I have decided from time to time to have a featured guest on “Common Cents.” This month it is my best friend and arguably the most respected artist in gospel music. The incomparable, Gerald Wolfe. The following selection was reprinted with permission by Mr. Wolfe. It has been modified and edited for space considerations. Gerald’s own unedited words on this subject and many more can be seen on his blog site…
Just The Way It Is.
Somebody's Got To Say It...There’s something happening in Gospel Music that’s been going on for many years that has managed to “fly under the radar”, because those who travel, sing, and record the greatest, most powerful music in the world have always feared confronting it “head-on”. No one wants to be offensive, or controversial, but at the same time, apparently, everyone has been afraid to be honest with the people we sing to. However, with the ever-increasing use and popularity of computers and the internet, the time has come when somebody has to step up and say what virtually every Gospel Artist is thinking, but afraid to say… There is a very real possibility that we are just a few short years away from not being able to continue to record and produce music any longer.
How could that happen?Most people who love to listen to Gospel music don’t know the majority of traveling Gospel Artists derive somewhere near fifty percent (50%) of their revenue from the sale of CDs, DVDs, and other recorded media. In 2008, that revenue dropped by close to twenty percent (20%), for most Artists. Most people would say that decline was a result of the slowing economy, but in reality, sales of recorded music have been slowly declining over the last five years, even when the overall economy was strong. If you don’t believe me, go to your local Christian Bookstore and ask the manager. Is the decline because fewer people are listening to Gospel Music? No. Actually, more people are listening now, than ever before. I believe the decline is a direct result of the availability of illegal copies of music easily found on the internet, as well as the availability of inexpensive equipment that allows anyone to make illegal copies of CDs in their own home.
Why are free downloading, “file sharing” and copying illegal?I have often said most Christians who are involved in illegal downloading, copying, and “file sharing”, don’t realize what they’re doing is stealing. Here are some facts most Gospel music lovers don’t know:
It costs thousands…even tens of thousands of dollars to produce a CD that sells for $15. That “selling” price has remained steady since the introduction of Gospel Music CDs in 1984, while the production costs have risen with inflation. To recoup the initial investment, the Artist or record company must sell several thousand, or tens of thousands of CDs before the first penny of net profit is realized. This can take several months, a year, or even longer. Today, with so much “free” music available from friends or websites, the time it takes to recoup the initial investment takes longer and longer, and in some cases, the production investment is never fully recouped and real dollars are lost. You don’t have to be a mathematical genius to figure out the Artists and record companies can’t repeat that cycle for an extended period of time without serious financial consequences.