People listen to music for a variety of reasons. Some listen to music to relax in which it serves as a sort of escape from everyday life, some because they are a fan and follow a certain artist, and others because they can relate the lyrics to their own personal experiences. Whichever the case may be, music has and continues to serve an important role in people’s lives. Music has been circulating the air across many cultures for centuries; however, in the last 50 years, the music industry has become an important global industry and an vital area for economic activity on many geographic scales (comp. 45). Over the years, music consumption has grown and spread across many areas. Music consumption has become “more of less.” This …show more content…
The consumer also has the ability to listen to music without purchasing it. Today, individuals can do this by using online host sites such as Pandora and YouTube. Ultimately, technology is linked to the long tail theory. While this is a heavily debated topic of whether the long tail is in fact truly favored or not, one thing is for certain; the long tail definitely exists. Online sharing and purchasing has become a whole new economic model for the media. The long tail theory allows for not only the hits, but rather all music, to be used, followed and appreciated through digital media. An article by Chris Anderson states that people are willing to go deep, well past the long list of popular titles available at such record stores. He adds, the more they find the more they like (comp. 360). These online sources are allowing people to discover that their interest in music may not be as mainstream as they once thought. This theory demonstrates that popular culture is not all about the hits. Alternatively, it is about the long tail. It is the want and need for everything else. Anderson reiterates, “As fast as Rhapsody adds tracks to its library, those songs find an audience, even if it’s just a few people a month, somewhere in the country” (comp. 361). Kevin Laws, a former music industry consultant quotes, “The biggest money is in the smallest sales” (comp 362). These are just a few brief examples of how the long tail theory is upheld.
I propose that all unsigned rising artist should target the business side of the music industry to be successful in the entertainment business because it allows the artist to be taken seriously and make solid connections that can further his/her career. Learning the works of the music industry also enables a new artist to be further successful and profitable. Recent studies show that most new artists without professional representation and a business mindset have a slimmer chance in getting signed to major or independent labels (Lowry, 2011). Overall, the specific change needed is that unsigned artists should be concentrating on their careers as professionals and not amateurs, thus focusing on the ins and outs of the music business and
Ask anyone how they listen to music the answer will likely be through any means of easy access at an affordable cost. A study conducted by news outlet Nielsen 's Music 360 claimed, “Americans streamed 164 billion on-demand tracks across audio and video platforms in 2014”. The rapid increase in popularity music streaming platforms are experiencing leaves people wondering what that means for the music industry. When more consumers utilize the on-demand method of entertainment access, how does that translate to the artist being accessed? Astra Taylor contributes to this discussion in her book, “The People’s Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age”. She lays criticism upon the idea of a more digitized
For as long as mankind has walked on this earth, music has been an important part of our culture and lifestyles. Each walk of life beats to a different drum. Different cultures use music for many aspects of their lives; for religious purposes, for celebrations, for comfort, for sorrow, for relaxation, for sports, for dances, for energy, for learning, for sleeping, and for sexual experiences. Everyone uses music for something. Music connects with people and reaches them in ways that words simply cannot. Music is a representation of what feelings sound like. It expresses emotion and brings that characteristic out from within us; it tells us a story. Every generation has its’ own sound and different music styles have emerged and become
There are various cause and effect relationships in Chris Anderson’s essay “The Rise and Fall of the Hit.” First, the prevalence of illegal downloading, exposure to more music, and the option of purchasing single songs rather than buying an entire album caused the steep decline of music sales and marketing (Anderson 456-457). For instance, consumers can now listen to a wide array of artists on YouTube and then download the songs they like from the artist instead of purchasing an album from a highly marketed pop artist. Second, mass media was initially made possible by new technologies such as the printing press and phonograms (Anderson 459-460). For instance, newspapers allowed for news, entertainment, and politics to be widely available to
3-4). While these statistics provide a look into the numerical growth of the streaming industry, it is also important to discuss the power that these streaming services have generated—over both the music industry and over established/aspiring artists. Subscriptions are on the rise, having increased significantly over the past ten years, but as is the amount of users streaming music on a free-trial or ad-supported basis—ultimately undercutting the music industry and artists alike. Blewett and Gollogly (2017) elaborate on this point, stating that, by the end of 2016, paid music streaming subscriptions drove a revenue growth of 60.4%—this growth more than offsetting a “20.5% decline in downloads” and a “7.6% decline in physical revenue” (Blewett & Gollogly, 2017, para. 4). Moreover, Borja and Dieringer (2016) explore the concept of streaming even further in their academic article, positing that the decline in paid digital downloads may be a direct result of streaming—as, music streaming can be perceived as a “complement” for music piracy, in which listeners can freely sample music to pirate later on (Borja & Dieringer, 2016, p. 1). The authors also suggest that streaming can provide a “venue for discovering and listening to new releases”; and after completing their 1052 surveys, conclude that streaming increased the likelihood of piracy by
As Billie Joe Armstrong puts it “ music to me is the air that I breathe, it's the blood that pumps through my veins that keeps me alive”. In this paper I will be discussing how technology has affected the music industry as a whole and the musicians themselves. Music has slowly become an essential part of our lives. We listen to it on our way to work, while working out at the gym, even to put us to sleep sometimes and wake us up. When asked why is music so essential, most people would say that it is relatable and a way for people to express their feelings. Music has evolved in more ways than one, from the different types of genres to a whole different sound. The most impactful change however is the way that music is now streamed. We are in
This information was new to me. Free streaming sites not paying royalties is about to change soon though. Ben Sisario wrote an article in the New York Times telling that this past December the Copyright Royalty Board made a decision that "Pandora and other webcasters like it will have to pay record companies 17 cents for every 100 times they play a song when they stream music to listeners who do not pay for subscriptions. The current rate is 14 cents" (B2). This article focused on the amount of royalties that will be paid to the artists starting next year. The last few articles I looked at didn't have much new information but I did pull a few quotes I could incorporate into my paper. Lameez Omarjee wrote an article for Finweek talking about the toll streaming is taking on the artists and says "Artists would rather sell one album than 100,000 streams" (10). That is a really huge difference and goes along with the point that albums are worth more than streams. The last source I looked at gave me a bunch of statistics which came from, Business Source Completes Joseph Palenchar, the number of people streaming in 2013 was 45 percent and in 2015 rose to 57 percent, 12-24 year olds made up 79 percent of that data. Obviously streaming is very popular with younger generations so it will only be a matter of time before streaming is the main outlet
For rap music to reach the consumer, it is the responsibility of a recording label. (Dannenfeldt, 2008) The recording label is responsible for promoting the recording artist and for distribution of the recording artist’s music to retailers. (Dannenfeldt, 2008) With the increase of digital music being downloaded online there are now digital music distributors that are responsible for promoting recording artists music to companies like iTunes, Rhapsody, etc. (Dannenfeldt, 2008) CD sales have been down since 2008 because of the introduction of digital music. (Dannenfeldt, 2008) iTunes has also seen a decrease in sales, and this is because of illegal downloads and also because many people prefer to stream music rather than download. (Dannenfeldt, 2008) Being able to stream music provides an opportunity to people all over the world to listen to the newest artists because it’s free of charge and only requires WIFI access. IHeartRadio an internet radio station allows listeners to hear the newest American artists and songs. Worldwide radio allows users to hear radio stations from over 60 different countries. (Live radio stations from around the world) Recording artists are unhappy with music streaming because they only receive a fraction of money compared to if a listener purchased a CD. (Thompson, 2015) However, I believe that music streaming is a great opportunity in places where they cannot afford CDs or to
The "business side of music is struggling to generate enough revenue because of the new technology" ("How the Internet Changed Music."). "Most of the people who are part of making a record are paid in royalties, and anytime music changes hands without money being involved, those royalties can’t be paid—which is why so much has been done in recent years to try and reduce music piracy"("How The Internet Changed Music."). iTunes and Amazon has helped by offering cheap downloads for single songs, which allows the customer to only purchase songs they like rather than the entire album ("How the Internet Changed Music."). Spotify and Pandora, who offer either ad-based or paid subscription streaming of their music libraries, are Internet radio stations which have also helped with the piracy problem ("How The Internet Changed
Since the iTunes music store was introduced on April 28, 2003, gross music sales have plummeted in the United States - from $11.8 billion in 2003 to $7.1 billion in 2012, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (Covert). Counterintuitively, during that time consumers were buying more music than ever. How is that possible? It 's because iTunes had made digital singles popular and was selling them cheap. This would change the music industry forever. In 2000, Americans bought 943 million CD albums (Covert), and digital sales didn’t even make a dent in comparison. But by 2007, those inexpensive singles overtook CDs by a wide margin, generating 819 million sales compared to just 500 million for the CD.
The creation of the web was not only a revolutionary movement but also acted as a door for endless opportunities in the music industry. Its ability alone to provide the general public with continuous information is astounding, but it also acts a platform for users to access, distribute and produce music. According to Andrew P.S (2006, 1), the internet was not created with a business mentality but as the years went by it began and continues to be moulded into a continuous path where consumers grasp the aptitude to which they could discover incessant possibilities online such as the access to music. Evidently, the internet solely acts as a huge factor in the shaping of the music industry today, more positively than negatively. Below, we
I am going to be looking at the music publishing companies Universal Music Group, Inc. (UMG), one of the biggest major labels in the music industry and Beggars Group Limited, (BGL), a powerful UK independent label.
The music industry has been around for over two centuries (PBS). Its volatility can be measured by its ability to shift and change according to its time period, the technologies that arise through the ages and the public’s shift in musical taste. The music industry is comprised of many different components, organizations and individuals that operate within it. Some of these components include the artists who compose the music themselves, the producers that engineer the sounds created by the artists, the companies that handle distribution and promotion of the recorded music, the broadcasters of the music such as radio
The evolution of the music industry follows the familiar pattern of digitization. Innovation began with the introduction of the vinyl record, transitioned from the cassette tape to the compact disc and landed us in an era of digital downloads. The emergence of music streaming services like Spotify has progressed the industry even further, giving consumers the ability to access music on demand using download-free online platforms. Spotify faces criticism from artists as a result of the overlap of creativity and commerce. They argue that business activities corrupt creativity, transforming it into a tool for profitability rather than an outlet for expression. Artists insist that Spotify deters album sales, favors established artists and fails to support them financially. However, Spotify was created for consumers. It delivers an accessible alternative to purchasing and downloading music. The interplay between creativity and commerce is changing the nature of the music industry. Spotify has adapted to this change, providing a platform that supports both artists and consumers. Through analysis of the market, artist’s revenue, record labels and consumers, I will argue that artists should accept the evolution of the industry and support Spotify.
Music elicits an emotional and cognitive response in all who listen to it. It is powerful at the individual level because “it can induce multiple responses – physiological, movement, mood, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral” (Francis, 2008,