So Obama hasn’t cerated three million new jobs in two years. What the hell were you expecting? I know I wasn’t counting on a government check to pay for a personal assistant for me, as much as I know I need one. How is it possible that people who believe so strongly in the power of the free market can turn right around and blame the government for not solving their problems? I’m an American, I will fix my own damn country.

As usual, let the music industry be an example of how the future’s going to look. They had a business model for decades that went something like this:

Photo by Arne Hendriks

1. Sign artist to label.
2. Record album that label owns 90% of.
3. Send artist on back-breaking tour schedule to promote album.
4. Bribe or outright own radio stations to promote album and tour.
5. Profit.

If you haven’t read any articles or watched the news lately, you might assume that this model still works. I’m sorry to tell you that the little-round-disc industry (formerly the music industry) isn’t making a profit like it used to.

1. Why sign new artists when it’s easier to manufacture them for a pre-existing marketing plan? Or just sign a 15-year-old starlet that’s too young to understand the way contracts work, too young to stand up for their rights, and too young to sing on key with any semblance of soul.
2. Albums can now be recorded in basements with an iMac. No label required.
3. Gas is over $3 per gallon in many places, making touring expensive and keeping concert-goers from driving anywhere.
4. Radio’s still big, but Pandora’s getting bigger. And it’s not controlled by people… the robots pick the play list!
5. Blame, demonize, and eventually sue alleged “pirates” to recoup less than a million in lost profits. Spend multiple millions doing so.

So what do we do to “save the music industry”? Do we write to our government asking for money or tax breaks so major labels can hire more people even though they’re not actually making a profit any more? Maybe we should ask the government to bring back the 1960′s, that would be about as effective.

How about we change the whole industry instead?

The reason I say “the little round disc industry” as Chris Penn calls it instead of “the music industry” is because the music industry is doing perfectly fine. Entrepreneurs and small startups are popping up left and right- many of them failing, many of them succeeding -and doing the jobs that the old industry used to do profitably. Independent artists like Derek Sivers started bypassing the labels and selling their own music, and we all know how that turned out. The internet has made PR, distribution, and promotion much more affordable and much easier for guys like me to flourish.

I made my own job. I make an American product with American labor. I export that product to other countries. Though it’s kinda tiny, I do indeed make a profit. When I get the money to do so, you can bet your ass I’m hiring some American help.

I know not every industry can evolve the way my industry is changing, but I sure as hell hope that people aren’t expecting the government to wave a wand and make more jobs. Make your own jobs. Make better products. Provide better services. Hire American workers and spend your money at American businesses. You’re the only one that can create jobs.

Hell, we should get Obama to wear a State Park Ranger hat and just hold a press conference saying, “only YOU can prevent unemployment.”

[tag]Derek Sivers[/tag], founder of [tag]CD Baby[/tag] and all-around cool guy, recently came to my [tag]podcast[/tag] for an interview. We talked about the origins of the industry’s hottest online retailer, the future of [tag]music[/tag], and [tag]electric tuba[/tag] music.

You can either subscribe to the podcast or just listen to the episode by visiting www.[tag]highorbitpodcast.com[/tag]
[tags]High Orbit[/tags]