 12 track. It didn't hit my world class in quality goal, but got enough of my music out there to know there was an audience. Health issues in my family shut me down. I'm finally getting back to it. Going to computer based DAW was hard for my head, but now that I've got past the learning curve, the problem is not the equipment. What an age. Now all I have to do is write great songs, get great arrangements and musicians, record and mix it right, and maybe have a chance at finding my audience. No easy task on a shoestring budget, but at least it's a possibility. Your blog was great!!
Wow! You sold over 25K independently with music you recorded on an Akai 12 track at your home studio? You are a hero! I hope you keep it up and get your new stuff out.
I grew up listening to R&B and soul music in the 70s. There were a lot of very talented Black bands back then. Not just singing groups. Bands like Earth, Wind and Fire, WAR, Ohio Players, James Brown, Kool & The Gang etc etc etc. They could really play their instruments. Now when I hear modern R&B and rap, the total lack of musical-ness is shocking. There's no real drummer, no guitar player, no keyboard player, no horns. There's just a "producer" with a computer, samples and a MIDI keyboard laying down incredibly simple music patterns or samples with absolutely no complexity for the vocalist(s) to record over. I'd be surprised if any young rap or R&B listener could name a single musician and his instrument. I know that most people here will associate the word "music" with "rock" but I think that urban music really and truly has gotten worse. Then again, I'm 65 and we old folks tend to hate new music.
I'm 54 & was in a metal band in southern California for a decade. We played the shit out of our instruments. We all had day jobs, but practiced 3 to 4 nights a week. When we went into the studio - we had the songs worked out to the point that we would cut the entire song live with a few takes. Then we'd go in, maybe fix anything that needed fixing, do guitar solos, & then have our vocalist come in to cut his tracks. If you have to rely on technology to make yourself sound better without practicing an instrument, working on your vocal cords, you shouldn't be making music. The industry needs to go back to basics.
Here's another example....DJs. Back in the day no one....I mean no one considered a DJ a real musician.....but now they do. Electronic "music" has propelled DJs to headliner status.
There's a few young producers here in ATL that I've mixed for who work with new artists. They are not only great musicians but are using full bands for the projects the produce. I recently mixed one where they used a real string section on a couple of songs.
I recently found some old 4 track reel to reel tapes I recorded in my parents basement when I was in high school. All cut live. Even though we were not great musicians the energy still blasted out from tapes that are over 40 years old.
@@kingdude1999 "The industry needs to go back to basics "..your forgot how fast the industry turned his back on you, it has always cared and will always care only about profit...
Popular music generating millions of streams is indeed worse than a few decades ago. The underground still thrives and has very creative and innovative bands/artists. Screw the music business and do it on your own terms. You no longer need to sell your soul to the big labels to release you music.
@@ericmassicotte378 I agree. The downside is that many musicians need clever producers to make the music good. That happens less nowadays. It’s the only argument they have - those that long for a return to the old days.
Yes!! This is the THE take. I think we’re living in a golden age of music right now. There’s less at stake so people are making the exact album they want to make now.
At the same time, nobody's recording something like any of those classic albums or writing a universally meaningful song. So many options and so little relevant output. So many new artists, such a splintered audience. Like painter Thomas Kinkade once said about (modern) art: "We have won the battle on freedom but lost the battle on relevance." True: nobody can keep you from recording whatever you want today. But also, nobody really cares.
@@crnkmnky Define "meaningful". If it means something to someone (probably many people), if it touches them emotionally, I'd suggest that implies some validity. Would you rather only acknowledge art that appeals to an intellectual minority?
Home run Billy! I’m 79 and have been making music since I was ten. Around 15 years ago, a botched surgery took away my ability to use my keyboards, so I taught myself how to manipulate MIDI loops from music I created decades ago, as well as some Apple loops and third-party loops. As a result, my music is way different than it ever had been, but it was still my music. I’ve never stopped listening to music throughout these many years and am hooked on groups like Dirty Loops and other Fusion bands - too many to list. I’m frustrated by friends who stopped evolving musically in their 30s and 40s. But that’s just me.
Yes. Creativity takes SPACE. Technology hasn't stolen creativity, it has taken away our empty spaces. . . and we need those to really explore our creativity.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume Rick needs to start producing again because now with his large subscribers base on youtube he can expose new music and market it in a whole new way and he knows more big name artists now. He could write some jazz fusion and get top players to execute it and improvise on it and then promote it on his channel and his own guitar playing. He could do the same with rocks songs or even do some classical quartets and have real players play it. With the technology he can put a band together with members in remote locations playing together. Or he could produce some young artists and put it up on his channel. There is so much opportunity to start producing again using his youtube channel to expose new music. I don't know why he doesn't do this. Maybe he's worried that the first thing he puts out has to be perfect. It doesn't have to be. He could do three or more songs and not put them on his channel immediately and just pick one and put it on his channel. Can you get in his back about this this? I've been trying but you would have greater influence. Did you hear that old video where he re-orchestrated a Drake song? It was pretty good. He could even be working with pop artists who are doing stuff as mainstream as on the Spotify Top Tens but just doing it better. Neo-Trap Beats with better chord progressions and guitar solos. you could send him a beat, get him to create a keyboard and guitar part. Then get Charles Bertroud to play bass on it.
Nobody talks about modern music anymore, i don't ever hear kids talking about new bands, that used to be different when i grew up, everybody got excited when a new record came out and rushed to the store, there is a reason why MTV switched to reality shows, cause people got bored with music.
Rick is a charismatic speaker and a genuine lover of music. But I don't htink he is a good teacher. He just assumes too much is already known, a classic mistake of teachers who don't really understand how students think and what their shortcomings are. One of the best channels for theory is Signals Music Studio. That guy really breaks it down in understandable chunks without taking anyhting forgranted.
That's some good advice about putting your phone in the other room while working on music. I often find spending too much time here on UA-cam becoming a distraction for me and preventing me from being more productive with my music. I need to manage my spare time better. Life is too short.
you were soooo on point. I remember when people used to say STP were a copy-cat of Pearl Jam. there's a lot of unoriginal music out there now, but it was the same back then. when profit is a priority, creativity and innovation take a back seat in every industry.
The industry has been creating its own music and culture since laurel canyon in the mid 60’s, some would say it started with the Beatles, with the core genre styling by way of Tavistock and the Brill building.
Before the Beatles skiffle was a reaction to stifling popular music. Before that, great Grampa beato was complaining how now there are microphones nobody knows how to sing properly and it's all just crooners.
The label people have never been the geniuses they imagine themselves to be. Too much good music has been stifled or lost because of them. There is so much good recent or new music out there as the industry loses its grip.
Zappa has a great take on this in a short someplace around here: in the sixties the money people were suits who knew they had no clue, so they were "well ok, let's try this" then in the seventies the money people were hipsters with opinions about what is the next big thing. They became the gatekeepers.
That's complete BS. I used to know several of the top AR guys in the world and who signed up the worlds top bands. They got into music because of 2 things, their passion for music and a talent for picking which new local bands were going to be liked in the clubs. That's why they made to being head AR guys in companies like Capitol or Atlantic. These guys were geniuses whether you know it or not.
There was a time where label heads and A&R were often music lovers and had a background in music. By the time I got into major label work the business was filled with former lawyers and people that didn't actually know much about music, but not so much on the Urban side.
bottom line is that commercial music has always basically sucked, with notable exceptions being when jazz was the most popular form of music, and the late Beatles to the mid-1970s era of prog rock. there have been tiny exceptions in the form of bands like the Police, U2, the Black Crowes and Radiohead, plus singer songwriters like Fiona Apple and Aimee Mann. but these artists were maverick-iconoclast types who went against the grain and achieved their success despite the mainstream and its vaccuous offerings. they were the exception to the rule. to me, things really started to head downhill in the late 1970s with the advent of disco, which started off quite well only to morph quickly into an overproduced corporatized sound. the soul was gone. things really picked up speed in the 1980s when even credible acts like Aerosmith, Heart and ZZ Top got sucked up into the fame machine, producing a soulless, digitized, homogenized sound that i couldn't even describe as music. and it's only gotten worse since then. so the point is, mainstream commercial music will pretty much always be garbage. to find the good stuff, you have to dig a little deeper. it's there, it's just not playing on your local station.
I'm from Rick's era, and I've had similar experiences. Let me be clear: just because we used drum samples and quantized tracks doesn't mean Rick is wrong. When you witness great musicians in the studio, you realize they don't need any fixing. His observations about mainstream music are valid; they don't apply to indie bands playing instruments the traditional way. Let’s not conflate this or dismiss Rick as a grumpy old man stuck in the past. He’s an important voice with real experience-one that many will never have because that part of the music business has faded away. If only people understood how incredible things were back then, how music truly unfolded, rather than relying solely on this computerized approach that everyone thinks is their shortcut to success. It’s a journey worth remembering.
You're always going to get that "grumpy old man" comment to dismiss someone that's older, even though they are right. When I hear that, I won't waste another second of my time listening to what they have to say. I don't know the young people he is around, but to say they are more innovative is B.S. To say they have a huge passion for music is the exact opposite of what I see. They don't really care and it isn't that important to them. Cookie cutter? This is the golden age of cookie cutter. At the gym I hear "young peoples" music 4 four to 5 times a week. If I'm in there for 2 hours, it might as well have been a two hour long song by the same band. A band that will disappear in a couple years. Bands used to have to develop a sound, it was different, and you knew who it was when you heard it. And Rick is right, there was an anticipation of a new album coming out and going to the music store was a great experience. I didn't have a problem finding new music other than "What they wanted me to hear." It just took some effort. I still do that to this day. I made the effort because it mattered more. I could list 20+ new CD's I just bought by 20 different bands and I'll bet this guy, as well as young people, wouldn't know any of them. Let everyone listen to what they want, that's subjective, but to say it is more innovative...he couldn't be more wrong.
I think it's the Producers that are making this "bad" genre of music that they want to hear, and they want us to hear. It's like the movies nowadays, the Producers are making "bad" remakes instead of coming up with original movies.
I am on a number of music groups from songwriters to EDM producers and the music is crap, mediocrity is the new standard with a sprinkling of dilluision
Again for movies, you just gotta know how to look for new pieces. Just like in music. I suggest you follow film studios like A24 and NEON, they realese good movies which are almost always unique, new, artistic, and actually good. Just like everything, you just gotta teach yourself how to look for the right thing.
It's mostly what they and their paymasters want US to hear. Not that what passes for a ruling class these days isn't completely uncultured, too. The comparison with the movies is very apt. The backlash there is hardening a lot. But in music opting out is easy. Just look for what you want.
Loved this video, Billy! I’ve been gravitating to your channel more and more lately. I appreciate your honesty and the push you give to remind us to stay focused and just create. It’s so easy to get distracted these days and lose sight of what really matters.
I actually find it hilarious that people think there is no good music nowadays. I mean, seriously? Obviously the top of the charts is, for whatever reason, going to suck, but there is a TON of amazing music coming out all the time today.
@@RoyalBlue43 Just thinking off the top of my head here, so my thoughts aren't going to be fully fleshed out, and may potentially be way off, but I imagine it's because the charts are the public face of the corporate machinery that is the music industry. The music labels spend money on the shit that's going to make money. They don't have to make good, engaging music to make money, because they can grease the right palms and shovel their slop onto the radio where it will get endless plays. They make stuff that's familiar, stuff that people can sing along to, stuff that provides no mental or emotional challenge. It's low effort, but big payoff. The more their music gets played, the more money it makes for them. Now that TikTok dances are unfortunately a thing, it's gotten even worse. Songs can be famous for literally 12 seconds worth, and can rocket to the top of the charts, generating even more money for even less cause. Content slop, pure and simple.
A good friend of mine had their album mixed by Beato in the early 00’s. Their singer was fantastic. She had a very good range and pitch. When mixing, Beato told them she would be tuned, because “that’s the way it’s done now”. They refused, and he told them he couldn’t guarantee the mix would be pro level. And it makes me think- did that speak more to the industry, or his skills as an engineer?
@ youre probably right. I know he has issues with modern pop music, and in some ways, i think the music has suffered in place of augmented vocals taking the spotlight. But there are great places all over the find great music. I totally feel the technology has opened so many door for talented kids who might otherwise never take that step into the creative space. Has pop music become less interesting? Yeah, i think so. Much of it sounds a lot like Stock music with different singers over the top of a 2-3 chord soundbed with no changes. But, isn’t the three chord structure what pop music has always been? I’ve found awesome music via tiktok, Spotify, and other mediums. And, technology has given me the gift of releasing my own music into my 50’s. Im two albums and a few singles in since 2023, and i credit the ability to learn, create, and mix to technology. The community. The support I’ve gotten from youtube channels like Spectresoundstudios’ mix reviews . All of it has given me the confidence to move from being the ‘old guy’ looking for a band to help me get “signed” to a home recording musician who only needs his skills and a laptop. That’s freedom
@@allendean9807 agreed on the democratization of high quality music recording and distribution being a great thing, overall. No, pop music wasn't always this bland. Look at people like Whitney Houston, Madonna, Mariah Carey. Heck, there was more variety in Britney Spears' first album compared to the "stock music pop" of today. Let's not forget Ace of Base, the Spice Girls and TLC. They were stand outs! When you heard Mariah come on the radio, you knew it was her. The singers these days like Tove Lo, Dua Lipa, Sia, Ava Max and Sabrina Carpenter all sound pretty much the same.
It's very simple: the music industry died. So, now we mostly have hobbyist and corporate shills because real artists can't get paid. Sure, a band might release a few good songs, but don't expect anything more to come from it. The live music scene has also died because, like you mentioned, people aren't as interested in music, because there are other forms of media including AI generated content so easily available. I listen to a lot of music, but the quality just isn't there. Before, the music industry or live music venues could launch a real artist (e.g. john lennon or kurt cobain) out of the underground. Now the real artists are drowned out by people who can afford to fund their hobby, which excludes most of the artists who are worth listening to.
@@biner01 eh...music lives, creativity lives, live music national and local still lives, bands and artists self releasing or starting labels is a huge improvement over the music "industry"...like Alan Jourgenson of Ministry said a couple or few years ago "music and industry have no business being said together in the same breath", or something a kin to that. Corporate music still sux...or at least the idea of coperate hijacked, co-opted and commodified art does. Many "real" artists are still "launched", maybe not to rock icon status or stadium live show level, or national phenom...but was that all that great anyway. Usually they would just become slaves or sell outs, or watered down versions of them selves. Or because the pressure of that living legend shit go the way of Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, etc or get killed off like Prince or others (?) 4 questioning or rocking the "industry" boat a bit too hard. As far as the hobbyists etc, it's kinda like a fellow sound and video guy I worked with said, "just cause you watch TV, doesn't mean you can make tv"....or sub in radio, art, or any creative media in there. Yet, that also doesn't mean that a hobbyist, part time musician, or any variation on that can't be awesome and make good stuff either...especially since the equipment to record and even instruments and gear are much more affordable and you don't need a studio or corporate label etc to put shit out. And none of those people cause an exclusionary effect on larger bands or any level band or artist, their stuff is still out there too, or released, or toured etc. No sympathy for the record industry, or that of old at least...die please, haha. Great sentiment and it was a great indie label back in the day, before and during mass commodification of alt and indie music (No Sympathy for the Record Industry)
@jlande6 No one said music is dead. All I said is the quality is way lower than in the recent past. And, na, hobbyists release ok music at best, regardless of their skill level.
@@biner01 yeah I know no one said that...was just driving in a point. As far as quality is way lower, think that's a judgement call, and a bit short sighted though in my opinion...take a band like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, I mean F'n A, listen to their early stuff 10 plus years ago then go listen to Crumbling Castle or other new tunes from them, it's like King Crimson, Gong, Can, and Hawkwind times 10 on a neo speedball and acid trip dream fantasy of some 170 + IQ genius. Totally crazy complex stuff, coming up with new tunings and working within their own scope with that and various other components, far too much to go into a lot of details I don't know. Or listen to Brian Jonestown Massacre over the last several years...I saw them last in 2016 and they played for 3.5 hrs almost straight, the last 45 min to an hr was this crazy continuous set of fusion of rock n roll, krautrock, and space rock. 8 or 9 people playing in such tight synch it was phenomenal, I mean it's hard enough to get a 4 or 5 piece in great synch live. Buddy of mine saw them last year and was much of the same, atleast kicknass wise but different set and new songs too. Or bands like God Speed You Black Emporer and their new material. Or singer song writers like Lana Del Rey, amazing mix of styles that she totally makes into her own, an amazing voice, and a fantastic writer. Another couple in that vein Ethel Cain and Chelsea Wolfe. Or most of the Psych,Fuzz, VAR Metal etc coming out of Europe and Australia, just check out the channel here on youtube Stoned Meadow of Doom (SMOD). Or hip hop/rap groups like Run the Jewels, MF Doom, and several others can't think of right now. Or new goth rock and or cold/dark wave like Lathe of Heaven, Twin Tribes, Drab Majesty, Neon, Vulture Industries. Or new releases from older bands like High on Fire, The Cure, A-Ha, Nurse with Wound, Clutch, Light Bright Highway, JD Pinkus (Post Butthole Surfers), any release from the Flaming Lips over last decade, Tool, Elder, Mono, Mogwai, Brian Eno, Slowdive, The Black Angels, Ministry, the Cosmic Dead, the Osees, Sigurd Ros, Harvest Man (post Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot), Dirty Three, Weedeater, Still Corners, etc etc etc. Or newer bands like Giant Dwarfs and Black Holes, Psychlona, Young Hunter, Grundig, Julie,Whirr, Slift, Moon Hooch, Espirit D'Air, Blind Horse, Sacred Buzz, Skelephant, Clarence. That's just a sampling and top of the crop, or top of my head right now, ha ha. All levels of bands and artists, signed, unsigned, self released, touring, streaming, vinyl/cds/cassettes, big labels, small labels, "hobbyists" (ie. Part time musicians, or musicians cause they love it and have to create, and whether they make a dime or a dime bag, ha, but have to work shit jobs etc cause thats just this shit world...or this shit capitalist corporate country). So there you go...go check some stuff out if ya doubt my word or opinion on it, but it's good if not great stuff....Definitely at least equaling and or surpassing at times bands and artists from any previous decade. Plus there is more music and more bands now than ever in history, plus all the old stuff and many older bands still putting out new innovative and interesting good stuff or at the least equaling past releases. So there ya go...quality is a check, haha...check check, mic check, anyone listening....you should be. Seek don't destroy...
Rick is a smart, educated man. Rick has a long list of accomplishments, and a lot of life experiences. I enjoy his insights with music theory. But... Rick is definitely in the Old Man Yells At Clouds space, when it comes to his takes on the music of the day. "Kids these days..."
But historically there was such a thing as the _dark (middle) ages._ Generations of kids _can_ find themselves to be productive but rudderless, generating nothing of influence nor longevity. As ever kindly strangers probably encouraged them with cliches to the effect of "Whoa dude you've got some talent."
@@georgemeller4074 in my day...we used to walk miles with no shoes in the snow cause we ouldnt aftord shoes cause we spent our hard earned dollars on over priced corporate media...and we liked it! Bahahahaha
Thanks! There was a time when an analog 24 track was considered cheating. And I'm old enough to remember some people talking crap about SSL consoles (mixers).
Well said, my friend. I'm a hobbyist and front an original metal band of fellow older gents. Nonetheless, I enjoy creating with other seasoned musicians. I appreciate the creative process and performing live. It ain't about the money at this stage of life. It's all about the art and camaraderie
This seems pretty on point. Musicians also have to wear multiple hats these days and be their own marketers, business leaders, producers and studio engineers. I've been wondering if this multi-tasking detracts from overall time spent writing music and practicing an instrument (which also compounds with the distraction of the smartphone). However, it seems like if musicians are disciplined these days, they can leverage the technology to do everything themselves without sacrificing integrity and bending to the whims of a record company.
I'm a 66 year old drum teacher. Sure I love the seventies music I grew up with, but there are plenty of newer artists that I love just as much. I hate when people my age say there is no good music anymore. It's so much easier to find now. All you have to do is look for it. A few of my favorites are Larkin Poe, Thea Gilmore, Beth Hart, Kasey Chambers, Margo Price, The Pretty Reckless, Amy Macdonald, First Aid Kit, Lydia Loveless and The Wolff Sisters.
Any dude’s singing you like? I only like two on your list and they’re not on my concert bucket list. To each their own obviously. I like more variety and even instrumental
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume The new Larkin Poe album, Bloom will be released the end of January. The first 3 songs are out now. Sounds like it will be another great album from them.
Who better than one of Rick's own peers and "industry insiders" to provide the YT community with a much needed alternate point of view to some of the challenges we face within the industry? The Beatles are a great example to the point you are making. Had they not had the courage to embrace the technological advancements of their era - reel to reel manipulation, early sampling, tape saturation, to name a few - the music landscape as we know it would probably look a lot different today. All this to say, great video! Cheers!
Thanks! Great point! The reason the Beatles were able to push the limits of recording was because they were the damn Beatles AND also because they worked off hours so none of the old school engineers were around to tell them no and the people that stayed to work those sessions were younger and not indoctrinated in the traditional way of recording. Plus, George Martin (producer) was always willing to try new things and take input from the band.
Amen brother. Been doing this since the late 60s - both behind and in front of the desk in analog to digital studios; and I am grateful for the digital age. You still have to do the work to turn out good music, but the possibilities are virtually endless now. Cheers!
I'M A CRATE DIGGER, SO BEING INTO VINYL I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OLD OR JUST INTERESTING MUSIC. IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE OLDER MUSIC, IT JUST HAS TO BE CREATIVE AND INTERESTING. TODAY'S MUSIC DOESN'T HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE ON THE MAINSTREAM THAT BRING THAT SOUND. BUT THERE ARE ARTISTS THAT ARE PUTTING AND PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GENRES.
Billy, I've really been enjoying your channel and thanks for this down to earth take! I'm in my 50's but incredibly grateful for the advances in music technology that allow any of us the ability to create and put our music out there. Those who are against the democratization of the music industry and say that it's watered down the talent out there are usually the ones who are just pissed they aren't making as much money as they used to. If people in the music industry from 50 years ago had access to the tools we have today (especially in the digital domain), they would have absolutely used them! I have an incredible amount of respect and admiration for a lot of engineers, producers, and musicians who have dedicated their lives to music creation, but the reality is that great music can be and has been produced in a bedroom studio. I'm constantly inspired by the quality of music I hear currently being released, especially by younger artists.
Well, I too am pissed off that I'm not making as much money as I used to. At one point my income dropped 80% in 2 years as the internet exploded and CD sales dropped. Had the music industry continued as it had been going I'd be a very rich man now. But hey, it's not anyone else's fault but mine for being to stupid and stubborn to quit music so here I am. Yet I am more inspired now than I have been since the late 90's and I still have my dreams. Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the discussion!
Great episode. I love that Rick talks to all of these big-name artists but I think it would be a great turn if he brought on up-and-coming bands of all new (and old) genres.
Thank you for this video. I remember how it was difficult to find anything interesting on radio or TV. And now with Spotify I'm finding so many new and interesting songs. I think there are much more interesting music which is easily to access now. And thank you for the last take about phones and distraction. It's probably why many people are so irritated now, not only in music industry.
Thanks you!! I have been finding some good new music on Instagram but only late at night. Not sure why. During the daytime the algorithm shows me crap.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume I've never thought of instagram as a source for new music. Did you find it in reels? And interesting observation about the algorithm!
Absolute truth, Billy. My brother-in-law was a high level music programmer for CBS radio in those days. We worked at trying to get my Wife a staff writer's job in Nashville at the height of the Garth Brooks era. Labels, radio, and publishers were all about "the formula" and they were absolute "gatekeepers". And, don't even get me started about the "good old boy" network in Nash-Vegas! Great video, as always!
Oh! Nashville was and still is the worst for killing innovation. I sat on the Recording Academy board for 2 years and was disgusted at some of the other people that were there, particularly a radio promoter who I know funneled money to radio station programmers. All this person did was bitch. Too many people sitting on that board didn't even create music. I let my membership expire.
spot on. there were advantages in the old way such as radio, music tv, record deals, and so forth but the music industry is broke but technology has made our ability to achieve goals a ton easier and practically a lot more affordable. DAWs are way more efficient and affordable than tape, and tape machines, I can now own 20 1176s called plugins. I don't need a record deal to get my music heard. I got sound cloud and reverb nation. I mean you hit a ton of great points
Great video! Subscribed. A lot of folk are embittered by the fact that it's less expensive and easier to make music today due to the advances in technology. It's very much akin to ex athletes who bemoan the stars of today who are enjoying better deals, salaries, endorsements and so on. Ultimately, I do believe creativity will always be the deciding factor when it comes to industry success. Fortunately today, there are less barriers to entry and fewer gatekeepers at grass roots level. Thank you.
Cogently argued! Yes, technology means that I can write in any style I want and record my own music without a recording studio or record company, release it for the whole world to hear and collect performance royalties, such as they are. And hear the music of similar music enthusiasts all over the world. Complete creative freedom!
Agreed. Imagine wanting to go back to recording studios being an aloof out of touch thing believing it will deliver us better music to listen to. It was awful. I was there. I extract far more joy out of creating music in my own home studio than I ever did listening to an album.
As a parent I encourage young people to try whatever they want to do. Be creative, use the technology and do what serves to realise the ideas you have in your mind. That’s the work of an Artist. Great video !!!
Exactly!!!! What's funny is that the majority of hit songs I worked on were done in the spirit of "Let's have some fun" or "I did what the label said I should do and it failed, this time I'm doing what I want".
@@WalterWhite-h8f Honestly, if you make an attempt to look, there are easily 10 utterly amazing songs in any given year. It does require some effort to get out of your comfort zone and go looking though.
I agree with much said here, but we have at least 2 generation of music consumers who don't listen to music for the sake of listening to music. Its just a soundtrack for their daily tasks.
The REAL reason, the technology allows bands "that aren't that good" to be in the industry. And the other reason is if you take the money out of it, you reduce the quality of artists that are willing to work in that sphere. The fact that the only specific example of new music you mention is from anime/games ie. where the money is perfectly exemplifies the problem.
Anyone who thinks music is getting worse doesn't really have a goddamn clue about how to find good music. Or rather, where to find the kind of music you like. Same goes for movies. In the history of recorded music, there always has been and always will be good and bad..which if we're really being honest is completely a subjective thing. Its kind if pompous to think any art is good or bad. The value of any art is based on the effect it has on the viewer/ listener. So what I'm saying is, right now is the best and worst time for music, depending on your particluar taste.
Bravo! Thank you Billy! I also really respect some of Rick's content and thoughts, but I have been completely at odds with his opinions on modern music. Really really appreciate you chiming in and completely agree with your take. Liked and subbed.
Well said. I come from the 80's recording era of tape and dolby noise reduction. Working in the box now, I can't even imagine going back to those old ways of recording. Rick makes amazing videos and his interviews are second to none. There are points of Rick's I agree with. New "songwriters" releasing complete Suno or Udio "recordings" is one example. But I've used Suno to create a vocal track of my lyrics and it turned out quite good. So it is what it is. I agree with you, Billy: the tech has enabled some amazing music lately. It's just also allowed many hobbyists to play the game. Great video. I'm subscribed.
Thanks so much! I was always a DBX noise reduction guy. Did you ever try recording something trough the noise reduction but playing it back without going back through it? It's a crazy cool sound in certain cases. I have thought that I heard that on some Paul McCartney and Wings records. I tried it but could never get that explosive sound.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume Absolutely! We used to do that with Dolby A encoding (but not decoding) in the studio, especially on backing vocals. Dolby Stretch it was called, IIRC. Our studio had probably dozens of Dolby A rackmount modules but by the mid 80s, we never used them for their intended purpose. Now, for a bit of fun and an experiment I tried a similar thing with dbx on an old Yamaha cassette 4-track maybe 15 years later (after the studio was sold to SAE, I took redundancy and changed career for a bit :D) and I did find the tape noise quite bad, but I'm sure with the right recording chain and the right part, it could be done without too much pain. And Dolby is no doubt better for this than dbx as it's only on the high frequencies. Maybe a gate for the hiss in between phrases? I still do a similar trick with ITB multiband expansion. Something like the Fabfilter eq can do a pretty good job of it, with it's dynamic feature. Just set it to boost the high end when it's gets a high enough signal and it can sound darn close to Dolby Stretch. Certainly in a mix.
This is an amazing video. People take music for granted these days because I’ve seen plenty of great artists, bands, singer and composers. What has changed is how the music gets out. I don’t release much music on UA-cam because of its algorithm. When I record, I shut off my phone.
Yesssss!! I too am cautiously optimistic!! The amount of Music being made today by great musicians is up. There is just so much more to sift thru. Good luck to everyone out there that continues to push.
Rick is speaking from position of a songwriter, sound engineer. Too many younger guys spend a lot more time searching for that ultimate plugin or preamp instead of practicing their craft.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume I think you are right, although i believe he presented himself as a songwriter. May i ask what do you think about people starting up as sound engineers spending way too much time fiddling with plugins and hardware? There is always some room for improvement, but not before a person has enough basic skills like gain staging. Maybe i'm meeting too many because my job is making pro audio gear like compressors, preamps, DIs, various custom things clients can't buy, fixing issues like ground loops in larger systems and similar.
I absolutely respect R. Beato and I'm thankful for all the great content he puts out BUT: Being a 61 year old musician/songwriter myself, you'll eventually lose touch with contemporary music. It has zero to do with the "stretchability" of ones ears but more with the aesthetics you can't wrap your head around anymore. E.g. my songs mostly have a form or arc that is inspired by the music I loved and listened to when I was in my 20ies. I don't like autotune as a form of artistic expression, but I use it to correct tiny glitches. Like myself, Rick loves intriguing harmony. While some artists still write beautiful chords and melodies, we're basically living in a (Pop) world of limitless sound design and 4-chord songs. Well, I reckon we're not in Kansas anymore.
Given that smaller bands need to play live to make any kind of money, they do still need to be able to play at a decent level, or they'd be found out as soon as they went on stage. There'd be little point 'cheating' if they can't back it up. I do actually think there's a lot of great new music out there, even if I find I have to look towards East Asia to find it. Japan is particular has a great underground scene. The problem these days is that there is so much out there, that without some kind of curation, it is hard to find the good stuff.
As a beginner to guitar and someone that has been learning production (especially with synthesizers, samples, and even sound designing my own drums) for around a year and four months i think, I highly value your video here! It's refreshing to see someone from the older generation that still has an open mind to new music. My love for music in general came from experimental electronic music artists like Aphex Twin, Autechre, a lot of artists from Warp Records lol, and some Nine Inch Nails. There have been so many artists and producers out there pushing and breaking boundaries these days like Oneohtrix Point Never (who has produced for The Weeknd), A. G. Cook, SOPHIE (RIP), Bon Iver, Flume, Danny Brown, JPEGMAFIA, I could go on. And they all use technology to do this. Especially with more boundary pushing subgenres like hyperpop being more relevant, innovation isnt going anywhere. All of the people I listed above are artists that would close to never have a top 40 and DEFINITELY NOT a top 10 hit, but are making music that is like a breath of fresh air compared to much of what is popular. Technology like autotune, quantization, sampling, etc. is not the problem. YOU ARE, if you dont find a way to push it further and use it artistically. YOU have all the power to break boundaries with whatever tool or instrument you use. Id certainly rather would be making sounds the average human would call "noise" but that I like, rather than spending years of my life trying to fit some sort of industry standard and being unhappy because of it. Anyways, great video Billy! The young generation like me appreciates people like you. The human race will continue to innovate and create music with technology through the young generations. All that being said, practicing physical tangible instruments like guitar, drums, and keyboards is still worth it tho xD
I think you're right that Rick tends to compare the best of past output with the average of current output. We all do that, of course; it's how life works and it's how history works. I kind of agree with Rick that we're hearing way too much grid now, just as I agree with you that we used to hear too much genre, but just as we're well into a reaction against genre there's a _lot_ of, for example, microtonal music around now-which goes through that pitch grid and comes out the other side, with entire new grids to explore. Every era has things that suck, and they set the stage for future exploration, because it's the nature of art to challenge rules. As to the economics of art-the more we learn how to automate, the more of us will be artists (and of course, most of us-I include myself-will be bad artists, because that's how statistics work. To keep bread on the table, we're going to _need_ UBI, because in the future, only those who are really, _really_ driven are going to have jobs at all. In any field at all.
Then compare MADONNA to Lady Gaga, or Michael Jackson to Chris Brown, the Artist of now have hit a brickwall nothing really new anymore, Jimmy Hendricks invented things about the Guitar, I can mention so many new things that people then invented or brought to life, their are geniuses today that can sill find new and innotive ways to still shine, but time is coning for that. The Algo is favoring some and ignoring some, in a world where what makes a video or song popular is rarely its uality but algo, this has views so it must be nice, this person has millions subs, so I will watch his videos. Just this same video, I see Rick Beato photo in the thumbnail and you clicked, while this video disagrees with the good points of Rick. The tech is one BIG reason, believe it or not. A soulless thing such as algo that bring great music to the surface.
@@theministryofsound7448 I'm a little confused-what's the point about Madonna and Lady Gaga? I have to admit that if I were dividing music into periods-rather than talking about individual style-I might have put them in the same bucket. But perhaps they're just not who I listen to. I do have to agree that technology changes what we listen to. I hear more African and Asian music than I used to, certainly, and less music that's made within walking distance, or that's the output of the biggest of Big Music. And you're right that I ended up here through Rick-Rick's position was pretty contentious and I'm genuinely interested to know how others in the industry feel on this point. But in fact I think I originally found Rick because Adam Neely was disagreeing with him about basically the same point. And I found Adam Neely _because_ interesting things are happening in music theory, today. So … yeah. We'll understand what happened recently a bit better in a decade, when the dust settles, I'm sure.
I think it's because there is less money in the system since the end of physical media. Only the most successful artists make anything now. Venue owners too killed live music, as they found they made more money pushing gambling machines etc.
"Video killed the radio star", I think it's still one of the reasons, if not the main reason. The cult of the image, the need for fame (greatly encouraged by the business). Social medias have made these things even worse. Whether mainstream or "underground", it's affecting creativity and authenticity. Too many artists with wrong motivations. It's not as much about passion for making music, but more about "look at me", or "buy me". People want tools that make them spend less time on creating music, so they can spend more time promoting themselves.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume Very interesting video, thanks. And it's a great song too. "Plastic age" was perhaps even better. The album was really good. Clever pop, great production.
I could go into the reality or realism, but as someone who started recording music in 1978, with tape recorders, I love the abilities that I have now with Logic Pro. That’s how it works.
I started a couple of years before that and I can't tell you how much I was eager to move on to digital, especially In-The-Box. I LOVED tape compression but hated aligning the machines, the cost of the reels and how you high end would slowly go away on reels for projects that took a long time (even with head demagnetizing and slave reels) AND how sometimes different tracks would sound different from each other. I could go on......
A very good rebuttal to Rick's video. I've subscribed to your channel, as you have pointed out a lot of things that I, too, have noticed in working with artists 30 to 40 years younger than me; creativity has not been lost.
I grew up on metal/rock and hip-hop and there are good artists out there. I do think we are living in a time when it’s like less than 10% of them are really good though. It does feel like both in metal and hip-hop that it’s just over saturated . Because anyone can put music on the Internet now it’s not like the old days where you didn’t get your music put out to the public unless you were decent. Back in the day if you were terrible, you weren’t going to get a deal so you weren’t going to make an album now anybody can make an album . I think another reason why because if you look at teenagers and people in their early 20s today that generation really doesn’t love music like older generations did. They really don’t have like a dozen artist that they really love and buy all their albums and buy the T-shirts and posters. Most of the young guys on my crew just have a Spotify playlist and if they hear a song they like they just added, but they don’t even know anything about the artist or any of the other songs. To my generation when an artist that me and my friends listen to put out a new album, it was a trip to the mall and we all went and bought a physical copy of the album and then we knew there was going to be a tour coming and we couldn’t wait to go to the tour . This generation doesn’t really love music like that. It’s just something to have on the background. so I think there were people that are making music for the money and fame but I don’t think a lot of them actually love the music like we did
I remember hearing a lot of pop and rock music back in the 90s and I can tell you that a lot of the older music we cherish and revere today as staples of their genres were supremely annoying and overplayed on the radio back then. The thing about the distinct genres struck a chord with me though. The genres were more narrowly defined back then for sure. While that can be a bad thing for some, I think a big problem I have with todays music, particularly anything that isnt top40, is that artists are all over the place.... so much so that they dont really establish a distinct identity or style. Its too experimental and abstract to be relatable, especially when you get into harder music like rock, alt rock, metal etc. At the same time, the OPPOSITE is true of top40 artists like a certain female country artist and all the trap and hip hop stuff. I think rock and indy artists need focus and purpose. It almost feels like they are self censoring and not taking any risks by sticking to weird abstract vibey music. We can't all be Radiohead. We need some Tom Petty or Gordon Lightfoot. Tell a story or take a stand. Also don't take yourself too seriously either... so much trustfund americana out there. Just my 2cents.
Great point! Maybe it has something to do with focusing on singles instead of album cuts and having any kind of theme to an album. I hadn't thought about that....
You are right. Can't believe you're voicing what I deduced a while back. Don't watch him anymore as it's become stale. I think pandering to the channel's audience is why. Ironic, eh? I don't like that he doesn't help unsigned artists with his platform. He's become one of them now (gatekeeper).
this is very true, there is SO much AMAZING music being made right now, and much of that is thanks to the availability of tech for recording and also for learning - it’s just tends not to be on the top of the charts anymore. mainstream music has fallen into the toilet, and it’s very hard to make a living for everyone else. 20 years ago despite being in bands myself, i didn’t like going out to shows much because most of the local bands were just boring and dull. now if i go hang out at a cool music bar, all the waitresses and bartenders are in incredible bands and their shows are all worth seeing. huge improvement thanks to tech, just an economic disasters thanks to the current distribution and profit models.
I don't think Rick is missing the mark, but he is talking primarily about mainstream music and he does make valid points in that regard. I was music director at a college radio station, and there were tons of awesome & original music sent to us each week that didn't make it on the air simply because we did have a playlist, and it was physically impossible to play everything, no matter how good it was. There was only so much room. That has always been the case and it always will be.
I’m with you entirely on this one. It’s also worth noting that “technology” is usually used to describe anything new. At one point the piano was new tech. Electric guitars were a huge tech innovation. Pedals? Huge deal, and also new technology. What is different today is distribution. And finally, the industry is in a pretty bad place, controlled by a very small number of people with all money flowing to them, but that’s also been the case for a very long time. I hope that last point changes soon.
The problem is not technology; it's the rut that's caused by following manuals/tutorials and formula. This happens with every technology for a while; innovation gives way to stagnation, then people innovate again. Every rock/rockabilly song had the same reverb from Sun Records bathroom, every ballad in the 80's used the same exact patch on the DX7, every pop-rock song used the same exact gated reverb for drums, every dance song used a 4/4 on a Roland drum machine --all until someone got ideas that overturned the orthodoxy. It's perpetual.
@@dxtxzbunchanumbers There has always been innovative and interesting music from every era. The rut you’re talking about comes once that specific tech has settled. My main concern with Beato’s take is that he’s looking in all the wrong places for the good new stuff.
I was with you right up until the bit about music being free and royalties going down. If musicians were able to generate a modest income from music that they produce it would allow them more time to perfect their craft. More Proficiency in music what generate more diverse and creative works. There will always be virtuosos. It is the nature of humans that there are statistical anomalies the generate unique talents. But the ground floor of General musicianship has gone down greatly because people can't afford to be good when it is cheaper to edit something to make it acceptable.
Well that is true. My income dropped 80% in 2 years - a big part of that being how my royalties disappeared. But, back in the 'old days' about the only way to make money from music was by being in a cover band playing at bars. Very very few people got record deals and most of the few that did only ever saw the advance money because they either got dropped or were subject to the terrible structure of record deals. Today a music artist has more possibilities and ways to push their careers forward. Back then it was - record deal or publishing deal or cover band. I also think that one of the reasons less young people take up playing instruments is because the new video games are so damn good and immersive and also incorporate a social aspect - they are playing with other people online. back in the day jamming with your buddies was a thing to do partly because there wasn't anything more interesting to do.
@FreakingOutWithBillyHume social behaviors that humans are drawn to will constantly recreate themselves in different ways. I do think that playing music with your friends was absolutely a social activity as much as it was creative. Just like riding dirt bikes or skateboards is both athletic and social. There's probably less group dirt dirt biking and skateboarding then there would be if there weren't online video gaming. I do think that video game creation and programming is a modern parallel to music composition and songwriting. This is probably the old and out of touch part of me but I generally don't think video gaming generates much in the way of useful skills. When it comes to being in a cover band as the only viable way to make an income playing music, I think of it as a farm team. Someone can go and play covers, become good at operating their instrument and afford to buy reliable equipment. They also learn how to put on a show. If they have greater Ambitions they can take those assets and those skills and make their own creative works.
@@lmrecordersI don't mean any disrespect, but yes, this is the old and out of touch part of you saying that video games don't generate any useful skills. Not to mention how inspiring they can be for starting one's own creative journey in multiple fields, including composing/sound design.
@aimee9478 specifically, operating a game controller has a near zero life skill development activity. Becoming a sound designer is a subsidiary inspiration that a game controller does not meaningfully play a role in.
I agree with everything in Rick's video. I also agree with everything you say; and feel that what you say is less obvious. A third very important point is that the industry used to allow great artists to rise to the top. Now the big stars ARE pretty crappy. Sadly. But there are so many wonderful musicians today. I pray often that great talent in every field can get paid. Thanks so much for this insightful and heartfelt, positive video. 😊
Get it done! I make backing tracks that I use with my duo for live performance. Steady gig these days is a restaurant where we set up in front of the small bar area. That's how it is in my part of the world nowadays - no real stage to set up, play for tips. So I record my tracks with plugins from Toontracks (EZ Drummer and sometimes EZ Keys), and Native Instruments. I write out most of the keyboard, horns, and strings in MuseScore and export the midi parts. I record my bass DI'd into the DAW. It's usually a 2-3 day process before I render the backing track. It's actually fun and keeps my chops up. Thanks.
That's awesome! I have been playing guitar on some gigs with one of the artists I've been producing The Tokyo Teens - very 80's sounding (or Goth as they call it today). For practical reasons we use the tracks from the recordings minus what we play live and go out and gig. Would prefer to have a good drummer but between expenses, room in the van, rehearsal and... well.... drummers..... this works best for us right now since we have been playing small rooms. We do what we can to do what we want to do.
Competing with a hoard of hobbyists is probably the hardest part! A pro-guitarist friend of mine said he envied me for the sole reason that I can make anything I like and release it, where he has to consider other people's opinions and needs. Me? I make the sh1t I love and to hell with everyone else :) Hopefully I'm making something worth listening to, but it's fulfilling to me, and that I think is the whole point of making music.
I use an Alesis D4 with some Pearl pads from the 90s. But a lot of times I will just pull a beat off my Yamaha E403 and add fills and smashes to make it sound imperfect using the D4. I like how new music is a hodgepodge of different styles. 80s and 90s was synth pop and hair bands then grunge in which everyone sang like Eddie Vedder, or played heavy music that didn't sound nearly as good as Black Sabbath in the 70s. Or even Kiss in the 70s, for that matter.
Oh man... that has always been my thing. Back when I was doing work for labels there was so much push back from any little thing that strayed from the established sound of whatever genre I was working in.
I find new bands and artists to listen to all the time and some of the most amazing music is being made right now. Kudos on your video, huge thumbs up from me!
I agree that Rick could do some research and find current artists who are great instead of complaining about the top ten playlist. But there are at least two things Rick is right about….. I am going to have to agree with Rick that most top 40 mainstream pop stuff does not have the same organic quality of the songs being produced 30 - 40 years ago. Most of today’s hits sound more robotic and computerized. And I also agree that much of today’s music is stuck using the same chord progressions and lack of creative harmony.
Mr. Hume, I really respect your and Rick's generation of engineers/producers, which I consider a transition from true analog days of the 1950s-1980s into digital recording. Michael Wagener's work in the 1980s was a big influence on me, and today producers like Fredrik Nordstrom (who got his start in the early 1990s in Gothenburg, Sweden) continue to influence me in the heavy metal genre. I started playing guitar in 1996 when I was 16 and later attended GIT in Los Angeles from 1999-2000. I remember purchasing a TASCAM MK-II 8 track cassette recorder as a teen while also dabbling in unreliable computer recording via Windows ME (BSODs) and Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 circa 2000. I was exposed to Cakewalk mainly via Doug Marks's "Metal Method" guitar instructional videos which were popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. As a halfway step between analog and digital recording and thus a sign of the times, I also remember those portable integrated hard disk/mixing desk devices sold in Musician's Friend and Guitar Center catalogs. These devices were trying to take the old Tascam and Fostex machines and make them digital, but the editing could often be complex and cumbersome due to small LCD screens and nested menus. As a result, analog recording was often expensive and imprecise due to a lack of ideal recording spaces and gear. Digital recording was cost prohibitive due to the expense of hardware and software. Both methods also had steep learning curves that only occasionally shared overlapping knowledge. Expensive tech rapidly became obsolete, which defeated the purpose of owning it. As a result, I often feel like I started too late for the old generation of analog musicians but I was too early for the modern generation of streaming artists that gained popularity around 2010 or so. The increasing use of AI and search algorithm optimization will only take us further into yet another generation of producers, engineers, and musicians. If I have any concerns, it is about your main point. *Yes, creating music now is less work and more creative than ever, but there is also an oversupply of music due to ease of production and distribution, which makes music difficult to monetize. This difficulty of monetization destroys increased technological creativity and creates homogenization because everyone wants in on a great, profitable idea. Often this creates a race to the bottom in terms of complexity. This is an audience, demand-driven problem. As an example, while you may find jazz fusion on the radio for casual listeners in Europe, you probably won't in North America. Modern audiences still aren't into atonal music, mirror chords, polychords/polyrhythms, quartertone music, 12 tone rows, and other theoretical innovations that composers experimented with as long ago as the early 1900s.* So, if there's a lack of creativity, it's probably due to a lack of audiences' imagination and their lack of desire to pay for creativity. They still like I IV V pop songs. So, at the end of the day, the amount of work it takes to make music isn't really the point (although that increased work often justified more people being involved in the production/distribution process and thus monetization). *Rather, the difficulty of monetizing music so it can be reinvested into future music is the point.* *In that sense, the music industry has not changed. Back in the 80s-00s, if one got past the gatekeepers, chances of success were good assuming artists could repay labels. From the 2010s on, there is no real "making it." The difference between success and failure is often a trending hashtag, and even millions of views or streams only generate fractions of a cent each for an artist. If music were still profitable, legacy artists wouldn't be selling their lives' work for a few hundred million after they fought the labels for decades to own their own music.* *The cause of this problem is most people today, especially young people, do not see music as an artform that deserves monetization in the same amount/way movies are monetized. Hollywood is only just now feeling the contraction pressures the music industry began to experience 25 years ago. Cost pressures cause film to race to the bottom as well. This is why big budget studios often produce risk-averse, formulaic MCU movies and rebooted trilogy legacy franchises as financial tentpoles instead of taking risks with new ideas and artistically groundbreaking independent films.* So, for me, *things have gotten neither better nor worse in the music industry. Things are just different.* Gatekeeping still takes place, there are just different gatekeepers. Big tech like UA-cam and Spotify have replaced the labels, and most musicians are now businesspeople making money as influencers while only selling their music on the side. To cut costs due to lack of monetization, the artist has to wear more hats than ever before, cutting down on time, a lack of time you pointed out at the end of the video. *There is more risk and less reward than ever before, and, as in the old music industry, success today is limited to a relatively small number of people. It is still often about who one knows in the industry.* On the plus side, I did really enjoy those old outboard Alesis samples you demonstrated. Alesis was known for its relatively inexpensive gear back in the day, and it is good to see their old units still have influence on the industry. *The opposite side of this simplicity in tech is all the effort companies like Native Instruments, Neural DSP, Fractal Audio Systems, Kemper Amps, Toontrack, FXPansion, and others go into replicating analog gear and creating new samples.* Creating plugins/virtual instruments along with film post-production work are probably the last line of work for "real," high budget studios with access to properly treated rooms and expensive gear. The coders now have the real power. As an example, respected virtuoso metal drummer Tomas Haake of Meshuggah recorded drum samples for Superior Drummer, including all the different articulations and velocity settings on every drum available. The amount of planning, coding, and boring recording sessions must have been overwhelming. Can one really divide how hard one hits a drum into 127 different levels? Even then, due to cost pressures, technological obsolescence, and software licenses that must continually be renewed (you never really own the software you buy these days in the same way you owned an analog piece of gear), most musicians will either use old or pirated software, and, with a good enough producer, audiences won't be able to tell the difference. As in the old days, knowledge is better than tech. So, *I don't think anything has changed. The variables are just different. Both in the old and new music industries, many stakeholders continue to chase relatively few rewards. True progress and success would have been a less competitive but still rewarding industry in which more people were able to operate profitably. Instead, we ended up with an industry where more artists sounded alike because more audiences think alike.* Thank you.
Great points! The lack of monetization has been mentioned by others here and after reading everything y'all have written I recognize the impact more clearly - which I should since this is how I make my living and I make far less than I used to. I think I'm so focused on making things that I forget about money - for better or worse. Also, that period between Analog and DAWs.... ugh. I spent a lot of money on various recording mediums/products that I used for a short period of time like the Akia DR 16 stand alone digital hard disk recorder. Sounded great but editing sucked and backups were a pain. Thanks for watching and your comments!
You make great points here - I love the final point you make about how technology really affects creativity by constantly intruding upon our time - I think this is very true. I love Rick's channel, I love his videos, I've learnt so much from him, and I've gained so much from his work. But recently I have started to have little inklings of concern about some of his videos - mainly because I want him to stay relevant and I don't want him to turn into a parody of himself. I don't want him to become the guy who's always complaining about the quality of new music - and I fear that's already how some people view him, which to me is a real shame because I think his real message is far more nuanced than that. Anyway, you make great points here, and I'm going to check out more of your channel, thanks.
Rick Beato is in his own boomer echo chamber 😂 this video is so spot on he loves not talking about how controlled and gate kept the industry and radio was preDSP
really positive take 4:25 - great to hear this - your perspective is appreciated. lucky enough to work with younger artists also, I feel there's a real drive for experimentation and a diy mindset. given that it is so hard to break through in popular music, there's less risk in experienting and embracing imperfections, mirrors the old diy portastudio era in a way, using tech to present music in new ways
Yes, good points! However, geezers like us usually saw tech as a bridge towards progress - a positive tomorrow, if you will. We do our stuff well (enough), and e.g. get a decent place to live from our efforts. The so called economy (rather, our mindsets, beliefs and agency) is different now. Any hopeful 20 to 40 yo is expected to do “the right things” in a harsher reality than we experienced. Breaking the normatives and imperatives today, quite certainly breaks more dreams of tomorrow than they sustain. This induces fear more than opportunities and a vision of a “fair enough” near future. Culturally mirrored in how anything “retro” has remained so strong for close to a generation. That’s (probably) not how you nor I (nor Rick?) envisioned tech in general, we just saw “progress” without even being “progressive” by any means. The result is some kind of “stuckness” - in our own minds, and in how many see their immediate future. Our culture mirrors this, and no “punk”, “disco” or “grunge” has appeared in a long time to mess up our status quo. (BTW, nice to see you there with so much stuff that has evoked so much joy and frustration - experience over time…😊)
Thoroughly enjoy your ranting. Thanks for sharing these illuminating tales of studio life and dealing with the industry back in the day. Helps put the present world of music in context.
Thanks, Bill. Unfortunately, Rick has to keep pumping this stuff out, and he gets caught up in the need to create content and forgets to think clearly. 🤔
I agree. Some of his videos are really good and some seem like he's just keeping to a schedule. However, that is what is expected. I need to put out videos more regularly but have an issue with the quality.
Yes, exactly, the point made at the end. It's more the broader commodification and interruption of our free/empty spaces that would allow us to have time to be creative and full utilize the newer music tech coming out. Music Tech has improved drastically, and that's a good thing, but we could be utilizing it even better, without the other distractions. Digital minimalism for day-to-day tasks so we can focus our energies on music and the other arts.
Thanks SO MUCH! I have been thinking that many people didn't watch to the end where I actually make my main point or had made up their minds already and glossed over that section. I'm so glad you got there and understood.
I also like the fact I can rewind a song or video. Watching TV is unbearable to me as I can't do these. What's really missing in this era is that the algorithms stay safe or push only the most controversial stuff. I have only found Altan Urag from Mongolia because I was searching for throat singing. How many cool things I miss from other cultures because of the silos we're put in? Also that 99% of social media is meant to be scrolled in silence in a boring meeting room or in a classroom, therefore only visual arts and "interesting videos" with subtitles can be discovered. I agreed with everything you said and this was just an addendum.
This video absolutely made my day both as a drummer and a person that records remotely I’m not the biggest fan of using samples but it’s still a great tool to have if you wanna beef up and blend a drum tone.
I used to rely on samples a lot but only use them now when my mixing for clients who did a bad job of recording the drums. With the stuff I produce and record I rely on good drummers, good drums, the right mics and Pre's and room mics. No samples needed.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume I don't use samples at all for my stuff when I record from home as I'm a stickler of phase and drum tuning (I tune my drums to notes in the key of the song I'm recording in) but then again I'm still learning. But if I'm carting my drums to a session, I notice a lot of engineers (Especially younger ones at the top) are becoming too dependent on samples so much to the point they replace the original snare tones regardless how well a snare maybe tuned or won't even communicate "Hey can you pick a different snare?" or "Hey Can I talk to your drummer?" I won't say who the engineer is but I recently did a session were I bought multiple snares and explained my approach for each song to the engineer here in MD then we shipped the stems to a major engineer in Nashville...they loved my drums but when I listened back to the recordings my snares were completely replaced with the SAME SNARE SAMPLE. I had to put on a mask and smile while not being happy. Sadly it wasn't my album and the client was happy so my feelings aren't important as the client gets the last say however in turn I don't share the album just because of the snare replacement... I do blame myself too because I should've gotten the contact info of the engineer and his team in Nashville to communicate what drum sound I'm going for.
I was just talking to one of my boys about the video and the comments and he pretty much said the same thing. Smart kid. Thanks for watching and commenting!
With the tech we have to day we are able to listen to a vast amount of music and gather the 100 influences required to be original instead of derivative.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! As knowledgeable as Rick might be, he sometimes frustrates me in ways that I've found difficult to articulate. It's easier than ever to discover exciting up and coming bands, and I've lost count of how many times small underground bands and artists half my age have inspired me to step up my game, just in the past few years. Pessimism is easy, now more than ever, but I'd rather be foolishly optimistic about the state of music, because the alternative is to just quit and let the AI do it.
Samples and quantizing etc is the absolute norm and has been since early 2000s in rock and metal. Almost every single mix engineer does it now to some degree.
When I put up this video I expected to get maybe a couple of thousand views and a ton of hateful comments. But instead I got, at this point , around 20k views which is awesome! And the comments have been not only the most I've ever gotten but also (mostly) the most thoughtful, insightful and well articulated comments ever. I've never done a video like this before and only recently started doing videos where I'm mostly talking after a suggestion from @everythingalways who watches some of my videos (I usually do heavily edited videos that are more story focused). I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who watched, subscribed and also to all of you who had such great comments, even the ones that challenged my position because it has made me rethink a few things and has inspired me.
When I started this channel I swore that I would answer every comment (except the stupidly nasty ones) and I've mostly been able to do that. I've been trying to do that here and I think that I got everyone but I might have missed some. I haven't gotten back to responses to my replies yet because so far this has taken 6 or 7 hours to do and I need to work on another video as well as some producing / mixing projects and I need to get some sleep.
Again, thank you so much!
@FreakingOutWithBillyHume you made some great points, it was honest, simple, logical , and informative. It is also really positive because I feel we are kinda lacking in that on UA-cam at the moment.
Hey Billy. Lots of stuff to chew on in this video. I do agree that all technology has done is democratise the creation of music, leading to so many more people being able to get their music out there without needing to deal with the gatekeepers. It's also easy to look back with nostalgia at the old system and talk about all the great music that was produced and forget about all the crap that came out alongside it. Steve Albini had something similar to say. He said if he wasn't dealing with creative people all the time, he would have closed up shop ages ago, but he hasn't. Creativity hasn't died. It just needs to break through all the noise.
But I think where technology has really hurt music is that video games and streaming are now the main kinds of leisure that people focus on. Society itself has seen a big shift. We are no longer in the time when tv, the radio, and music were the only options for home entertainment. And I think that is what the conversation needs to be about. It is not about whether or not technology has made music worse, but rather what the place of music as an artistic and entertainment medium will be in society going forward. At the moment, we don't have any rock bands that are popular, but we still have lots of solo artists like Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars who are big. But will even these guys exist in the future, or are we headed into a world where music is reduced to background noise and only matters in the context of a film or a video game?
Great stuff !
I feel the full potential of innovations that even less recent technology can bring to music and art is immense with still so much untapped potential to explore, when I hear people bash the use of technology in art and music I almost feel that they are essentially the creative equivalency of the amish.
Check out my folk heavy metal music. I compose it in the old school style with influences. Like Megadeth bathory, chuck schuldiner.
Subscribed!
Rick needs to stop listening to mainstream music industry-type of tracks created by celebrities. If he listened to the music created by non-famous artists in the underground, he’d hear firsthand how much incredibly brilliant things are being created at this point in history. It’s everywhere. It doesn’t get millions of streams.
Exactly dude, I asked myself this so many times. He has a HUGE platform and always shits on music nowadays but only listens to POP bullshit that ways ALWAYS crap. Well, WHY don't YOU use your HUGE platform to promote fresh and creative artists!? He is so full of shit
You are correct. Some really talented young people out there. Easy to find on the computer. UA-cam knows exactly what I like now. And in the past.
The Black angels (Austin TX), Uncle Acid and the Dead Beats (UK), Meshuggah (Sweden), Black Emperor (Canada🍁), Dirty Honey(LA)...damn man, there's just so many great Rock bands 🎸 around that almost noone hasn't ever listened about!
the songs do get millions of streams. rick only cares if you have a billion streams.
@@byron739 I am going to have to look up Uncle Acid and the Dead Beats.
I think yours and Rick's points can exist in parallel. There can be more than one perspective on these things. It doesn't have to be "you're wrong, and i'm right". Things have gotten to how they are through super complex processes that you can never quantify. It is what it is. Make the best music you can. Give the best advice you can. Cheers!
Music isn’t getting worse; there’s just an overwhelming amount of it now due to technology and streaming. You need to know where to look.
Modern pop music is mostly terrible, but, there is always good music if you spend time digging.
@@skiptowne8533 I'm (way) over 35 so feel unqualified to speak about modern pop music. I think the future of music is absolutely A.I. and it's going to be startling and amazing.
Sometimes you dont even need to look, Spotify told me this morning on the way to work that Quicksand covered Refused's The Liberation Frequency. Suberb and delightfully human.
I was and independent artist in the mid 80's and 90's, scratched out a living, supporting a large familly. As home studio recording progressed, my goal became to make a would class album. I managed to get two releases out that sold around 25-30K and got some airplay going on about 50 stations. Recorded on and Akia 12 track. It didn't hit my world class in quality goal, but got enough of my music out there to know there was an audience. Health issues in my family shut me down. I'm finally getting back to it. Going to computer based DAW was hard for my head, but now that I've got past the learning curve, the problem is not the equipment. What an age. Now all I have to do is write great songs, get great arrangements and musicians, record and mix it right, and maybe have a chance at finding my audience. No easy task on a shoestring budget, but at least it's a possibility. Your blog was great!!
Wow! You sold over 25K independently with music you recorded on an Akai 12 track at your home studio? You are a hero! I hope you keep it up and get your new stuff out.
any links?
*Yes, I'd be curious to hear a sample.*
I grew up listening to R&B and soul music in the 70s. There were a lot of very talented Black bands back then. Not just singing groups. Bands like Earth, Wind and Fire, WAR, Ohio Players, James Brown, Kool & The Gang etc etc etc. They could really play their instruments. Now when I hear modern R&B and rap, the total lack of musical-ness is shocking. There's no real drummer, no guitar player, no keyboard player, no horns. There's just a "producer" with a computer, samples and a MIDI keyboard laying down incredibly simple music patterns or samples with absolutely no complexity for the vocalist(s) to record over. I'd be surprised if any young rap or R&B listener could name a single musician and his instrument. I know that most people here will associate the word "music" with "rock" but I think that urban music really and truly has gotten worse. Then again, I'm 65 and we old folks tend to hate new music.
I'm 54 & was in a metal band in southern California for a decade. We played the shit out of our instruments. We all had day jobs, but practiced 3 to 4 nights a week. When we went into the studio - we had the songs worked out to the point that we would cut the entire song live with a few takes. Then we'd go in, maybe fix anything that needed fixing, do guitar solos, & then have our vocalist come in to cut his tracks. If you have to rely on technology to make yourself sound better without practicing an instrument, working on your vocal cords, you shouldn't be making music. The industry needs to go back to basics.
Here's another example....DJs. Back in the day no one....I mean no one considered a DJ a real musician.....but now they do. Electronic "music" has propelled DJs to headliner status.
There's a few young producers here in ATL that I've mixed for who work with new artists. They are not only great musicians but are using full bands for the projects the produce. I recently mixed one where they used a real string section on a couple of songs.
I recently found some old 4 track reel to reel tapes I recorded in my parents basement when I was in high school. All cut live. Even though we were not great musicians the energy still blasted out from tapes that are over 40 years old.
@@kingdude1999 "The industry needs to go back to basics "..your forgot how fast the industry turned his back on you, it has always cared and will always care only about profit...
Popular music generating millions of streams is indeed worse than a few decades ago. The underground still thrives and has very creative and innovative bands/artists. Screw the music business and do it on your own terms. You no longer need to sell your soul to the big labels to release you music.
@@ericmassicotte378 I agree. The downside is that many musicians need clever producers to make the music good. That happens less nowadays. It’s the only argument they have - those that long for a return to the old days.
Yes!
Yes!! This is the THE take. I think we’re living in a golden age of music right now. There’s less at stake so people are making the exact album they want to make now.
At the same time, nobody's recording something like any of those classic albums or writing a universally meaningful song. So many options and so little relevant output. So many new artists, such a splintered audience.
Like painter Thomas Kinkade once said about (modern) art: "We have won the battle on freedom but lost the battle on relevance." True: nobody can keep you from recording whatever you want today. But also, nobody really cares.
@ this is true but it leaves room for important music to reside under the mainstream stuff. Many meaningful songs for many different people.
really how do you mean
@@dkpianist The irony of Thomas Kincaide entering a discussion of meaningful art in the modern era. 😸
@@crnkmnky Define "meaningful". If it means something to someone (probably many people), if it touches them emotionally, I'd suggest that implies some validity. Would you rather only acknowledge art that appeals to an intellectual minority?
I hear a lot of things Rick Beato isn't denying. He admited he did all those things in the past himself.
Home run Billy! I’m 79 and have been making music since I was ten. Around 15 years ago, a botched surgery took away my ability to use my keyboards, so I taught myself how to manipulate MIDI loops from music I created decades ago, as well as some Apple loops and third-party loops. As a result, my music is way different than it ever had been, but it was still my music. I’ve never stopped listening to music throughout these many years and am hooked on groups like Dirty Loops and other Fusion bands - too many to list. I’m frustrated by friends who stopped evolving musically in their 30s and 40s. But that’s just me.
Wow! I'm sorry you can't play the keyboards but it is so great that you adapted and are still making YOUR music! Keep it up!
@@codygiron7814 hell yes...thats awesome. Never stop! Very inspiring sir!
Yes. Creativity takes SPACE. Technology hasn't stolen creativity, it has taken away our empty spaces. . . and we need those to really explore our creativity.
Thats a really great line. Thanx
So well said as usual!
🤔
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume Rick needs to start producing again because now with his large subscribers base on youtube he can expose new music and market it in a whole new way and he knows more big name artists now.
He could write some jazz fusion and get top players to execute it and improvise on it and then promote it on his channel and his own guitar playing.
He could do the same with rocks songs or even do some classical quartets and have real players play it.
With the technology he can put a band together with members in remote locations playing together.
Or he could produce some young artists and put it up on his channel.
There is so much opportunity to start producing again using his youtube channel to expose new music.
I don't know why he doesn't do this. Maybe he's worried that the first thing he puts out has to be perfect.
It doesn't have to be. He could do three or more songs and not put them on his channel immediately and just pick one and put it on his channel.
Can you get in his back about this this? I've been trying but you would have greater influence.
Did you hear that old video where he re-orchestrated a Drake song? It was pretty good. He could even be working with pop artists who are
doing stuff as mainstream as on the Spotify Top Tens but just doing it better. Neo-Trap Beats with better chord progressions and guitar solos.
you could send him a beat, get him to create a keyboard and guitar part. Then get Charles Bertroud to play bass on it.
This video is a breath of fresh air, I like Rick's videos about music theory and production but when it comes to modern music he's a very grumpy man.
Nobody talks about modern music anymore, i don't ever hear kids talking about new bands, that used to be different when i grew up, everybody got excited when a new record came out and rushed to the store, there is a reason why MTV switched to reality shows, cause people got bored with music.
@StatetrooperBillyBill you spend lots of time with kids, huh?
@@andlowrider You're just in denial about the fact that nobody cares about new music anymore, it's game over my chubby boy
Rick is a charismatic speaker and a genuine lover of music. But I don't htink he is a good teacher. He just assumes too much is already known, a classic mistake of teachers who don't really understand how students think and what their shortcomings are. One of the best channels for theory is Signals Music Studio. That guy really breaks it down in understandable chunks without taking anyhting forgranted.
It’s way to get clicks…
That's some good advice about putting your phone in the other room while working on music. I often find spending too much time here on UA-cam becoming a distraction for me and preventing me from being more productive with my music. I need to manage my spare time better. Life is too short.
As you get older you start to notice time more and how little there is. Thanks for taking YOUR time to watch this and comment!
@FreakingOutWithBillyHume Absolutely! You're welcome.
you were soooo on point. I remember when people used to say STP were a copy-cat of Pearl Jam. there's a lot of unoriginal music out there now, but it was the same back then. when profit is a priority, creativity and innovation take a back seat in every industry.
The industry has been creating its own music and culture since laurel canyon in the mid 60’s, some would say it started with the Beatles, with the core genre styling by way of Tavistock and the Brill building.
Before the Beatles skiffle was a reaction to stifling popular music. Before that, great Grampa beato was complaining how now there are microphones nobody knows how to sing properly and it's all just crooners.
STP does not sound like PJ at all, and when people used to and maybe still do ,say that, they were morons
The label people have never been the geniuses they imagine themselves to be. Too much good music has been stifled or lost because of them. There is so much good recent or new music out there as the industry loses its grip.
Zappa has a great take on this in a short someplace around here: in the sixties the money people were suits who knew they had no clue, so they were "well ok, let's try this" then in the seventies the money people were hipsters with opinions about what is the next big thing. They became the gatekeepers.
That's complete BS. I used to know several of the top AR guys in the world and who signed up the worlds top bands. They got into music because of 2 things, their passion for music and a talent for picking which new local bands were going to be liked in the clubs. That's why they made to being head AR guys in companies like Capitol or Atlantic. These guys were geniuses whether you know it or not.
@@Tuscarora You get both kinds in this business. People with talent & passion, and people with more ego & greed than sense.
There was a time where label heads and A&R were often music lovers and had a background in music. By the time I got into major label work the business was filled with former lawyers and people that didn't actually know much about music, but not so much on the Urban side.
bottom line is that commercial music has always basically sucked, with notable exceptions being when jazz was the most popular form of music, and the late Beatles to the mid-1970s era of prog rock. there have been tiny exceptions in the form of bands like the Police, U2, the Black Crowes and Radiohead, plus singer songwriters like Fiona Apple and Aimee Mann. but these artists were maverick-iconoclast types who went against the grain and achieved their success despite the mainstream and its vaccuous offerings. they were the exception to the rule. to me, things really started to head downhill in the late 1970s with the advent of disco, which started off quite well only to morph quickly into an overproduced corporatized sound. the soul was gone. things really picked up speed in the 1980s when even credible acts like Aerosmith, Heart and ZZ Top got sucked up into the fame machine, producing a soulless, digitized, homogenized sound that i couldn't even describe as music. and it's only gotten worse since then. so the point is, mainstream commercial music will pretty much always be garbage. to find the good stuff, you have to dig a little deeper. it's there, it's just not playing on your local station.
I'm from Rick's era, and I've had similar experiences. Let me be clear: just because we used drum samples and quantized tracks doesn't mean Rick is wrong. When you witness great musicians in the studio, you realize they don't need any fixing. His observations about mainstream music are valid; they don't apply to indie bands playing instruments the traditional way.
Let’s not conflate this or dismiss Rick as a grumpy old man stuck in the past. He’s an important voice with real experience-one that many will never have because that part of the music business has faded away. If only people understood how incredible things were back then, how music truly unfolded, rather than relying solely on this computerized approach that everyone thinks is their shortcut to success. It’s a journey worth remembering.
You're always going to get that "grumpy old man" comment to dismiss someone that's older, even though they are right. When I hear that, I won't waste another second of my time listening to what they have to say. I don't know the young people he is around, but to say they are more innovative is B.S. To say they have a huge passion for music is the exact opposite of what I see. They don't really care and it isn't that important to them. Cookie cutter? This is the golden age of cookie cutter. At the gym I hear "young peoples" music 4 four to 5 times a week. If I'm in there for 2 hours, it might as well have been a two hour long song by the same band. A band that will disappear in a couple years. Bands used to have to develop a sound, it was different, and you knew who it was when you heard it.
And Rick is right, there was an anticipation of a new album coming out and going to the music store was a great experience. I didn't have a problem finding new music other than "What they wanted me to hear." It just took some effort. I still do that to this day. I made the effort because it mattered more. I could list 20+ new CD's I just bought by 20 different bands and I'll bet this guy, as well as young people, wouldn't know any of them. Let everyone listen to what they want, that's subjective, but to say it is more innovative...he couldn't be more wrong.
I think it's the Producers that are making this "bad" genre of music that they want to hear, and they want us to hear. It's like the movies nowadays, the Producers are making "bad" remakes instead of coming up with original movies.
I am on a number of music groups from songwriters to EDM producers and the music is crap, mediocrity is the new standard with a sprinkling of dilluision
Again for movies, you just gotta know how to look for new pieces. Just like in music.
I suggest you follow film studios like A24 and NEON, they realese good movies which are almost always unique, new, artistic, and actually good.
Just like everything, you just gotta teach yourself how to look for the right thing.
It's mostly what they and their paymasters want US to hear. Not that what passes for a ruling class these days isn't completely uncultured, too.
The comparison with the movies is very apt. The backlash there is hardening a lot. But in music opting out is easy. Just look for what you want.
Loved this video, Billy! I’ve been gravitating to your channel more and more lately. I appreciate your honesty and the push you give to remind us to stay focused and just create. It’s so easy to get distracted these days and lose sight of what really matters.
Thanks so much for watching, commenting and continued support.
I actually find it hilarious that people think there is no good music nowadays. I mean, seriously?
Obviously the top of the charts is, for whatever reason, going to suck, but there is a TON of amazing music coming out all the time today.
But that's what so many people are trying to figure out. Why does music at the top of the charts, with all the millions of dollars behind it, suck?
@@RoyalBlue43 Just thinking off the top of my head here, so my thoughts aren't going to be fully fleshed out, and may potentially be way off, but I imagine it's because the charts are the public face of the corporate machinery that is the music industry. The music labels spend money on the shit that's going to make money.
They don't have to make good, engaging music to make money, because they can grease the right palms and shovel their slop onto the radio where it will get endless plays. They make stuff that's familiar, stuff that people can sing along to, stuff that provides no mental or emotional challenge. It's low effort, but big payoff. The more their music gets played, the more money it makes for them.
Now that TikTok dances are unfortunately a thing, it's gotten even worse. Songs can be famous for literally 12 seconds worth, and can rocket to the top of the charts, generating even more money for even less cause.
Content slop, pure and simple.
A good friend of mine had their album mixed by Beato in the early 00’s. Their singer was fantastic. She had a very good range and pitch. When mixing, Beato told them she would be tuned, because “that’s the way it’s done now”. They refused, and he told them he couldn’t guarantee the mix would be pro level. And it makes me think- did that speak more to the industry, or his skills as an engineer?
Sounds more like he was entrenched in the industry back then.
@ youre probably right. I know he has issues with modern pop music, and in some ways, i think the music has suffered in place of augmented vocals taking the spotlight. But there are great places all over the find great music. I totally feel the technology has opened so many door for talented kids who might otherwise never take that step into the creative space. Has pop music become less interesting? Yeah, i think so. Much of it sounds a lot like Stock music with different singers over the top of a 2-3 chord soundbed with no changes. But, isn’t the three chord structure what pop music has always been? I’ve found awesome music via tiktok, Spotify, and other mediums. And, technology has given me the gift of releasing my own music into my 50’s. Im two albums and a few singles in since 2023, and i credit the ability to learn, create, and mix to technology. The community. The support I’ve gotten from youtube channels like Spectresoundstudios’ mix reviews . All of it has given me the confidence to move from being the ‘old guy’ looking for a band to help me get “signed” to a home recording musician who only needs his skills and a laptop. That’s freedom
@@allendean9807 agreed on the democratization of high quality music recording and distribution being a great thing, overall.
No, pop music wasn't always this bland. Look at people like Whitney Houston, Madonna, Mariah Carey. Heck, there was more variety in Britney Spears' first album compared to the "stock music pop" of today.
Let's not forget Ace of Base, the Spice Girls and TLC. They were stand outs!
When you heard Mariah come on the radio, you knew it was her. The singers these days like Tove Lo, Dua Lipa, Sia, Ava Max and Sabrina Carpenter all sound pretty much the same.
I’d have to listen to the before and after results to make up my mind on what you are saying
Industry. I did plenty of things with him where we didn't tune the vocals. It would've depended on the genre too.
It's very simple: the music industry died. So, now we mostly have hobbyist and corporate shills because real artists can't get paid. Sure, a band might release a few good songs, but don't expect anything more to come from it. The live music scene has also died because, like you mentioned, people aren't as interested in music, because there are other forms of media including AI generated content so easily available. I listen to a lot of music, but the quality just isn't there. Before, the music industry or live music venues could launch a real artist (e.g. john lennon or kurt cobain) out of the underground. Now the real artists are drowned out by people who can afford to fund their hobby, which excludes most of the artists who are worth listening to.
Yep. The Horde Of Hobbyists.
@@biner01 eh...music lives, creativity lives, live music national and local still lives, bands and artists self releasing or starting labels is a huge improvement over the music "industry"...like Alan Jourgenson of Ministry said a couple or few years ago "music and industry have no business being said together in the same breath", or something a kin to that. Corporate music still sux...or at least the idea of coperate hijacked, co-opted and commodified art does. Many "real" artists are still "launched", maybe not to rock icon status or stadium live show level, or national phenom...but was that all that great anyway. Usually they would just become slaves or sell outs, or watered down versions of them selves. Or because the pressure of that living legend shit go the way of Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, etc or get killed off like Prince or others (?) 4 questioning or rocking the "industry" boat a bit too hard. As far as the hobbyists etc, it's kinda like a fellow sound and video guy I worked with said, "just cause you watch TV, doesn't mean you can make tv"....or sub in radio, art, or any creative media in there. Yet, that also doesn't mean that a hobbyist, part time musician, or any variation on that can't be awesome and make good stuff either...especially since the equipment to record and even instruments and gear are much more affordable and you don't need a studio or corporate label etc to put shit out. And none of those people cause an exclusionary effect on larger bands or any level band or artist, their stuff is still out there too, or released, or toured etc.
No sympathy for the record industry, or that of old at least...die please, haha. Great sentiment and it was a great indie label back in the day, before and during mass commodification of alt and indie music (No Sympathy for the Record Industry)
@jlande6 No one said music is dead. All I said is the quality is way lower than in the recent past. And, na, hobbyists release ok music at best, regardless of their skill level.
@@biner01 yeah I know no one said that...was just driving in a point. As far as quality is way lower, think that's a judgement call, and a bit short sighted though in my opinion...take a band like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, I mean F'n A, listen to their early stuff 10 plus years ago then go listen to Crumbling Castle or other new tunes from them, it's like King Crimson, Gong, Can, and Hawkwind times 10 on a neo speedball and acid trip dream fantasy of some 170 + IQ genius. Totally crazy complex stuff, coming up with new tunings and working within their own scope with that and various other components, far too much to go into a lot of details I don't know. Or listen to Brian Jonestown Massacre over the last several years...I saw them last in 2016 and they played for 3.5 hrs almost straight, the last 45 min to an hr was this crazy continuous set of fusion of rock n roll, krautrock, and space rock. 8 or 9 people playing in such tight synch it was phenomenal, I mean it's hard enough to get a 4 or 5 piece in great synch live. Buddy of mine saw them last year and was much of the same, atleast kicknass wise but different set and new songs too. Or bands like God Speed You Black Emporer and their new material. Or singer song writers like Lana Del Rey, amazing mix of styles that she totally makes into her own, an amazing voice, and a fantastic writer. Another couple in that vein Ethel Cain and Chelsea Wolfe. Or most of the Psych,Fuzz, VAR Metal etc coming out of Europe and Australia, just check out the channel here on youtube Stoned Meadow of Doom (SMOD). Or hip hop/rap groups like Run the Jewels, MF Doom, and several others can't think of right now. Or new goth rock and or cold/dark wave like Lathe of Heaven, Twin Tribes, Drab Majesty, Neon, Vulture Industries. Or new releases from older bands like High on Fire, The Cure, A-Ha, Nurse with Wound, Clutch, Light Bright Highway, JD Pinkus (Post Butthole Surfers), any release from the Flaming Lips over last decade, Tool, Elder, Mono, Mogwai, Brian Eno, Slowdive, The Black Angels, Ministry, the Cosmic Dead, the Osees, Sigurd Ros, Harvest Man (post Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot), Dirty Three, Weedeater, Still Corners, etc etc etc.
Or newer bands like Giant Dwarfs and Black Holes, Psychlona, Young Hunter, Grundig, Julie,Whirr, Slift, Moon Hooch, Espirit D'Air, Blind Horse, Sacred Buzz, Skelephant, Clarence. That's just a sampling and top of the crop, or top of my head right now, ha ha. All levels of bands and artists, signed, unsigned, self released, touring, streaming, vinyl/cds/cassettes, big labels, small labels, "hobbyists" (ie. Part time musicians, or musicians cause they love it and have to create, and whether they make a dime or a dime bag, ha, but have to work shit jobs etc cause thats just this shit world...or this shit capitalist corporate country). So there you go...go check some stuff out if ya doubt my word or opinion on it, but it's good if not great stuff....Definitely at least equaling and or surpassing at times bands and artists from any previous decade. Plus there is more music and more bands now than ever in history, plus all the old stuff and many older bands still putting out new innovative and interesting good stuff or at the least equaling past releases. So there ya go...quality is a check, haha...check check, mic check, anyone listening....you should be. Seek don't destroy...
@@biner01 just wondering....do you make music?
Rick is a smart, educated man. Rick has a long list of accomplishments, and a lot of life experiences. I enjoy his insights with music theory.
But... Rick is definitely in the Old Man Yells At Clouds space, when it comes to his takes on the music of the day. "Kids these days..."
But historically there was such a thing as the _dark (middle) ages._
Generations of kids _can_ find themselves to be productive but rudderless, generating nothing of influence nor longevity.
As ever kindly strangers probably encouraged them with cliches to the effect of "Whoa dude you've got some talent."
@@georgemeller4074 in my day...we used to walk miles with no shoes in the snow cause we ouldnt aftord shoes cause we spent our hard earned dollars on over priced corporate media...and we liked it! Bahahahaha
Oh man. Yeah. It’s not the tech. It’s always how it’s used. I’ve been part of music tech for like 30 years. Thank you so much for this.
Thanks! There was a time when an analog 24 track was considered cheating. And I'm old enough to remember some people talking crap about SSL consoles (mixers).
Well said, my friend. I'm a hobbyist and front an original metal band of fellow older gents. Nonetheless, I enjoy creating with other seasoned musicians. I appreciate the creative process and performing live. It ain't about the money at this stage of life. It's all about the art and camaraderie
That's awesome! I miss playing live. Wish I could do it more. Keep on playing my friend!
This seems pretty on point. Musicians also have to wear multiple hats these days and be their own marketers, business leaders, producers and studio engineers. I've been wondering if this multi-tasking detracts from overall time spent writing music and practicing an instrument (which also compounds with the distraction of the smartphone). However, it seems like if musicians are disciplined these days, they can leverage the technology to do everything themselves without sacrificing integrity and bending to the whims of a record company.
I'm a 66 year old drum teacher. Sure I love the seventies music I grew up with, but there are plenty of newer artists that I love just as much. I hate when people my age say there is no good music anymore. It's so much easier to find now. All you have to do is look for it. A few of my favorites are Larkin Poe, Thea Gilmore, Beth Hart, Kasey Chambers, Margo Price, The Pretty Reckless, Amy Macdonald, First Aid Kit, Lydia Loveless and The Wolff Sisters.
Any dude’s singing you like? I only like two on your list and they’re not on my concert bucket list. To each their own obviously. I like more variety and even instrumental
Larkin Poe.... amazing!
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume The new Larkin Poe album, Bloom will be released the end of January. The first 3 songs are out now. Sounds like it will be another great album from them.
Who better than one of Rick's own peers and "industry insiders" to provide the YT community with a much needed alternate point of view to some of the challenges we face within the industry? The Beatles are a great example to the point you are making. Had they not had the courage to embrace the technological advancements of their era - reel to reel manipulation, early sampling, tape saturation, to name a few - the music landscape as we know it would probably look a lot different today. All this to say, great video! Cheers!
Thanks! Great point! The reason the Beatles were able to push the limits of recording was because they were the damn Beatles AND also because they worked off hours so none of the old school engineers were around to tell them no and the people that stayed to work those sessions were younger and not indoctrinated in the traditional way of recording. Plus, George Martin (producer) was always willing to try new things and take input from the band.
Amen brother. Been doing this since the late 60s - both behind and in front of the desk in analog to digital studios; and I am grateful for the digital age. You still have to do the work to turn out good music, but the possibilities are virtually endless now. Cheers!
I'M A CRATE DIGGER, SO BEING INTO VINYL I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OLD OR JUST INTERESTING MUSIC. IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE OLDER MUSIC, IT JUST HAS TO BE CREATIVE AND INTERESTING. TODAY'S MUSIC DOESN'T HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE ON THE MAINSTREAM THAT BRING THAT SOUND. BUT THERE ARE ARTISTS THAT ARE PUTTING AND PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GENRES.
Billy, I've really been enjoying your channel and thanks for this down to earth take! I'm in my 50's but incredibly grateful for the advances in music technology that allow any of us the ability to create and put our music out there. Those who are against the democratization of the music industry and say that it's watered down the talent out there are usually the ones who are just pissed they aren't making as much money as they used to. If people in the music industry from 50 years ago had access to the tools we have today (especially in the digital domain), they would have absolutely used them! I have an incredible amount of respect and admiration for a lot of engineers, producers, and musicians who have dedicated their lives to music creation, but the reality is that great music can be and has been produced in a bedroom studio. I'm constantly inspired by the quality of music I hear currently being released, especially by younger artists.
Well, I too am pissed off that I'm not making as much money as I used to. At one point my income dropped 80% in 2 years as the internet exploded and CD sales dropped. Had the music industry continued as it had been going I'd be a very rich man now. But hey, it's not anyone else's fault but mine for being to stupid and stubborn to quit music so here I am. Yet I am more inspired now than I have been since the late 90's and I still have my dreams.
Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the discussion!
Great episode. I love that Rick talks to all of these big-name artists but I think it would be a great turn if he brought on up-and-coming bands of all new (and old) genres.
Thank you for this video. I remember how it was difficult to find anything interesting on radio or TV. And now with Spotify I'm finding so many new and interesting songs. I think there are much more interesting music which is easily to access now.
And thank you for the last take about phones and distraction. It's probably why many people are so irritated now, not only in music industry.
Thanks you!! I have been finding some good new music on Instagram but only late at night. Not sure why. During the daytime the algorithm shows me crap.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume I've never thought of instagram as a source for new music. Did you find it in reels?
And interesting observation about the algorithm!
Absolute truth, Billy. My brother-in-law was a high level music programmer for CBS radio in those days. We worked at trying to get my Wife a staff writer's job in Nashville at the height of the Garth Brooks era. Labels, radio, and publishers were all about "the formula" and they were absolute "gatekeepers". And, don't even get me started about the "good old boy" network in Nash-Vegas! Great video, as always!
Oh! Nashville was and still is the worst for killing innovation. I sat on the Recording Academy board for 2 years and was disgusted at some of the other people that were there, particularly a radio promoter who I know funneled money to radio station programmers. All this person did was bitch. Too many people sitting on that board didn't even create music. I let my membership expire.
spot on. there were advantages in the old way such as radio, music tv, record deals, and so forth but the music industry is broke but technology has made our ability to achieve goals a ton easier and practically a lot more affordable. DAWs are way more efficient and affordable than tape, and tape machines, I can now own 20 1176s called plugins. I don't need a record deal to get my music heard. I got sound cloud and reverb nation. I mean you hit a ton of great points
Thanks! Great points. And thanks for watching and commenting!
Great video! Subscribed. A lot of folk are embittered by the fact that it's less expensive and easier to make music today due to the advances in technology. It's very much akin to ex athletes who bemoan the stars of today who are enjoying better deals, salaries, endorsements and so on. Ultimately, I do believe creativity will always be the deciding factor when it comes to industry success. Fortunately today, there are less barriers to entry and fewer gatekeepers at grass roots level. Thank you.
Thanks! I too am embittered but that has more to do with the business side and being older. We must adapt or die.
Thanks for the Sub and commenting!
Cogently argued! Yes, technology means that I can write in any style I want and record my own music without a recording studio or record company, release it for the whole world to hear and collect performance royalties, such as they are. And hear the music of similar music enthusiasts all over the world. Complete creative freedom!
Agreed. Imagine wanting to go back to recording studios being an aloof out of touch thing believing it will deliver us better music to listen to. It was awful. I was there.
I extract far more joy out of creating music in my own home studio than I ever did listening to an album.
I never liked working in professional recording studios except in a few cases. A good home studio is the best.
As a parent I encourage young people to try whatever they want to do.
Be creative, use the technology and do what serves to realise the ideas you have in your mind. That’s the work of an Artist.
Great video !!!
Exactly!!!! What's funny is that the majority of hit songs I worked on were done in the spirit of "Let's have some fun" or "I did what the label said I should do and it failed, this time I'm doing what I want".
I wish Beato would have top ten good songs this month instead of "here are the shitty pop tracks I forced myself to listen to."
Well that is a good idea!
Find me 10 good new songs this year
@@WalterWhite-h8f Honestly, if you make an attempt to look, there are easily 10 utterly amazing songs in any given year. It does require some effort to get out of your comfort zone and go looking though.
A reluctant _relatively_ good songs 🥴
@@WalterWhite-h8f This rarely works. If I showed someone my 2024 top ten songs they'd probably think i've lost my mind. The songs have to find you.
I agree with much said here, but we have at least 2 generation of music consumers who don't listen to music for the sake of listening to music. Its just a soundtrack for their daily tasks.
The REAL reason, the technology allows bands "that aren't that good" to be in the industry.
And the other reason is if you take the money out of it, you reduce the quality of artists that are willing to work in that sphere. The fact that the only specific example of new music you mention is from anime/games ie. where the money is perfectly exemplifies the problem.
On-point comment
Anyone who thinks music is getting worse doesn't really have a goddamn clue about how to find good music. Or rather, where to find the kind of music you like. Same goes for movies. In the history of recorded music, there always has been and always will be good and bad..which if we're really being honest is completely a subjective thing. Its kind if pompous to think any art is good or bad. The value of any art is based on the effect it has on the viewer/ listener. So what I'm saying is, right now is the best and worst time for music, depending on your particluar taste.
Bravo! Thank you Billy! I also really respect some of Rick's content and thoughts, but I have been completely at odds with his opinions on modern music. Really really appreciate you chiming in and completely agree with your take. Liked and subbed.
Thanks so much!!
Well said. I come from the 80's recording era of tape and dolby noise reduction. Working in the box now, I can't even imagine going back to those old ways of recording. Rick makes amazing videos and his interviews are second to none. There are points of Rick's I agree with. New "songwriters" releasing complete Suno or Udio "recordings" is one example. But I've used Suno to create a vocal track of my lyrics and it turned out quite good. So it is what it is. I agree with you, Billy: the tech has enabled some amazing music lately. It's just also allowed many hobbyists to play the game. Great video. I'm subscribed.
Thanks so much!
I was always a DBX noise reduction guy. Did you ever try recording something trough the noise reduction but playing it back without going back through it? It's a crazy cool sound in certain cases. I have thought that I heard that on some Paul McCartney and Wings records. I tried it but could never get that explosive sound.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume Absolutely! We used to do that with Dolby A encoding (but not decoding) in the studio, especially on backing vocals. Dolby Stretch it was called, IIRC. Our studio had probably dozens of Dolby A rackmount modules but by the mid 80s, we never used them for their intended purpose. Now, for a bit of fun and an experiment I tried a similar thing with dbx on an old Yamaha cassette 4-track maybe 15 years later (after the studio was sold to SAE, I took redundancy and changed career for a bit :D) and I did find the tape noise quite bad, but I'm sure with the right recording chain and the right part, it could be done without too much pain. And Dolby is no doubt better for this than dbx as it's only on the high frequencies. Maybe a gate for the hiss in between phrases?
I still do a similar trick with ITB multiband expansion. Something like the Fabfilter eq can do a pretty good job of it, with it's dynamic feature. Just set it to boost the high end when it's gets a high enough signal and it can sound darn close to Dolby Stretch. Certainly in a mix.
This is an amazing video. People take music for granted these days because I’ve seen plenty of great artists, bands, singer and composers. What has changed is how the music gets out. I don’t release much music on UA-cam because of its algorithm. When I record, I shut off my phone.
Yesssss!! I too am cautiously optimistic!! The amount of Music being made today by great musicians is up. There is just so much more to sift thru.
Good luck to everyone out there that continues to push.
This is what i would call an asynchronous discussion with substantial take away for everyone. Thanks to both of you 👍🏼
Tons of great music out today from young artists. Old Rick yells at cloud!
Rick is speaking from position of a songwriter, sound engineer. Too many younger guys spend a lot more time searching for that ultimate plugin or preamp instead of practicing their craft.
He's speaking from the position of a youtuber with a shit to sell.
I'd say he's speaking from the position of a music theory enthusiast, teacher, producer and jazz lover. Songwriter... engineer... not so much.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume I think you are right, although i believe he presented himself as a songwriter. May i ask what do you think about people starting up as sound engineers spending way too much time fiddling with plugins and hardware? There is always some room for improvement, but not before a person has enough basic skills like gain staging. Maybe i'm meeting too many because my job is making pro audio gear like compressors, preamps, DIs, various custom things clients can't buy, fixing issues like ground loops in larger systems and similar.
Amen. This is the video that needs to be watched. Much more on the mark.
I absolutely respect R. Beato and I'm thankful for all the great content he puts out BUT: Being a 61 year old musician/songwriter myself, you'll eventually lose touch with contemporary music. It has zero to do with the "stretchability" of ones ears but more with the aesthetics you can't wrap your head around anymore. E.g. my songs mostly have a form or arc that is inspired by the music I loved and listened to when I was in my 20ies. I don't like autotune as a form of artistic expression, but I use it to correct tiny glitches. Like myself, Rick loves intriguing harmony. While some artists still write beautiful chords and melodies, we're basically living in a (Pop) world of limitless sound design and 4-chord songs. Well, I reckon we're not in Kansas anymore.
No, we are NOT in Kansas anymore.
Thanks for watching and your comments. I love hearing from other old timers like me. Rock on!
There is no reason to respect Rick Beato.
@@whatilearnttoday5295 I respect everyone who helps to spread art and music.
Given that smaller bands need to play live to make any kind of money, they do still need to be able to play at a decent level, or they'd be found out as soon as they went on stage. There'd be little point 'cheating' if they can't back it up. I do actually think there's a lot of great new music out there, even if I find I have to look towards East Asia to find it. Japan is particular has a great underground scene. The problem these days is that there is so much out there, that without some kind of curation, it is hard to find the good stuff.
My kids listen to a lot of music coming out of Japan.
Nicely done.
Always good to hear a valid objection.
I look forward to both of you sitting down for a video and discussing this further.😊
As a beginner to guitar and someone that has been learning production (especially with synthesizers, samples, and even sound designing my own drums) for around a year and four months i think, I highly value your video here! It's refreshing to see someone from the older generation that still has an open mind to new music. My love for music in general came from experimental electronic music artists like Aphex Twin, Autechre, a lot of artists from Warp Records lol, and some Nine Inch Nails. There have been so many artists and producers out there pushing and breaking boundaries these days like Oneohtrix Point Never (who has produced for The Weeknd), A. G. Cook, SOPHIE (RIP), Bon Iver, Flume, Danny Brown, JPEGMAFIA, I could go on. And they all use technology to do this. Especially with more boundary pushing subgenres like hyperpop being more relevant, innovation isnt going anywhere.
All of the people I listed above are artists that would close to never have a top 40 and DEFINITELY NOT a top 10 hit, but are making music that is like a breath of fresh air compared to much of what is popular. Technology like autotune, quantization, sampling, etc. is not the problem. YOU ARE, if you dont find a way to push it further and use it artistically. YOU have all the power to break boundaries with whatever tool or instrument you use. Id certainly rather would be making sounds the average human would call "noise" but that I like, rather than spending years of my life trying to fit some sort of industry standard and being unhappy because of it.
Anyways, great video Billy! The young generation like me appreciates people like you. The human race will continue to innovate and create music with technology through the young generations.
All that being said, practicing physical tangible instruments like guitar, drums, and keyboards is still worth it tho xD
Thanks so much. Great to hear that you're learning to play. Never stop!
I think you're right that Rick tends to compare the best of past output with the average of current output. We all do that, of course; it's how life works and it's how history works.
I kind of agree with Rick that we're hearing way too much grid now, just as I agree with you that we used to hear too much genre, but just as we're well into a reaction against genre there's a _lot_ of, for example, microtonal music around now-which goes through that pitch grid and comes out the other side, with entire new grids to explore.
Every era has things that suck, and they set the stage for future exploration, because it's the nature of art to challenge rules.
As to the economics of art-the more we learn how to automate, the more of us will be artists (and of course, most of us-I include myself-will be bad artists, because that's how statistics work. To keep bread on the table, we're going to _need_ UBI, because in the future, only those who are really, _really_ driven are going to have jobs at all. In any field at all.
Then compare MADONNA to Lady Gaga, or Michael Jackson to Chris Brown, the Artist of now have hit a brickwall nothing really new anymore, Jimmy Hendricks invented things about the Guitar, I can mention so many new things that people then invented or brought to life, their are geniuses today that can sill find new and innotive ways to still shine, but time is coning for that.
The Algo is favoring some and ignoring some, in a world where what makes a video or song popular is rarely its uality but algo, this has views so it must be nice, this person has millions subs, so I will watch his videos.
Just this same video, I see Rick Beato photo in the thumbnail and you clicked, while this video disagrees with the good points of Rick.
The tech is one BIG reason, believe it or not.
A soulless thing such as algo that bring great music to the surface.
@@theministryofsound7448 I'm a little confused-what's the point about Madonna and Lady Gaga? I have to admit that if I were dividing music into periods-rather than talking about individual style-I might have put them in the same bucket. But perhaps they're just not who I listen to.
I do have to agree that technology changes what we listen to. I hear more African and Asian music than I used to, certainly, and less music that's made within walking distance, or that's the output of the biggest of Big Music.
And you're right that I ended up here through Rick-Rick's position was pretty contentious and I'm genuinely interested to know how others in the industry feel on this point. But in fact I think I originally found Rick because Adam Neely was disagreeing with him about basically the same point. And I found Adam Neely _because_ interesting things are happening in music theory, today.
So … yeah. We'll understand what happened recently a bit better in a decade, when the dust settles, I'm sure.
I think it's because there is less money in the system since the end of physical media. Only the most successful artists make anything now. Venue owners too killed live music, as they found they made more money pushing gambling machines etc.
Spot on.
and pushing for cover bands instead of original artists.
"Video killed the radio star", I think it's still one of the reasons, if not the main reason. The cult of the image, the need for fame (greatly encouraged by the business). Social medias have made these things even worse. Whether mainstream or "underground", it's affecting creativity and authenticity. Too many artists with wrong motivations. It's not as much about passion for making music, but more about "look at me", or "buy me". People want tools that make them spend less time on creating music, so they can spend more time promoting themselves.
I did a video about that one: ua-cam.com/video/TNhok203fLM/v-deo.htmlsi=Ci7d2dtR5pRziHRA
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume Very interesting video, thanks. And it's a great song too. "Plastic age" was perhaps even better. The album was really good. Clever pop, great production.
I could go into the reality or realism, but as someone who started recording music in 1978, with tape recorders, I love the abilities that I have now with Logic Pro. That’s how it works.
I started a couple of years before that and I can't tell you how much I was eager to move on to digital, especially In-The-Box. I LOVED tape compression but hated aligning the machines, the cost of the reels and how you high end would slowly go away on reels for projects that took a long time (even with head demagnetizing and slave reels) AND how sometimes different tracks would sound different from each other. I could go on......
A very good rebuttal to Rick's video. I've subscribed to your channel, as you have pointed out a lot of things that I, too, have noticed in working with artists 30 to 40 years younger than me; creativity has not been lost.
Rick is looking at the past with Rosetinted glasses and only remembers all the good stuff from the past.
I think we all do that.
Yep. That’s so easy to do. Every year and decade has plenty of stinkers amongst the authentic, masterful cult hits.
I love this guy! Thank you algorithm Gods! Peace from Detroit MI.
Thank you!
I grew up on metal/rock and hip-hop and there are good artists out there. I do think we are living in a time when it’s like less than 10% of them are really good though. It does feel like both in metal and hip-hop that it’s just over saturated . Because anyone can put music on the Internet now it’s not like the old days where you didn’t get your music put out to the public unless you were decent.
Back in the day if you were terrible, you weren’t going to get a deal so you weren’t going to make an album now anybody can make an album .
I think another reason why because if you look at teenagers and people in their early 20s today that generation really doesn’t love music like older generations did. They really don’t have like a dozen artist that they really love and buy all their albums and buy the T-shirts and posters. Most of the young guys on my crew just have a Spotify playlist and if they hear a song they like they just added, but they don’t even know anything about the artist or any of the other songs.
To my generation when an artist that me and my friends listen to put out a new album, it was a trip to the mall and we all went and bought a physical copy of the album and then we knew there was going to be a tour coming and we couldn’t wait to go to the tour . This generation doesn’t really love music like that. It’s just something to have on the background. so I think there were people that are making music for the money and fame but I don’t think a lot of them actually love the music like we did
My kids buy more band/artist merch and CDs than I ever did.
I remember hearing a lot of pop and rock music back in the 90s and I can tell you that a lot of the older music we cherish and revere today as staples of their genres were supremely annoying and overplayed on the radio back then.
The thing about the distinct genres struck a chord with me though. The genres were more narrowly defined back then for sure. While that can be a bad thing for some, I think a big problem I have with todays music, particularly anything that isnt top40, is that artists are all over the place.... so much so that they dont really establish a distinct identity or style. Its too experimental and abstract to be relatable, especially when you get into harder music like rock, alt rock, metal etc. At the same time, the OPPOSITE is true of top40 artists like a certain female country artist and all the trap and hip hop stuff.
I think rock and indy artists need focus and purpose. It almost feels like they are self censoring and not taking any risks by sticking to weird abstract vibey music. We can't all be Radiohead. We need some Tom Petty or Gordon Lightfoot. Tell a story or take a stand. Also don't take yourself too seriously either... so much trustfund americana out there.
Just my 2cents.
Great point! Maybe it has something to do with focusing on singles instead of album cuts and having any kind of theme to an album. I hadn't thought about that....
You are right. Can't believe you're voicing what I deduced a while back. Don't watch him anymore as it's become stale. I think pandering to the channel's audience is why. Ironic, eh?
I don't like that he doesn't help unsigned artists with his platform. He's become one of them now (gatekeeper).
this is very true, there is SO much AMAZING music being made right now, and much of that is thanks to the availability of tech for recording and also for learning - it’s just tends not to be on the top of the charts anymore. mainstream music has fallen into the toilet, and it’s very hard to make a living for everyone else.
20 years ago despite being in bands myself, i didn’t like going out to shows much because most of the local bands were just boring and dull. now if i go hang out at a cool music bar, all the waitresses and bartenders are in incredible bands and their shows are all worth seeing. huge improvement thanks to tech, just an economic disasters thanks to the current distribution and profit models.
I don't think Rick is missing the mark, but he is talking primarily about mainstream music and he does make valid points in that regard. I was music director at a college radio station, and there were tons of awesome & original music sent to us each week that didn't make it on the air simply because we did have a playlist, and it was physically impossible to play everything, no matter how good it was. There was only so much room. That has always been the case and it always will be.
I’m with you entirely on this one. It’s also worth noting that “technology” is usually used to describe anything new. At one point the piano was new tech. Electric guitars were a huge tech innovation. Pedals? Huge deal, and also new technology.
What is different today is distribution. And finally, the industry is in a pretty bad place, controlled by a very small number of people with all money flowing to them, but that’s also been the case for a very long time. I hope that last point changes soon.
The problem is not technology; it's the rut that's caused by following manuals/tutorials and formula. This happens with every technology for a while; innovation gives way to stagnation, then people innovate again. Every rock/rockabilly song had the same reverb from Sun Records bathroom, every ballad in the 80's used the same exact patch on the DX7, every pop-rock song used the same exact gated reverb for drums, every dance song used a 4/4 on a Roland drum machine --all until someone got ideas that overturned the orthodoxy. It's perpetual.
@@dxtxzbunchanumbers There has always been innovative and interesting music from every era. The rut you’re talking about comes once that specific tech has settled. My main concern with Beato’s take is that he’s looking in all the wrong places for the good new stuff.
I was with you right up until the bit about music being free and royalties going down. If musicians were able to generate a modest income from music that they produce it would allow them more time to perfect their craft. More Proficiency in music what generate more diverse and creative works. There will always be virtuosos. It is the nature of humans that there are statistical anomalies the generate unique talents. But the ground floor of General musicianship has gone down greatly because people can't afford to be good when it is cheaper to edit something to make it acceptable.
Well that is true. My income dropped 80% in 2 years - a big part of that being how my royalties disappeared. But, back in the 'old days' about the only way to make money from music was by being in a cover band playing at bars. Very very few people got record deals and most of the few that did only ever saw the advance money because they either got dropped or were subject to the terrible structure of record deals. Today a music artist has more possibilities and ways to push their careers forward. Back then it was - record deal or publishing deal or cover band.
I also think that one of the reasons less young people take up playing instruments is because the new video games are so damn good and immersive and also incorporate a social aspect - they are playing with other people online. back in the day jamming with your buddies was a thing to do partly because there wasn't anything more interesting to do.
@FreakingOutWithBillyHume social behaviors that humans are drawn to will constantly recreate themselves in different ways. I do think that playing music with your friends was absolutely a social activity as much as it was creative. Just like riding dirt bikes or skateboards is both athletic and social. There's probably less group dirt dirt biking and skateboarding then there would be if there weren't online video gaming.
I do think that video game creation and programming is a modern parallel to music composition and songwriting. This is probably the old and out of touch part of me but I generally don't think video gaming generates much in the way of useful skills.
When it comes to being in a cover band as the only viable way to make an income playing music, I think of it as a farm team. Someone can go and play covers, become good at operating their instrument and afford to buy reliable equipment. They also learn how to put on a show. If they have greater Ambitions they can take those assets and those skills and make their own creative works.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume On the video games you defenitly agree witch Rick 😉.
@@lmrecordersI don't mean any disrespect, but yes, this is the old and out of touch part of you saying that video games don't generate any useful skills. Not to mention how inspiring they can be for starting one's own creative journey in multiple fields, including composing/sound design.
@aimee9478 specifically, operating a game controller has a near zero life skill development activity. Becoming a sound designer is a subsidiary inspiration that a game controller does not meaningfully play a role in.
I agree with everything in Rick's video. I also agree with everything you say; and feel that what you say is less obvious. A third very important point is that the industry used to allow great artists to rise to the top. Now the big stars ARE pretty crappy. Sadly. But there are so many wonderful musicians today. I pray often that great talent in every field can get paid. Thanks so much for this insightful and heartfelt, positive video. 😊
Thanks! I don't actually disagree with Rick, I was adding my view point as usual.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Get it done! I make backing tracks that I use with my duo for live performance. Steady gig these days is a restaurant where we set up in front of the small bar area. That's how it is in my part of the world nowadays - no real stage to set up, play for tips. So I record my tracks with plugins from Toontracks (EZ Drummer and sometimes EZ Keys), and Native Instruments. I write out most of the keyboard, horns, and strings in MuseScore and export the midi parts. I record my bass DI'd into the DAW. It's usually a 2-3 day process before I render the backing track. It's actually fun and keeps my chops up. Thanks.
That's awesome! I have been playing guitar on some gigs with one of the artists I've been producing The Tokyo Teens - very 80's sounding (or Goth as they call it today). For practical reasons we use the tracks from the recordings minus what we play live and go out and gig. Would prefer to have a good drummer but between expenses, room in the van, rehearsal and... well.... drummers..... this works best for us right now since we have been playing small rooms. We do what we can to do what we want to do.
Competing with a hoard of hobbyists is probably the hardest part! A pro-guitarist friend of mine said he envied me for the sole reason that I can make anything I like and release it, where he has to consider other people's opinions and needs. Me? I make the sh1t I love and to hell with everyone else :) Hopefully I'm making something worth listening to, but it's fulfilling to me, and that I think is the whole point of making music.
I use an Alesis D4 with some Pearl pads from the 90s. But a lot of times I will just pull a beat off my Yamaha E403 and add fills and smashes to make it sound imperfect using the D4. I like how new music is a hodgepodge of different styles. 80s and 90s was synth pop and hair bands then grunge in which everyone sang like Eddie Vedder, or played heavy music that didn't sound nearly as good as Black Sabbath in the 70s. Or even Kiss in the 70s, for that matter.
Your Pearl pads still work? That's awesome! Thanks for watching and commenting.
Personally, I'm a huge fan of the genre-breaking freedom of the modern music era, which you pointed out, really wasn't viable back in the day.
Oh man... that has always been my thing. Back when I was doing work for labels there was so much push back from any little thing that strayed from the established sound of whatever genre I was working in.
In the early 80s we hadn’t even heard of “genre” yet. Genre is marketing baloney.
@@Roikat I honestly agree, but that's the landscape that was carved out for us over the last 4 decades.
It would be nice to get a 1 to 2 hour round table discussion on this topic. With Rick being there of course
Rick has said enough
I find new bands and artists to listen to all the time and some of the most amazing music is being made right now. Kudos on your video, huge thumbs up from me!
Thanks!
I agree that Rick could do some research and find current artists who are great instead of complaining about the top ten playlist.
But there are at least two things Rick is right about…..
I am going to have to agree with Rick that most top 40 mainstream pop stuff does not have the same organic quality of the songs being produced 30 - 40 years ago. Most of today’s hits sound more robotic and computerized.
And I also agree that much of today’s music is stuck using the same chord progressions and lack of creative harmony.
Mr. Hume, I really respect your and Rick's generation of engineers/producers, which I consider a transition from true analog days of the 1950s-1980s into digital recording. Michael Wagener's work in the 1980s was a big influence on me, and today producers like Fredrik Nordstrom (who got his start in the early 1990s in Gothenburg, Sweden) continue to influence me in the heavy metal genre.
I started playing guitar in 1996 when I was 16 and later attended GIT in Los Angeles from 1999-2000. I remember purchasing a TASCAM MK-II 8 track cassette recorder as a teen while also dabbling in unreliable computer recording via Windows ME (BSODs) and Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 circa 2000. I was exposed to Cakewalk mainly via Doug Marks's "Metal Method" guitar instructional videos which were popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
As a halfway step between analog and digital recording and thus a sign of the times, I also remember those portable integrated hard disk/mixing desk devices sold in Musician's Friend and Guitar Center catalogs. These devices were trying to take the old Tascam and Fostex machines and make them digital, but the editing could often be complex and cumbersome due to small LCD screens and nested menus.
As a result, analog recording was often expensive and imprecise due to a lack of ideal recording spaces and gear. Digital recording was cost prohibitive due to the expense of hardware and software. Both methods also had steep learning curves that only occasionally shared overlapping knowledge. Expensive tech rapidly became obsolete, which defeated the purpose of owning it.
As a result, I often feel like I started too late for the old generation of analog musicians but I was too early for the modern generation of streaming artists that gained popularity around 2010 or so. The increasing use of AI and search algorithm optimization will only take us further into yet another generation of producers, engineers, and musicians.
If I have any concerns, it is about your main point.
*Yes, creating music now is less work and more creative than ever, but there is also an oversupply of music due to ease of production and distribution, which makes music difficult to monetize. This difficulty of monetization destroys increased technological creativity and creates homogenization because everyone wants in on a great, profitable idea. Often this creates a race to the bottom in terms of complexity. This is an audience, demand-driven problem. As an example, while you may find jazz fusion on the radio for casual listeners in Europe, you probably won't in North America. Modern audiences still aren't into atonal music, mirror chords, polychords/polyrhythms, quartertone music, 12 tone rows, and other theoretical innovations that composers experimented with as long ago as the early 1900s.*
So, if there's a lack of creativity, it's probably due to a lack of audiences' imagination and their lack of desire to pay for creativity. They still like I IV V pop songs.
So, at the end of the day, the amount of work it takes to make music isn't really the point (although that increased work often justified more people being involved in the production/distribution process and thus monetization).
*Rather, the difficulty of monetizing music so it can be reinvested into future music is the point.*
*In that sense, the music industry has not changed. Back in the 80s-00s, if one got past the gatekeepers, chances of success were good assuming artists could repay labels. From the 2010s on, there is no real "making it." The difference between success and failure is often a trending hashtag, and even millions of views or streams only generate fractions of a cent each for an artist. If music were still profitable, legacy artists wouldn't be selling their lives' work for a few hundred million after they fought the labels for decades to own their own music.*
*The cause of this problem is most people today, especially young people, do not see music as an artform that deserves monetization in the same amount/way movies are monetized. Hollywood is only just now feeling the contraction pressures the music industry began to experience 25 years ago. Cost pressures cause film to race to the bottom as well. This is why big budget studios often produce risk-averse, formulaic MCU movies and rebooted trilogy legacy franchises as financial tentpoles instead of taking risks with new ideas and artistically groundbreaking independent films.*
So, for me, *things have gotten neither better nor worse in the music industry. Things are just different.*
Gatekeeping still takes place, there are just different gatekeepers. Big tech like UA-cam and Spotify have replaced the labels, and most musicians are now businesspeople making money as influencers while only selling their music on the side. To cut costs due to lack of monetization, the artist has to wear more hats than ever before, cutting down on time, a lack of time you pointed out at the end of the video. *There is more risk and less reward than ever before, and, as in the old music industry, success today is limited to a relatively small number of people. It is still often about who one knows in the industry.*
On the plus side, I did really enjoy those old outboard Alesis samples you demonstrated. Alesis was known for its relatively inexpensive gear back in the day, and it is good to see their old units still have influence on the industry.
*The opposite side of this simplicity in tech is all the effort companies like Native Instruments, Neural DSP, Fractal Audio Systems, Kemper Amps, Toontrack, FXPansion, and others go into replicating analog gear and creating new samples.* Creating plugins/virtual instruments along with film post-production work are probably the last line of work for "real," high budget studios with access to properly treated rooms and expensive gear.
The coders now have the real power. As an example, respected virtuoso metal drummer Tomas Haake of Meshuggah recorded drum samples for Superior Drummer, including all the different articulations and velocity settings on every drum available. The amount of planning, coding, and boring recording sessions must have been overwhelming. Can one really divide how hard one hits a drum into 127 different levels?
Even then, due to cost pressures, technological obsolescence, and software licenses that must continually be renewed (you never really own the software you buy these days in the same way you owned an analog piece of gear), most musicians will either use old or pirated software, and, with a good enough producer, audiences won't be able to tell the difference. As in the old days, knowledge is better than tech.
So, *I don't think anything has changed. The variables are just different. Both in the old and new music industries, many stakeholders continue to chase relatively few rewards. True progress and success would have been a less competitive but still rewarding industry in which more people were able to operate profitably. Instead, we ended up with an industry where more artists sounded alike because more audiences think alike.*
Thank you.
Great points! The lack of monetization has been mentioned by others here and after reading everything y'all have written I recognize the impact more clearly - which I should since this is how I make my living and I make far less than I used to. I think I'm so focused on making things that I forget about money - for better or worse.
Also, that period between Analog and DAWs.... ugh. I spent a lot of money on various recording mediums/products that I used for a short period of time like the Akia DR 16 stand alone digital hard disk recorder. Sounded great but editing sucked and backups were a pain.
Thanks for watching and your comments!
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume Thanks for reading! :) I realize the comment was long but you made a video worth some deep thoughts.
You make great points here - I love the final point you make about how technology really affects creativity by constantly intruding upon our time - I think this is very true. I love Rick's channel, I love his videos, I've learnt so much from him, and I've gained so much from his work. But recently I have started to have little inklings of concern about some of his videos - mainly because I want him to stay relevant and I don't want him to turn into a parody of himself. I don't want him to become the guy who's always complaining about the quality of new music - and I fear that's already how some people view him, which to me is a real shame because I think his real message is far more nuanced than that. Anyway, you make great points here, and I'm going to check out more of your channel, thanks.
Thanks!
absolutely! spot on! love this vid, I'm going to keep this for reference....
great down-to-earth common sense message. Bravo!
Rick Beato is in his own boomer echo chamber 😂 this video is so spot on he loves not talking about how controlled and gate kept the industry and radio was preDSP
Thanks for the reminders of the way things were, really hits home. And right on! The studio is a phone free zone.
really positive take 4:25 - great to hear this - your perspective is appreciated. lucky enough to work with younger artists also, I feel there's a real drive for experimentation and a diy mindset. given that it is so hard to break through in popular music, there's less risk in experienting and embracing imperfections, mirrors the old diy portastudio era in a way, using tech to present music in new ways
Yes, good points! However, geezers like us usually saw tech as a bridge towards progress - a positive tomorrow, if you will. We do our stuff well (enough), and e.g. get a decent place to live from our efforts.
The so called economy (rather, our mindsets, beliefs and agency) is different now. Any hopeful 20 to 40 yo is expected to do “the right things” in a harsher reality than we experienced. Breaking the normatives and imperatives today, quite certainly breaks more dreams of tomorrow than they sustain.
This induces fear more than opportunities and a vision of a “fair enough” near future. Culturally mirrored in how anything “retro” has remained so strong for close to a generation. That’s (probably) not how you nor I (nor Rick?) envisioned tech in general, we just saw “progress” without even being “progressive” by any means.
The result is some kind of “stuckness” - in our own minds, and in how many see their immediate future. Our culture mirrors this, and no “punk”, “disco” or “grunge” has appeared in a long time to mess up our status quo.
(BTW, nice to see you there with so much stuff that has evoked so much joy and frustration - experience over time…😊)
Thanks! Great points! And yes, we did not envision what the world and the music business would become.
Im new here. Am I the first to make a Walter White in witness protection joke?
Great video btw. Algorithm did me proud
Thoroughly enjoy your ranting. Thanks for sharing these illuminating tales of studio life and dealing with the industry back in the day. Helps put the present world of music in context.
Thanks!
Finally someone speaking sense, thank you 👍
Rick often misses the mark when he needs to see outside of his personal bubble.
Thanks, Bill. Unfortunately, Rick has to keep pumping this stuff out, and he gets caught up in the need to create content and forgets to think clearly. 🤔
I agree. Some of his videos are really good and some seem like he's just keeping to a schedule. However, that is what is expected. I need to put out videos more regularly but have an issue with the quality.
Yes, exactly, the point made at the end. It's more the broader commodification and interruption of our free/empty spaces that would allow us to have time to be creative and full utilize the newer music tech coming out. Music Tech has improved drastically, and that's a good thing, but we could be utilizing it even better, without the other distractions. Digital minimalism for day-to-day tasks so we can focus our energies on music and the other arts.
Thanks SO MUCH! I have been thinking that many people didn't watch to the end where I actually make my main point or had made up their minds already and glossed over that section. I'm so glad you got there and understood.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume most definitely! A main point and a fantastic one!
I agree with Rick and you both.
I also like the fact I can rewind a song or video. Watching TV is unbearable to me as I can't do these. What's really missing in this era is that the algorithms stay safe or push only the most controversial stuff. I have only found Altan Urag from Mongolia because I was searching for throat singing. How many cool things I miss from other cultures because of the silos we're put in? Also that 99% of social media is meant to be scrolled in silence in a boring meeting room or in a classroom, therefore only visual arts and "interesting videos" with subtitles can be discovered. I agreed with everything you said and this was just an addendum.
Thanks! I too like to rewind. Have you heard of the Mongolian band called The Hu? My kids turned me on to them. Missed the Atlanta show.
This video absolutely made my day both as a drummer and a person that records remotely
I’m not the biggest fan of using samples but it’s still a great tool to have if you wanna beef up and blend a drum tone.
I used to rely on samples a lot but only use them now when my mixing for clients who did a bad job of recording the drums. With the stuff I produce and record I rely on good drummers, good drums, the right mics and Pre's and room mics. No samples needed.
@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume I don't use samples at all for my stuff when I record from home as I'm a stickler of phase and drum tuning (I tune my drums to notes in the key of the song I'm recording in) but then again I'm still learning. But if I'm carting my drums to a session, I notice a lot of engineers (Especially younger ones at the top) are becoming too dependent on samples so much to the point they replace the original snare tones regardless how well a snare maybe tuned or won't even communicate "Hey can you pick a different snare?" or "Hey Can I talk to your drummer?"
I won't say who the engineer is but I recently did a session were I bought multiple snares and explained my approach for each song to the engineer here in MD then we shipped the stems to a major engineer in Nashville...they loved my drums but when I listened back to the recordings my snares were completely replaced with the SAME SNARE SAMPLE.
I had to put on a mask and smile while not being happy. Sadly it wasn't my album and the client was happy so my feelings aren't important as the client gets the last say however in turn I don't share the album just because of the snare replacement...
I do blame myself too because I should've gotten the contact info of the engineer and his team in Nashville to communicate what drum sound I'm going for.
If I've learned anything, it's that every piece of music finds its listener, and music suffers when we talk about it too much. Have fun!
I was just talking to one of my boys about the video and the comments and he pretty much said the same thing. Smart kid. Thanks for watching and commenting!
thank you! ive been in the business since the late 90s and this is what ive felt the whole time as well!
With the tech we have to day we are able to listen to a vast amount of music and gather the 100 influences required to be original instead of derivative.
well, I never thought of that.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
As knowledgeable as Rick might be, he sometimes frustrates me in ways that I've found difficult to articulate.
It's easier than ever to discover exciting up and coming bands, and I've lost count of how many times small underground bands and artists half my age have inspired me to step up my game, just in the past few years.
Pessimism is easy, now more than ever, but I'd rather be foolishly optimistic about the state of music, because the alternative is to just quit and let the AI do it.
Samples and quantizing etc is the absolute norm and has been since early 2000s in rock and metal. Almost every single mix engineer does it now to some degree.
Very good points. While Rick does name off and interview a lot of the legends from back then, sometimes I think he is a secret jazz pop lover. lol
Oh, he is a jazz guy for sure. He's forgotten more about music theory than I'll ever know.
I really appreciate this perspective. I think both of you have some really great points and I'm glad to have both perspectives.
This is a bit over the top.
@FreakingOutWithBillyHume how so?