Oddbean

Look at what technology has done to music. It made it almost worthless by cutting the cost of media to zero. I assume you're the type who thinks it's a bad outcome. I am sad that the state/elites are not as powerful as vivid imaginations predicted. Because it means our world does not have technology advanced enough.

It’s certainly unfortunate as I’m a sound engineer by trade. Music media is going to zero but music is also culture. Is culture going to zero? Maybe, I don’t know but at this stage, I don’t know where to pivot so I’ll stubbornly make weird noises in my shed, regardless of Robicop’s new album. By the time culture hits zero I’ll be dead anyway.

Now AI is doing the same to programmers, but programming is not mass culture like music. So it doesn't really matter what profession, none is fully safe. Culture already hit close to zero as we talk using computers while sitting alone and separate from other humans. This is our world though, and I accept it over living a communal life in the Amazon or Africa.

Today I go to a studio to work with an artist and musician. It’ll be at least a year until the record comes out and the label will likely shift around 3,000 copies on vinyl. It will also go on streaming but no one bothers counting. The artist will tour, make enough money to get by for the year. The label will recoup eventually. We’re clearly not doing this for money but we still exchange ideas in the same time and space. Less than 20 years ago. Also, there’s still a chance I’ll get sectioned one day. Free healthcare, no housing or food costs. Win!

I barely listen to music, so I have very little understanding or interest. For me it'd be too depressing to be in a field with little money in it. Scraping by ain't no way to win. Sectioned? You mean you wanna be like those homestead types?