Dirty Little Secrets of the Record Business: Why So Much Music You Hear Sucks

by Hank Bordowitz

For disgruntled music fans wondering why music played on the radio is not only worse now than in the past but also not nearly as revelatory as it once was, this book presents a detailed discussion of how the record business fouled its own livelihood. This insightful dissection covers numerous aspects of the industry's failures and shortcomings, including why stockholders play an important role, how radio went from an art to a science and what was lost in that change, how the record companies alienated their core audience, why file sharing might not be the bogeyman that the record industry would have people think, technology’s effects on what and how music is heard, and dozens of other reasons that add up to the record industry’s current financial and artistic woes. With eye-opening observations culled from extensive interviews, this exposé offers insights into how this multi-billion-dollar industry is run and why it’s losing so much money.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contains some interesting insights into the state of today's music industry. However, there are three strikes against it: 1) having been written in 2006, it's already extremely dated, at least in the way that it describes the Internet's role in music sales; 2) it's only really a chain of random thoughts rather than a fully developed argument; and 3) although it often speaks of the music industry's dismal condition, it NEVER addresses the question of the sub-title (why so much of the music you hear "sucks"). When a book fails even an attempt at answering its own question, it's not one worth recommending!

[Laren · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can tell by the title that this book is going to be a plainly spoken, easy read. Rather than just hand the reader a tirade against the music industry as it works today, this is a (mostly) neutral factual look at how music is made, funded and marketed. The author also gives you glimpses into how it evolved to where it is today, and how many in the industry are slow to evolve with ever-changing technologies. If you think you want to be in the music industry, do yourself a HUGE favor and read this first so you know what you could be getting yourself into.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s incredible that a 2.5 year old book can sound so horribly outdated, but this book on the reason the record industry is in shambles right now is still an interesting read to say the least.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, though not particularly surprising explanation of why the music business finds itself where it is.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging in the sense that once you start to unfold the topic you can't put it away until the last page. The book couldn't be better and is a must read for all music lovers and makers.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book! If you want to know more about how the music industry came to be (with all of its twists & turns), definitely pick this one up.