A New York Times feature by journalist Steven Johnson titled ‘The Creative Apocalypse That Wasn’t’ is ruffling a fair few feathers in the US, with its claims that the post-Napster era hasn’t been as bad for musicians (and other creators) as is often claimed. “Writers, performers, directors and even musicians report their economic fortunes to be similar to those of their counterparts 15 years ago, and in many cases they have improved. Against all odds, the voices of the artists seem to be louder than ever.” The report taps US stats to show that the number of Americans employed writing, singing or playing music has risen 15% to more than 60,000 since 1999, while income stats suggest that music “has become more profitable in the post-Napster era — not for the music industry, of course, but for musicians themselves”. However, Johnson’s claim that a rise in live revenues is the key has already been challenged by the Future of Music Coalition in a tweetstorm focusing on the live point, suggesting his data is incomplete and that “gross revenue numbers in any part of an industry tell you nothing about how individuals working in that industry are faring… As ticket prices […]