Trade Tensions and Their Cost to American Musical Culture

Trade wars have far-reaching consequences beyond what makes headlines, and the music industry stands particularly vulnerable when international relations sour. Looking at potential tensions between the United States and its neighbors Canada and Mexico, this episode examines how independent musicians and the broader music ecosystem could face serious challenges from trade disruptions.

For independent artists already funding their careers out-of-pocket, tariffs on imported instruments and equipment would immediately squeeze already tight budgets. The recording gear many musicians rely on crosses borders multiple times during manufacturing, with each crossing potentially adding costs that ultimately land on creators. Beyond production, the vital lifeline of touring faces existential threats—not just making international performances less profitable, but potentially restricting artist movement altogether.

The digital side of music won't escape unscathed either. Streaming platforms facing increased licensing costs across borders would inevitably pass those expenses to consumers, potentially reducing subscriber numbers in an already price-sensitive market. Meanwhile, the rich collaborative tradition between American, Canadian, and Mexican artists—which has historically produced innovative sounds and genres—stands to diminish as creative partnerships become logistically and financially challenging.

Using coffee as an illuminating parallel, we explore how deeply trade policies penetrate everyday life and creative industries. Just as most American coffee is imported, making it vulnerable to trade tensions, so too are countless materials and services musicians depend on to create and share their art. The lesson becomes clear: when borders harden, culture suffers. For music to thrive, the connections between nations must remain strong and cooperative.

Want to understand how global policies affect independent artists? Follow Indie Artist Music Hustle on all podcast platforms and social media, and support the show by grabbing merch at www.blonde-intelligence.com.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Music.
Welcome to this week's IndieArtist Music Hustle with Divine
Intelligence.
I'm your host, ms Bronnie.
We always seek to give youexquisite cranial repertoire,
and the big thing this weekthat's going on is the stock
market uh being down and thetrade war postponed.

(00:47):
Trade war all of these thingswith uh two of our neighboring
allied countries, um canada andmexico.
So I wondered about what wouldhappen to the American music
industry during a trade war withthese countries, and so I did a

(01:09):
little research in.
These were some of the thingsthat I found.
The American music industry haslong been influenced by
international trade relations,particularly with neighboring
countries like Mexico and Canada.
If Donald Trump were tocontinue the trade war with

(01:31):
these nations, it would likelyhave significant and
multifaceted impact on the musicindustry.
Firstly, tariffs on importedgoods increase costs for music
production.
Instruments and equipment oftencome from canada and mexico,
and higher import costs willmean that producers and artists

(01:55):
might face financial strains,and a lot of uh artists know
starting out or being anindependent music artist.
A lot of times you have to putthe bill for the things that's
needed to be done for yourcareer.
This could result in fewerresources for creating high

(02:16):
quality music, ultimatelyaffecting the overall sound of
production value of new releases.
And not even just that the costof, from what I heard, the cost
of automobiles will likely goup about $20,000.
Just think about if you weregetting a tour bus or there was

(02:40):
a shortage of whatever.
So I mean it's to me far beyondthe music, but the trade war
could disrupt the distributionnetworks that are essential to
the music industry.
Many American artists rely ontouring in Mexico and Canada.
It is not just in the UnitedStates.

(03:02):
People, independent artists,want to tour where they have
built a substantial fan base.
If tariffs and traderestrictions make touring less
profitable, artists may limittheir performances in these
countries, which would not onlyhurt their income but also
diminish diminish culturalexchange and collaboration.

(03:24):
And it's not, might not even bethat artists would limit their,
their shows there.
It could be that they're noteven allowed to be there.
I mean so need to look at allof that.
The streaming industry, whichhas become a dominant force in
music consumption, might alsofeel the repercussions.

(03:46):
If the cost of licensing musicincreases due to trade barriers,
streaming services could passthese costs along to consumers,
which will lead to highersubscription prices.
So people complaining about.
I remember when, I think,amazon Prime was like $4.99 and
then $7.99 and then $9.99, andit went up to like $14.99 and

(04:09):
then $9.99 and then it went upto like $14.99.
So those are the types of coststhat would be passed along.
This could decrease the numberof subscribers, particularly in
a market that is alreadycompetitive and price sensitive.
The trade war could stiflecollaboration between American

(04:30):
artists and those from Mexicoand Canada.
I think that it could stiflecollaborations with many people
from many countries, dependingon what side they stand on in
this.
I would call it I don't evenknow what to call it.
I don't even know what to callit, but joint projects can often

(04:51):
bring fresh perspectives andcreativity to the music scene.
Without the ability to easilycollaborate, the rich tapestry
of North American music maybecome less diverse and
innovative.
The economic impact of the tradewar can also extend to music
festivals and events.

(05:12):
Many festivals feature artistsfrom both sides of the border.
Increased costs anddifficulties to cross-border
travel could lead to fewercollaborative festivals,
limiting exposure for emergingartists.
In addition, the educationalaspect of the music industry

(05:36):
would be affected.
Many music schools and programsrely on international
partnership for student exchangeand workshops.
A continued trade war mighthinder these opportunities,
reducing the overall quality ofmusic education across North
America.
So even beyond that to me, I waslooking at one YouTuber and he

(06:01):
used the scenario of coffee.
Everybody who drinks coffeereally loves coffee.
I don't know a halfway coffeedrinker and I could be wrong on
that, but they were talkingabout, if it was a trade war,
how the price of coffee would goup.
And that is only a smallpercentage of coffee grown in

(06:22):
the United States, which is inHawaii and is very expensive.
So most of the coffee that weget or have ever tasted in our
life is imported.
And to think about companieslike Starbucks that sell coffee
as the main staple, how manyjobs and I would say how many

(06:47):
jobs would be lost.
And even just thinking aboutjust working anywhere, many
people cannot even get their daystarted without having a cup of
coffee.
So I'm just looking at all theaspects of it.
And when they were talkingabout the coffee, I was thinking
about know what would happenwithin the industry.
But in conclusion, if donaldtrump were to continue the trade

(07:10):
war with mexico and canada, theamerican music industry will
face numerous challenges,including increased production
costs, limiting touropportunities, higher streaming
prices, reduced collaborationsand hindered educational
prospects.
The interconnected nature ofthe music industry requires a

(07:33):
harmonious relationship betweennations to thrive.
Therefore, it is crucial toconsider the broader
implications of trade policieson the cultural landscape.
That's all I have for you, andI'm going to look further into
this and see what other thingscould be affected by the,

(07:55):
especially to the independentmusic artists.
But remember, you can catch uson all podcasts and platforms on
social media and you can getyour merch at
wwwblonde-intelligencecom andthat was something else that I
did want to add.
Even the cost of getting yourmerch or shipping your merch or

(08:16):
any of that, all of that iscrucial.
So, like I said, I'll belooking further into this and
see what other uh implicationsit can have, but I'll see you
next week.

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