MUSIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY 101
The Music Products Industry vs. The Music Business (Record Business)
"Without music to decorate it," Frank Zappa once said, "life is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
You probably know famous brand names — such as Steinway, Fender, Roland, Pearl, Yamaha and Gibson — because you've seen your favorite musicians and artists playing instruments and equipment bearing these names on MTV, the GRAMMY awards, live on tour or in other prominent places. Well, you may not realize that behind the brands you've seen there is an entire industry that has played a very important part in the evolution of music over the past century or so.
Although musical instruments have been created, bought, sold and traded since the beginning of recorded history, the formal music products industry started in the 1800s. In the early 1900s, a group of piano manufacturers united as an association to combat the deceptive business practices of piano dealers. This group grew and evolved over the years, eventually becoming known as NAMM, the International Music Products Association. In addition to producing the industry's largest trade-only music products show, this association works to unify, lead and strengthen the music products industry. For more information about NAMM, please visit www.namm.com.
The study of the music products industry is fascinating and it's the primary focus of the Museum of Making Music (www.museumofmakingmusic.org) located in Carlsbad, CA. Please visit their Web site for more information and stop by for a visit the next time you're in Southern California.
During the 1900s, another industry evolved that is commonly referred to as "the music business." This is actually the recording business and it's responsible for sharing the music of countless artists with the rest of us in the form of records, tapes, CDs and now digitally. There are many great career opportunities in this industry as well that you can learn more about by visiting www.grammyintheschools.com.
Suffice it to say, the music products industry and the recording industry are easily confused, but very different businesses. The following chart compares the two segments for your reference:
| Recording Industry | Music Products Industry | |
| Number of Companies | Thousands | Thousands |
| Revenue (US) | $14.6 Billion | $6.8 Billion |
| Focus | Create and sell recorded music | Make, buy and sell musical instruments and products |
| Work with Artists | Yes | Yes |
| Specific training required | Yes | Yes |
| Industry Association | RIAA | NAMM |