The melody and lyrics deep within his mind had never been forgotten. Once awakened, they poured forth recklessly. However, Renly froze as he realized that the recording software on his computer hadn't captured the music at all. He had to pause his playing and seriously study the recording software.
Perhaps, he shouldn't make it so complicated. He could just record a video and directly upload it to YouTube. Why bother with creating a digital audio file here?
Yet, this was supposed to be a gift, not a debut performance. With that in mind, Renly set aside his lazy thoughts. He explored the recording software and delved into recording techniques, embarking on this journey once again. By the time the sky displayed a pale fish-belly white, he had finally finished recording "Cleopatra", a little over three minutes in length.
Indeed, recording music was an incredibly laborious task. Renly felt his back aching. He needed a break.
Stepping away from the computer, he brewed a pot of coffee in the kitchen. The rich aroma of coffee managed to rescue Renly's drowsy soul. However, since he had already done half the work, quitting halfway was unwise. Renly knew that if he gave up now, he probably wouldn't bother with it again. So, he needed to persevere and see it through.
Pouring a second cup of coffee, he contemplated and ultimately chose not to add sugar or milk. He carried the coffee back to the computer, recalling the website Neil had introduced earlier – SongCast.
A few years ago, for a musician to release their single or album was a daunting task. Distribution channels were controlled by major record and distribution companies, not to mention the scarcity of resources for promotion and publicity.
For a simple example, the United States was a car-dependent nation, and car radios had the highest efficiency for music promotion. However, the music played by major radio stations was all under agreements. The playlist for the week, featuring twenty-five songs, along with the frequency of play, all had detailed specifications. Over ninety percent of radio music playlists were in the hands of large corporations.
This was a significant reason why independent musicians found it nearly impossible to make a breakthrough.
But now, thanks to the new model of online music, YouTube and Facebook were one way, while iTunes and Spotify offered another. Both paths led to the same destination, mainly providing independent musicians with platforms for self-presentation. While the limitations of promotion and publicity resources still restricted their growth, they had at least opened a window, allowing success stories like Justin Bieber's post-millennial rise, a notable outcome of the changing landscape of music in the new era.
Renly had limited knowledge about music-related information, but after reading the SongCast website's terms of use, he suddenly felt enlightened.
While independent musicians could now bypass record companies and directly release their music on online platforms like iTunes or Spotify for purchase and download, the process was intricate. Not only did it require comprehensive details like music format, duration, and recording quality, but there were also strict requirements on the number of songs. For instance, Apple stipulated that an artist needed at least fifty registered songs to be uploaded to iTunes. Such restrictions discouraged countless independent musicians.
Not to mention, iTunes was truly a large company. The complex legal provisions were enough to give people a headache. Even though Renly wasn't a law student, he knew that independent individuals had almost no room to survive when in conflict with large companies. Their interests would be compressed to the lowest level, and the contracts of large companies often contained numerous hidden clauses that further exploited the benefits of independent individuals. Of course, the advantage was that they were large companies, so there were no ulterior motives; everything was out in the open!
In such circumstances, SongCast provided independent musicians with another platform, or perhaps, a possibility.
For most independent musicians, they might just want to dip their toes and see if their music could succeed, or they might want to find a platform to sell their music and attract the attention of more music companies.
In the age of the internet, traditional self-promotion methods were no longer effective. Sending demo tapes to record companies, warming up for established artists, or participating in shows like "American Idol" were replaced by online methods like YouTube videos and digital music distribution on platforms like iTunes.
Of course, compared to free YouTube videos, online music sales could generate some income, which was undoubtedly more attractive.
SongCast was born in response to this situation.
It was essentially an online music retailer, somewhat resembling traditional distribution companies. Independent artists uploaded their music to the website, which facilitated the process of converting file formats, formatting cover art, and distributing the music to various online music sales platforms, including Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. All it took was a one-time upload to complete the process easily.
Furthermore, SongCast was also an important showcase platform. Many well-known producers or record companies scoured this platform to discover potentially talented artists, casting their nets wide to uncover new talents. Although the music industry had shown a significant decline after entering the 21st century, the demand for new talents within the industry never waned.
SongCast wasn't the only company offering music distribution services, but it was one of the most mature and successful ones.
Indeed, this saved Renly from many complicated procedures. It's no wonder Neil had said that everything had become simpler now.
Creating an account, uploading music, writing song titles and descriptions... Then Renly discovered that he even needed to upload a single cover image. This meant he had to temporarily create his own cover, which felt incredibly bothersome.
He flopped onto the bed, the soft blanket incredibly comfortable. Sleepiness once again swept over him, and Renly almost wanted to give up. He realized he was better suited for lazing around in bed, watching rehearsals for Broadway shows for five hours, rather than sitting in front of a computer, dealing with recording music and designing cover art. It was too tedious. He'd rather spend five hours watching a preview of a Broadway show than deal with the hassle of recording audio.
He let out a long sigh and told himself: This was just a one-time thing, just a special gift. So, he should buckle down and complete it in one go.
Even if Renly wasn't reborn, he was acutely aware that the modern music industry was in a slump, not just in one specific area but globally. Forget about the golden age of the 70s and 80s; even during the commercially thriving 90s, the music market was still blooming. However, now album sales were plummeting, and even the year-end top sellers might not crack the top ten of the year-end charts from a decade ago. The entire market had transitioned from an album-focused era to a singles era, with everyone selling singles. Moreover, the quality of music had also significantly declined.
Once upon a time, jazz, blues, soul, pop, rock, rap, country, folk... The diverse array of music genres dazzled the senses, each rising dominantly in a particular era. For example, the folk music of the 1960s, the rock of the 1970s, the disco of the 1980s. Beyond these, a variety of other musical genres offered a feast for listeners, allowing almost everyone to find music that resonated with their unique tastes.
But now, the music industry had narrowed down to a realm of only pop and rap. Simultaneously, as the quality of music declined, other music genres had almost lost their space to survive. Folk music was a prime example.
In the 1960s, folk music had swept the globe and even wielded the power to influence politics and culture. Folk singers like Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Joan Baez were at the forefront of civil rights movements, altering the course of history with their music. They genuinely reshaped the world with their melodies.
In 2016, Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, arousing curiosity and attention for folk music. However, in the past two or three decades, the room for folk music had been compressed to its limits. While it hadn't been phased out like disco, it wasn't far from it. Even in the Billboard singles and album charts, it was rare to find folk music in the top fifty, let alone the top ten.
Renly was a reborn individual, and he knew that the future belonged to electronic dance music. The plight of folk music hadn't improved and had further plummeted into an abyss.
Thus, recording "Cleopatra" was purely a gift for Stanley. The reason Village Vanguard managed to survive in the prime real estate of Manhattan was largely thanks to Stanley's sincerity and persistence. Artists like jazz, rock, folk, and bluegrass, genres that were struggling to find fertile ground, Stanley had exhausted his life's efforts to keep their legacy alive.
Renly didn't believe there would be another chance. This was the harsh and indifferent reality of independent music.
Thinking about this, Renly sat up again, seriously considered it, and sifted through his computer's photo gallery. Finally, he found a special photo – the gate of Village Vanguard. The gate was ancient and somewhat worn, understated and tranquil. Afternoon sunlight gently streamed through, imbuing it with a washed and clear purity, while also carrying the weight of history.
On the right side of the shop window, a banner reading "Cleopatra" was displayed, while on the left side, there was a signature that read "Renly Hall". It wasn't deliberately emphasized, as if it was an integral part of the shop window.
And thus, the single cover was complete.
Returning to SongCast, after updating all the information, Renly clicked upload. Watching the progress bar reach a hundred percent, he closed the laptop, rolled onto the bed, and finally could rest.