Trends and Entertainment

The Sounds of the Recession

Over the past year, the recession has touched nearly every aspect of our lives—from the way we travel, to the way we dress, and even the things we eat—which is why it should come as no surprise that the economic downturn has impacted the way we listen to music, too. After all, great depressions have been known to spark cultural revolutions before.

So will this time be any different, and how exactly has the music industry shifted since this current recession began?

Country musicians and rap stars are changing their tune. While pop singers have pretty much ignored the recession so far, country stars have taken the downturn head on, tapping into the angst of the unemployed with songs like “Shuttin’ Detroit Down,” “Red White and Pink Slip Blues,” and “Prayer of a Common Man.” Rap stars have jumped on the bandwagon as well, coming out with albums that reflect the times, like Young Jeezy’s “The Recession,” and announcing the end of bling.

Country stars have taken the downturn head on, tapping into the angst of the unemployed.

CD sales are down. The music industry was facing hard times long before the rest of the country followed suit, but the economy certainly hasn’t helped matters. Rap album sales dropped 20 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, while sales in classical, country and Latin have dropped even more, according to statistics from Nielsen SoundScan.

More consumers are downloading tunes online. Research from the NPD Group found that the economic downturn was one of the biggest factors in the increase in digital music downloads last year—up 30 percent over the year before—since getting music online is oftentimes cheaper and allows customers to make “ala carte purchase options” rather than buying an entire CD.

Concert ticket sales are up. The economic slump isn’t slowing down concert ticket sales, which are up 10.8 percent in 2009, according to the concert industry trade magazine Pollstar. Although the average concert ticket price is up 4 percent this year—to $64.61—last-minute tickets snagged at bargain prices are apparently on the rise as well thanks to “heavy discounts” on lawn seats at outdoor concerts and a sharp uptick in the number of tickets re-sold at a discount on sites like StubHub or craigslist.

DJs are sprouting up everywhere. Don’t be surprised if the music at clubs sounds different in the future. Enrollment at DJ schools has skyrocketed since the recession began, as recently laid-off business executives use their severance packages to pay for DJing courses that they hope will lead to a career they actually enjoy.

Tags: music