In the spring of 1988, Neil Young released his nineteenth studio album, “This Note’s For You”. A reference to Budweiser’s 1980s advertising slogan “This Bud’s for you”, the album lamented the commercialisation of music. On its title track, Young sings: “Ain’t singing for Pepsi / Ain’t singing for Coke / I don’t sing for nobody / Makes me look like a joke”.
The landscape of the music industry has changed significantly in 30 years. Today, landing an advert as a musician is far from a joke. Digital streaming platforms have slashed record sales and revenue for artists. Where musicians would previously channel their efforts into making a platinum-selling album, the industry has now pivoted to new methods of generating income: song writing aimed at generating hit singles; nonstop touring; and the licensing of music for video games, TV, film and advertising – a process known as synchronisation, or “sync”.
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