I have a theory.

 

It may be a hope.

 

You be the judge.

 

With increased pressure on bands/musical groups to diversify income sources due to rampant music downloading and confused global copyright laws we will see a sharp rise in the number of concerts. Downloading music is something that is reshaping the music industry business in the same way free access to news on the internet is shaping the traditional print news business. It is a losing battle to fight. In Canada it is "legal" to download music, etc, it is only illegal to share/upload it. I’m not sure why. Canada has implemented a tax on Mp3 players, CD-ROMs and other electronic recording media, a portion of which goes to the RIAA and so that is probably part of the reason, but it is one of the reasons electronic content providers like Apple TV and Xbox Live are slow to fully implement here.

 

Anyhow -concerts can be decent moneymakers for bands who market themselves properly. Wait and see, I wouldn’t doubt it if we see a sharp rise in the number of concerts being offered. This may have a good impact on small and mid-sized markets – I hope so.

 

Anyhow – that’s the theory. It is simple. It is a hope. I would love to see some more affordable small emerging bands. Maybe I will.