Lake Fever Sessions

Seth Godin - Too much data leads to not enough belief

I think this one sentence sums up one major problem with the music industry in breaking new acts.

This industry is full of facts and figures: Soundscan, BDS, Pollstar, etc, etc.

Facts are nice. I mean it’s nice to know what is and what isn’t selling, or what is and what isn’t reacting at radio. But trusting that information too much, too soon, doesn’t give the artist and fans time to make that emotional connection that inevitability breaks an artist.

Think back to Berry Gordy and Ahmet Ertegun - when they started their labels in 50s/60s, they didn’t have this kind of information to study. They couldn’t judge a “hit” on numbers like iTunes downloads or BDS radio plays. They just had to believe the song was a hit and then get it to people and let them decide, based on an emotional connection.

All of the classic acts like Elvis, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, etc, etc, created a certain emotion with fans that still lives today. The emotion keeps them relevant.

Having managed an act on a major label, it’s amazing how fast they start looking at Soundscan sales and comparing that to ticket sales at venues and how much they spent making the album. If these numbers don’t add up fast enough, you’re gone.

Information is good but it can’t take the place of emotion in art. That emotional reaction is what labels should be pursuing, not the X factor in the music business algebraic success equation.

(via hartleymanages)