In her lengthy op-ed that was published in the Wall Street Journal, the teen heartthrob and pop star discussed the future of music and advice for aspiring musicians.
“Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable,” she writes. “It’s my opinion that music should not be free, and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album’s price point is. I hope they don’t underestimate themselves or undervalue their art.”
Despite the growing financial challenges and increasing competition of the industry, Swift writes that the the secret to success today is the ability to connect deeply with your fans.
“I think the future still hold the possibility for this kind of bond, the one my father has with the Beach Boys and my mother has with Carly Simon,” she said.
“I think forming a bond with fans in the future will come in the form of constantly providing them with the element of surprise… In the YouTube generation we live in, I walked out onstage every night of my stadium tour last year knowing almost every had already seen the show online. To continue to show them something they had never seen before, I brought out dozens of special guest performers to sing their hits with me.”
Swift also discussed the changing role of social media and its power in helping artists to create creative connections with their fans. Swift is active on Instagram, where she has almost 10 million followers.
“This moment in music is so exciting because the creative avenues an artist can explore are limitless,” she said. “In this moment in music, stepping out of your comfort zone is rewarded, and sonic evolution is not only accepted… It is celebrated. The only real risk is being too afraid to take a risk at all.
But how does all of this apply to Swift’s career? She plans to keep her same positive attitude that has set her apart in the music industry today.
“And as for me? I’ll just be sitting back and growing old, watching all of this happen or not happen, all the while trying to maintain a life rooted in this same optimism.”
