although i think it is maybe somewhat debatable, most can concede that (music) creation is easier given the capability & ubiquitousness of affordable tools…but i think you are romanticizing pop music of yesteryear a bit, popular music has always been comparatively well produced and the purview of profit seekers. i feel like it has been the case that most musicians have always had a tough go making a living wage from the music exclusively…
now it is a fact that digitization of music has only made it that much more competitive and probably makes the few big music companies still here even more interested in investing in music that has broad appeal as their business model of using the big acts to subsidize, develop, & find other artists doesn’t work nearly as well now. the flipside is not only is there arguably way more diverse, niche music being made now (absent a quality judgement) but as a result people have broader/more interests across musical genres and seem more willing listen to different music; albeit maybe not as deep…i think because hip-hop, even more than popular music, has been so openly entrepreneurial, that has perhaps helped it thus far reconstitute itself into different incarnations in ways that other genres have not?
isn’t the process of cranking out a lot of music is the process of developing talent? granted the incubation period (if at all given how easy it is to publish) is maybe much shorter…
that last bit matters, there are plenty of sensible, if maybe not always fully informed, reasons why people would not choose a product that naturally patinas or incorporates some more ‘natural’ materials in a retail spot like best buy, having a product exist the in a certain context & with a knowledgeable staff, catered to a certain audience is super advantageous…
it’s almost like older classic vehicles vs. new vehicles, in the abstract maybe most people would love to own a classic vehicle and very much appreciate it’s character, but the reality is that the maintenance & upkeep might not be something they’d want to deal with, pay the premium for, or even really be able to use regularly…