It’s a frightening and uncertain time in the music business. No one knows how long the next “it” band will be popular, which tech company will come out with the newest portable music device or if the “major label” as we know it will even make it to see 2008. One thing however is quite certain: the industry is relying on visual media more than ever. Whether it be the soundtrack to a movie, an on screen appearance on a hit TV show, or simply posting a music video on YouTube, artists and labels alike are utilizing the medium to try and market themselves better to make up for lost time as album sales plummet 4.9% in the last year, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

The January 25th issue of Rolling Stone’s article “Biz Goes Up in Flames”, by Evan Serpick, paints a dismal picture of the industry’s past year, citing the failure of expected blockbusters to hit the two million album mark and the closing of Tower Records as some of the causes of the lag in revenue.

The areas that did seem to have positive results were soundtracks, especially of children’s programming, and of acts originating on television. Two of the top ten albums of 2006 were the soundtracks from children’s movies. As reported by Nielsen Soundscan, Hannah Montana sold two million albums and came in at number eight on the chart, while the monster we all know of as High School Musical won the top spot over Rascal Flatts with 3.7 million albums sold. Carrie Underwood, of American Idol fame, also did quite well with her debut album which sold three million copies, earning her the number three spot. Finalist Chris Daughtry’s band Daughtry also succeeded, selling over one million in the first month, according to Rolling Stone.

Not all successes came from children’s movies or reality talent shows. TV shows and their soundtracks increasingly play a greater role in getting the word about new music out to the public. Shows targeting a teenage audience, such as The OC and One Tree Hill began the trend by hosting artists to perform “live” on the show or be included in the soundtrack. Today, shows targeting an older audience are also picking up on the trend. Greys Anatomy’s soundtracks boast acts such as The Fray, Snow Patrol, Rilo Kiley and KT Tunstall. According to a www.mi2n.com press release, films are taking a greater role in promoting their soundtracks as well, such as in the case of National Lampoon’s Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj. Eleven Seven Music, the label that released the soundtrack, 10th Street Entertainment, the management company, MGM and the House of Blues kicked off a 20 date tour with Everclear and Jonny Lives! on January 26th.

The film and music industries will clearly continue to become interrelated in the future. Film Music Magazine announced in January that it will be conducting the first ever survey of satisfaction with the three performing rights organizations: ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, in an attempt to allow writers and publishers to make more informed decisions when deciding on an organization to use. Eventually they hope to be able to make a recommendation as to which organization is the best for film music writers to join.

The film, television and music industries will clearly only continue to become more and more connected in the future. Perhaps this is exactly what the music business needs to get it back onto its feet.