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Yangon Weather Forecast, Burma

Local music industry sings the blues

ONCE again the music industry has faced another tough year, but in the face of music piracy, which is cutting into album sales, some artists are carrying on regardless, while the industry as a whole may at last be finding alternative revenue streams to keep it going.

“Like last year even though there have not been many new albums released because of piracy, some celebrities have instead tried to release albums by themselves. This is for their survival as singers and they have to do it even though they already know they will lose,” said song composer Maung Thit Min.

He points to the growth in live concerts both in Myanmar and abroad as a positive sign for the industry because they are well attended and bring in much needed ticket revenue.

“It is a good sign for the music industry because every concert is full with fans and it allows the fans to remain in touch with the music,” he said.

While this model of revenue creation is working well in other countries, where it might be argued declining revenuse from album sales owing to piracy have actually reinvigorated the live music scene, Bo San, an event organiser, is quick to dispel the notion that live concerts can save the industry.

“Although there were many concerts held this year [2009], we lost more than in other years because the concerts always have the same singers on stage, so when people always see the same singers they get bored so fewer people are buying tickets.

“We can see plenty of people at the concerts but many of them get in with free tickets. We always give about 500-600 tickets for free,” he said.

However, there have been some positive developments with musicians increasingly kicking up a fuss over copyright infringment.

One big success in 2009 was when Mandalay FM, currently one of the hippest radio stations, agreed to pay royalties to the Myanmar Music Association, which represents the industry.

“Even though singers are losing out in copyright because of piracy, many TV programs and FM [radio stations] are doing the right thing so if sponsors are willing to invest more in these programs the music industry can function well again,” said U Chan Hein, owner of Yadanar Myaing Music Production.

Still, with so many musicians and singers feeling the financial pinch, Mung Boih, drummer for NOV 24, believes creativity may be stifled in favour of conservatism.

“Many singers are producing albums that they think their fans will like but they cannot do what they want because they have to consider their fans and the commercial side of things,” he said.

For less established singers, breaking into the mainstream is more difficult than ever because producers are unwilling to take a risk on albums that may not sell well. Instead, Myanmar’s wealth of undiscovered talent is labouring away on the small event circuit, generally referred to as the underground scene, according to Maung Thit Min.

Whether the music industry will recover enough to allow some of these singers and bands to come out from underground and bask in the light of mainstream success remains uncertain.