Many of my friends here on Genius know that I'm a huge fan of Taylor Swift, and have been for many years. As many of you have likely heard, Taylor recently released a movie of her 1989 World Tour exclusively on Apple Music. While other Swifties were celebrating, I was confused. Just months before, Taylor refused to put her music on the streaming service to protest the fact that they didn't pay artist royalties during listeners' free trials. Why would she decide to stream her tour with them? Was it her decision at all?

Taylor's management has been more controlling than ever since the release of her fifth album, 1989. They have been ruthless about copyright, even forcing fans to take tour videos down from YouTube. In addition, prices for her merchandise have skyrocketed. Tour t-shirts on her website cost $34.89, while they cost $25 on her *Speak Now* Tour. Some fans even believe Taylor's management runs her "personal" Tumblr blog.

With all of these instances in mind, I began to wonder what the music industry has truly become. Taylor, along with other artists, started making music to follow a lifelong dream, and now her empire can be viewed as simply a source of income for her team. But ask any of her true fans, and they'll say she's still the same girl. Taylor is known to give back to her fans. On her previous tours, she would wear bracelets just so she could throw them to fans in the audience. She would point out fans who went to great lengths for their outfits and even brought, and still brings, some of them backstage to meet her. So, if Taylor is still the same girl, why is her career becoming a money pit for others rather than an outlet for her own passion?

This has happened to various artists over the years, including now-indie-artist Cody Simpson. Cody was discovered at a young age through MySpace. He couldn't believe he was finally making his dream come true. Flash forward a few years, and Cody's record label and management were forcing him to put out music he didn't want to make. He eventually had enough, and went on to leave his label and create music he poured his heart into. But not all artists can simply walk away as easily as Cody did.

This leads me back to my original question -- is music even about heart anymore? While some artists' influence is used to rake in big bucks, there are still some artists who make music to make music. These people are the backbone of the music industry, although they often fall victim to one of two fates: being overlooked, or being used for money. Some people even make music solely for this purpose. Many people criticize music, wondering, "what happened to music with a meaning?" The answer? It's still out there, if you know where to look.

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way trying to insult or call out anyone in particular with these observations; I am simply pointing out that the music industry has changed. This may sound like I am intentionally bashing Taylor's management, but that is not my goal with this piece. This has happened to other artists as well, not just Taylor. I have no doubt in my mind that Taylor is the same lovely girl she was when she put out her first album, and hope she stays true to her heart. I wrote this piece to expose how the music scene has changed from a way to express yourself to a way to make money. I hope that the industry is fully restored soon.