Support DIY Music
Spawned and formed by punk bands in the early 1980’s, Do It Yourself, or DIY culture is a movement centered around taking charge of your own musical path. It's the idea of doing everything from recording music to booking shows at a grassroots level, either by yourself or with the help of friends in the music scene. Although this is done by artists usually as a necessity when starting out, many continue to operate this way even as they grow their audience. Today, the DIY movement is more important than ever, as the music industry crumbles under the weight of greed, corruption, and dwindling profits.
Since the early days of popular music, the industry has been controlled by labels and radio stations, working in conjunction to break new artists into the mainstream. Though the concept had existed for decades prior, payola schemes started becoming more prevalent in the 1950’s. This is basically where a record label pays radio station DJ’s to play music from certain artists, helping to ensure that an artist on the label’s roster reaches mainstream popularity. Though this is illegal, players in the industry have figured out ways around the law. Schemes like this traditionally made it near impossible for a smaller artist without label backing to break with a mainstream audience. This is where DIY came in to be during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s with punk. Artists realized that if labels weren’t going to support their creative endeavors, they would just create their own way of operating. By carving out a network of small clubs to play, creating their own labels to release music, and working with smaller student radio stations to play the music, they were able to do much of what the larger labels were doing on their own on a smaller scale.
Today with Live Nation's chokehold on the music industry, this same DIY ethos is more relevant than ever. Artists have created tight networks through social media, as well as in their local scene, to support each other and help get their music out into the world. DIY has also given a platform to groups that are often marginalized by mainstream labels, due to things like race or sexual orientation. With the violent rise of bigotry and regressive ideals in recent years, DIY scenes are a vital resource for marginalized artists to express themselves and find the support that the mainstream doesn’t provide.
Ironically, the mainstream music industry often takes from the DIY scene to stay relevant. The most obvious example of this is the early 1990’s major label goldrush in the wake of Nirvana’s Nevermind. Looking to find the next Nirvana, major labels signed tons of artists from the DIY scene to large contracts, often with little success as they didn’t have a deep understanding of DIY scenes and subcultures surrounding them. Although there are success stories, more often than not artists were signed to huge contracts, then dropped when their albums weren't chart topping successes, which usually resulted in the disintegration of the artist. Although smaller artists are still sometimes plucked from smaller scenes by major labels, more often than not major labels will steal and co-opt ideas from DIY scenes to apply to artists already on their roster.
So, where does that leave us now? DIY music scenes are as popular as ever, however artists need support. With miniscule record royalties due to the greed of streaming services, rising costs of touring, and stagnating wages, it has become harder and harder to make it as a musician. As the gap between DIY scenes and the mainstream industry widens, it is important to become involved in your local scene to help give artists from all backgrounds a place to be heard and find support. Go to local shows, buy a t-shirt from your favorite smaller band, and help advocate for locally-owned venues to continue to operate. If you love new music, support DIY.
