22 things the music business needs to stop doing or fix this year

1. STOP TRYING TO MAKE THINGS “GO VIRAL” 

2. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WANTS YOUR TERRIBLE NFT

3. ARTISTS NEED TO STOP BEING OBSEQUIOUS AROUND DSPS

4. NO MORE THAN 5% OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA OUTPUT SHOULD BE SALES MESSAGES 

5. STOP PAYING LIP SERVICE TO “MENTAL HEALTH” 

6. EMPLOY MORE PEOPLE

7. RELEASING MUSIC IS NOT AN AUTOMATIC ENTITLEMENT TO MAKE MONEY

8. STOP CONFLATING A PASSIVE STREAMER WITH SOMEONE WHO WOULD, IN THE OLDEN DAYS, HAVE ACTUALLY BOUGHT YOUR MUSIC

9. PAY ARTISTS AND SONGWRITERS BETTER…

10. … BUT KNOW THAT AN INCREASE IN PAYMENTS IS STILL NOT GOING TO FIX DEEPER POPULARITY PROBLEMS

11. MOST OF YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS BEING IN THE METAVERSE

12. FINALLY HAVE THE GUTS TO INCREASE SUBSCRIPTION STREAMING PRICES 

13. STOP JACKING UP THE PRICE OF VINYL

14. WATCHING TIKTOK IS NOT THE SAME AS A&R

15. ACCEPT THAT NOT ALL MUSICIANS ARE MAKING GREAT ART AND THAT HUGE CLUMPS OF MUSIC RELEASED TODAY IS NOT GREAT ART

16. NO BOX SET SHOULD COST OVER £100

17. STOP SEEING RECORD LABELS AS SOLELY THE ENEMY

18. YOU FORFEIT THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW LITTLE SONGWRITERS GET PAID IF YOU ARE COMPLICIT IN NORMALISING A WORLD WHERE 20 SONGWRITERS ARE BROUGHT IN TO CRAFT A HIT SINGLE

19. STOP MAKING VERBOSE EXCUSES FOR A LACK OF DIVERSITY ON YOUR CONFERENCE PANELS/FESTIVAL BILLS AND INSTEAD SPEND THAT TIME AND ENERGY DOING SOMETHING TO FIX IT

20. PAY FOR THINGS

21. GO TO CONCERTS WITH UNCYNICAL PEOPLE WHO DON’T “WORK IN MUSIC” AND CATCH THE SUPPORT ACT

22. KEEP DIGGING FOR THE THING THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE (AGAIN)