THIS IS A MUST READ! - In A "Dying Music Industry" One Artist Reflects: Musical Success Through The Eyes of Traum Diggs

The Following Article was Written by
Wreckteam - 623 Ent. recording Artist "Traum Diggs"

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I was doing some research online recently and ran into some interesting figures…
The following is the amount of album releases that surpassed more than 10,000 units sold over the last three years:

o 2010: 1,215

o 2009: 1,319

o 2008: 1,515

Now, it is tough to know just how many albums are actually released every year. Between official bar coded releases and all of the digital releases as well as folks who just sell their albums on their own website and via PayPal (Traum Diggs and Lil Kim to name two :) ), the number can’t truly be tracked. For the sake of making a point however, I will use 98,000, which I read somewhere was the number reported by Nielsen Soundscan (organization responsible for tracking album sales in the US and Canada) as the number of albums that scanned at least one copy sold in 2009. I can assure you the number of albums released altogether is way more than 98,000 but again, to make my point, let’s use that number. If Soundscan reported that 98,000 releases sold at least 1 copy and only 1319 of those releases sold more than 10,000, then in “thee” most conservative of estimates, only 1.3 percent of albums released sold more than 10,000 copies. That number is decreasing while the number of releases are increasing by the way.

These numbers reinforce feelings I have had for sometime now and I felt compelled to put them into words. As an MC, my natural inclination was to create a song or verse to express myself but as an individual and artist I decided to use only the words this time. I want to tell you all that this music industry has shifted and as fans, listeners, and artists we will have to shift with it if we are to truly continue enjoying what means so much to so many of us. To my fellow artists, humble yourself, define what you consider as success in this game and create an action plan to get it. The big budget deals have faded; very few artists are even selling in the hundreds of thousands much less millions (especially in hip-hop) and you should not feel any pressure to paint that picture for your fans…I never have. A friend of mine talks about the “delusional rapper” always bragging about “taking over” and how he’s “winning” but the numbers suggest that the extreme majority of us are not. I can personally guarantee that I am not friends with nor have I collaborated with any of the artists that contributed to any of the 1215 albums that sold 10,000 plus copies last year; which means if I know you, then you’re not a superstar by those standards.

To my supporters and lovers of music in general, if you enjoy my artistry (or anyone else’s) then simply lend your support. Download a mixtape, purchase an album, come to a show and/or introduce the art to others. Don’t wait for a video to appear on BET or a song to be played 20 times a day before you decide to support. There are only a handful of songs and artists that make it into rotation. Don’t use that to validate anyone’s music. I may never have a hit single with massive radio play and I may never hang out with Terrence and Rocsi on 106th and Park but I don’t feel any shame in making music for a living; in the same manner that you teach kids in school or crunch numbers everyday in your cubicle. I enjoy creating and performing my music more than anything else and as long as I can sustain myself and provide for those who depend on me I will continue to be a happy man. Like Andre 3000 said, “I live by the beat like you live check to check; If you don’t move yo(ur) feet then I don’t eat so we like neck and neck.” I am an independent artist who creates and owns his own work and controls his own destiny. Don’t knock me because I don’t have a Bentley and a hit record…Neither do you, ha ha. Don’t ask me about my plan B; If I make quality work and that quality work is supported and appreciated for its quality then I won’t need one. We have to redefine what is considered to be a successful career in music. I have already embraced it and I’m very comfortable with the direction I’m headed. A successful ambient musician named Robert Rich once said, “I want to speak my personal truth regardless of the cost.” Those words define what David Shanks and the Traum Diggs brand is all about; speaking the truth regardless of the cost.

-Traum Diggs

Source: www.traumdiggs.com