Many people I run into don’t understand what a stark difference there is between the revenues generated by the Christian music industry vs. the mainstream. They think that since I work as a player on the road and have a songwriting contract that I must be burning stacks of hundies in the fireplace at night, just because I can.
Through the list below, let me attempt to show how much of a nitch market Christian music actually is compared to other genres. This list attempts to move from the largest number of people and works it’s way down to the actual population of people who buy Christian music. This may partly explain why there is not more diversity of artistic expression in Christian music.
1. Consider all the people in the world
2. Reduce this number to all the Christians in the world
3. Reduce this number to all the Christians in the world who have an appreciation for music
4. Reduce this number to all the Christians in the world who have an appreciation for music and live in a place that has access to radio
5. Reduce this number to all the Christians in the world who have an appreciation for music, live in a place that has access to radio, and has a Christian radio station (most people who buy Christian music get exposed via radio).
6. Reduce this number to all the Christians in the world who have an appreciation for music, live in a place that has access to radio, of which one of those radio stations is a Christian radio station and then be someone who actually listens to the Christian radio station.
7. Reduce this number to all the Christians in the world who have an appreciation for music, live in a place that has access to radio, of which one of those radio stations is a Christian radio station, be a person that actually listens to the Christian radio station, and then be a person who would like this music enough to actually do the work of going to a store or the Internet and buy a Christian music product.
#7 is generally a description of the people who finance the Christian music industry. I’m sure it’s not hard to see why this market pales in comparison to country music or mainstream pop music.
Note: What was not mentioned was the lack of exposure on TV (MTV, VH1, etc) and the assumption is made that you actually live in a part of the world where you have access to the Internet or a retail store to purchase Christian music. This also does not take into account the overall hit that all genres of music have taken in the last ten years as a result of Internet piracy.
2 comments:
hey don't forget the fact that a lot of places in the world that have a Christian radio station have only one. and my grandma would probably listen to it.
What about considering the fact that often only Christians are interested because they'll tolerate the typical (not always, but typical) mediocrity that is supposed to be passing for good music, due to the "message"? While "mainstream" tends to be at least a decade ahead, and beyond, and appeals to a wide audience, if for no other reason, because it is GOOD music.
I really think more people, Chrisitan and non, would buy Christian music, if it weren't so, well, CMI. I'm a believer. I can't stand 88% of the stuff. And I appreciate the lyrics. But most songs? Our 11 year old even thinks they're goofy, and trite. My husband? A musican, believer, and can only stand about 3% of CMI stuff pumped out. What is up with the lag between good music "written by Christians" and good music by anyone else? Couldn't it just be great music, written by people who know and love the message of Christ?
We've lived in Nashville, and know all about the JPM factor in the CMI. As long as thinking is like that, "Christian" music will always suffer quality. Just an opinion.
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