Future of Music panel at Metropolis gives food for thought

A rapid-fire succession of eye-opening, mirth-filled discussions was continued at Metropolis this evening, as Roisin Dwyer chaired a panel on the future of the music industry.
PR guru Linda Coogan Byrne opined that there were many positives to be taken from the current lie of the land, and pointed towards Amanda Palmer - with whom she has worked in the past - as an artist who has shown the way forward.
Of course, she need only have looked beside her, as Julie Feeney has taken her fair share of unorthodox steps over the years. "I've done whatever needs to be done," Feeney said. "From FundIt campaigns to taking out a loan. But I don't believe that artists should be under the pressure to be something else; Amanda Palmer wrote a great book, but not every musician can also be an author, or write operas."
CEO of the indie powerhouse Secretly group Darius Van Arman agrees: "A musician doesn't have to be in the function of getting their music to market; funding it, marketing it... But the distinction between roles is getting fuzzy, and there are more paths to success than ever before.
Gareth Murphy, the author of Cowboys & Indies, sounded a cautionary note when asked of what had occurred since the publication of his much-loved book. "The big event was YouTube joining forces with the radio lobby in America to take on the labels - and winning.
"They're projecting a friendly mission," Darius added. "What they're really working on is undermining the value of music."