Technology has ushered in an era of accessibility for the arts. Dictionary.com describes accessibility as easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with, or use. Of the arts, music in particular has been a key beneficiary of tech tools and services. Production applications and distribution networks that were once exclusive and expensive are readily available to novices and experts alike. Apple’s GarageBand application and distribution services, like Spotify, offer affordable, global access to high-quality recording and distribution.
For the uninitiated, GarageBand is a OSX (and now iOS) application that allows users - in particular musicians - to easily create multi-track recordings. It includes an array of built-in vocal and instrument effects, MIDI keyboards and drum loops. It is an extraordinarily powerful and versatile recording tool. Apple originally announced the GarageBand application in 2002. And as far back as 2005 it was already wildly popular, promoted by the likes of rock icon, songwriter, producer and musician, Trent Reznor.
In 2005 Reznor - and Nine Inch Nails - released the single "The Hand that Feeds Me" with a GarageBand version of the song. The song was made available for free download and for the first time musicians could add, remove, and alter the music of an award-winning, mega-artist. That experiment evolved into NineRemixes, a website where anyone can download, remix and upload Nine Inch Nails tracks. In an industry known for competition and exclusion this represents an unprecedented collaboration.
While in recent years other headliner acts, including Rhianna and the fabulous T-Pain, have been heard using GarageBand, there is a far greater benefit to the everyday musician. Indie-band, The Ultramods, recorded their latest release “Underwear Party” (Warning: EXPLICIT) using an iPad and the requisite GarageBand. The stripped-down, punk sound is an excellent representation of what can be done with a tablet, where once only a recording studio would do.
Access is far from unilateral, but compared to the hourly cost of a recording studio and a sound engineer, a MacBook and a USB mic are far more affordable. Equipment costs might range from $900 - $2000, but it is a one-time cost. And where a musician may have needed to purchase a minimum of 1000 CD’s, they now have access to global distribution at no cost through services like Spotify, YouTube and iTunes.
| Recording Options | Set-up Costs | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Recording | 40 hours @ $100/hour minimum | $4000 |
| GarageBand | MacBookPro/Blue Yeti USB Mic | $1320 |
Beyond the professional comparisons, a unique opportunity is available to the greater community. A young, or novice, musician can learn sound recording and engineering through trial and error with no recurring costs. Time spent in an application is unbounded and the quality of the tools continue to evolve. New features like Smart Drums allow a user to create custom drum loops in minutes. Learning GarageBand can take as little as a few days.
GarageBand is just one example of an new kind of virtually limitless tools that are available to the everyday artist. As developers, we should consider what we can do to give the world at large access to tools that can power their dreams and ideas. While complex to develop, tools like GarageBand endure and empower aspiring artists to create work that might otherwise be out of reach. We have the ability to change the way people create. What can you create?