This is a moan we’ve pretty much all had on this site so don’t expect much of an original take from this bastard today. Whether it’s physical music, live shows or subscription services, music seems to be getting more and more expensive to engage with as the years go on. This is happening at a time when artists, writers, producers and musicians are making less and less money by the day, the disconnect makes the whole situation even more disheartening.
The first of those things, records. I buy a lot of records, it’s basically my entire personality at this point. Spending £20 on a new release record that I enjoyed after a cursory first go on streaming was a way I liked to spend my weekends. Dropping £35, £40, £50 on standard double LP record? It has become a rich person’s hobby that I continue to find ways to partake in.
I’m moaning from within the privileged position of being able to still buy records. I realise how silly I sound.
Then it’s live gigs. This year I bought pretty much the same ticket to see Billie Eilish as I had for her 2022 UK tour for an arena show next year. Back in 2022 it was £56, now the same seat is £81. These are upper tier tickets too, not anywhere near the top price tickets, but it’s an increase of nearly 45% over three years. Yes, that’s the top end of live shows, arena and stadium shows seem to not only cost a ridiculous amount, but also increase by the most each year. But it’s felt at smaller and smaller venues now. £50 to see someone at the O2 Ritz in Manchester? £70 for a standing ticket at the Apollo? ‘Taking the piss’ doesn’t seem to cut it here.
But again, I bought those Billie Eilish tickets. I’m going to so many gigs this year. I can afford it, but I know so many people who just can’t deal with the rises in the live music space.
That doesn’t even include the rising costs of everything else to do with going to live music? Having to travel, book a hotel & trains? That’ll cost a fortune now. You want a warm beer while watching your fave band sing a new song? Eight quid please. The cost of everything is so much now that it’s a surprise any of us can go to live music.
And then even the ‘most accessible’ way of hearing music, streaming services are increasing week by week. A premium Spotify account recently rose to £12 a month here in the UK and I’m pretty sure you’ll still see ads on the service with that tier too. When it’s hard to imagine any of the artists you listen to will see a penny of that £144+ a year cost it’s hard to justify the cost increasing bit by bit.
Why pay £12 to listen to whole songs when you can listen to 60 second snippets on TikTok for free? That sounds insane but I feel like it’s soon to be the reality.
Music is expensive and while I continue to fuel the fire of increasing prices of it all, it’s a struggle to know whether the next generation are even going to bother with some of these costs.
Words by Sam Atkins
Picky Bastards 
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