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How Music Go Round Franchisees Stand to Gain From Home-Based Musicians

The song, “Somebody That I Used to Know,” put Gotye on the map as a recording artist in 2012 after he posted the video for it on YouTube. Since then, the video has been viewed more than 900 million times. The song, which also features singer Kimbra, reached the top 10 on music charts in more than 30 countries. In April 2012, “Somebody That I Used to Know” reached No. 1 on charts in the United States and became the best-selling song of the year. Gotye won three Grammy Awards in 2013 – Record of the Year, Best Alternative Music Album and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Not bad for a guy who recorded the song in his home studio in Australia. The likelihood of hits coming from relatively unknown artists is increasing as home studios, both rudimentary and sophisticated, become more popular. More affordable and easier to use equipment and the evolving music industry has led to a greater number of DIYers creating home studios and recording music at home, which is generating demand for recording equipment. And, the trend now is to share those recordings with the masses through social media and video platforms, such as YouTube and Facebook.

Cheap and Easy Home Studios

Recording equipment hardware has become reasonably priced and easier to use. Some pieces of hardware can be purchased out of the box for just a couple hundred dollars, depending on the brand, quality and capabilities. Used recording hardware is even less expensive at resale outlets such as Music Go Round®. With Music Go Round’s in-store and online selections of used audio interfaces, digital audio recorders, microphones, mixers, preamplifiers and more, musicians can assemble an impressive home recording studio at remarkable savings.

Quality used guitars, drums and percussion instruments from Music Go Round also allow the musician to outfit his or her home studio with the necessary instruments needed to make live recordings.

The high cost of renting out a professional studio and using its equipment to record has also led to more musicians developing their own studios at home. The rise in home studios has even created competition for professional recording studios.

Delivering Music to the Masses

Changes in the music recording industry brought about by the Internet has made home recording more desirable, too. Before the Internet, musicians would have to make recordings (which usually included hiring sound engineers) and take them to agents. Agents would then attempt to pique the interest of record company representatives, who often had their own ideas of how an artists should sound and/or look. Record companies were also responsible for driving album sales, which were the bread and butter for popular artists.

Today, record companies no longer drive the availability of music or popularity of artists; it’s based mostly on social media and video sites. This has opened up the opportunity for skilled yet amateur musical artists to share their recordings with the masses in the hope of catching fire by going viral. It’s quicker, easier and a very real possibility. Today, artists rely on concert attendance and merchandise sales. Their success is in their own hands.

Home Recording Hits

If Gotye had gone the traditional route, “Somebody That I Used to Know” could have experienced a very different outcome. It may not have sounded as good, it may not have been heard by as many people, and it may have never even broken on the charts. But, because he made the song on his own terms – in his home studio – and distributed it first on social media and YouTube, Gotye is a sensation.

As more artists realize the potential of recording music at home affordably and easily, musical equipment retailers, such as Music Go Round, can expect see increased sales of recording equipment.

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