Music Streaming Showdown

When wanting to listen to a song today, one no longer has to buy or download a physical copy. In today’s world, streaming has become one of the top ways of retrieving music content. This major change has led to a profound shift for the music industry and its artists. It has developed a continuous conflict that affects the way music is distributed and how artists make a living. Listeners stream music electronically through their computers, phones, cars, and more. Most of these streaming platforms allow for the content to be free, which directs to the question of whether music should be free or not. Streaming is a topic that has presented itself to be a valid issue on whether it ultimately hurts or helps artists and their careers. Streaming has both pros and cons, but in order to aim to figure a possible solution there needs to an examination of the history of the issue, a proper analysis of both sides, and evaluating its importance.

“We now have the ability to consume massive amounts of torrent or streams of music” due to its availability (Muller). People can simply go online and listen to their favorite artists for free with the click of a mouse. For example, global online audio distribution platforms such as SoundCloud, Pandora, and Spotify all boast a vastly enormous library of online music; furthermore, these platforms allow their users to listen to any song for free and construct their own music playlists that is unique for each user. Why bother buying a CD or an album when you can listen to the songs you want to at any time on your phone or your laptop?

Since music streaming on the cloud has begun, it has changed the way people listen to music and also the way that artists share and promote their music. The music industry started out sharing its products by selling hard copies like vinyl record and tapes. People who purchased this music who wanted to listen to it on the go or share it with friends had to physically transport

As a company in the streaming music Industry, it is essential to have a competitive advantage in order to stay in the run. Indeed, a big competition is established between all the companies which are using more or less the same business model. In the streaming music Industry, it is easier for clients to make implicit bargaining. Indeed, the more subscribers a company has, the more music labels will be in

LimeWire, as many know, was a free peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing program. In August of 2006, LimeWire found themselves in some major legal trouble when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) demanded LimeWire be ceased for good. In the suit, the RIAA accused LimeWire of operating a web service ““devoted essentially” to piracy by allowing users to upload and download songs without permission.” (“Major Record Labels Settle Suit with LimeWire”).

I have used Pandora Radio and Hulu and liked them both for the most part. They allow you to have entertainment anywhere you would like, whether it’s music or TV. As for Pandora Radio I liked it when it was free once you had to pay for it I switched. This is because when I’m in my garage, I have music playing 24/7. It’s very user friendly and welcoming so that just about anyone can use it. The impact that Pandora Radio has on the society is very minimal in my opinion, but for as for businesses it gives them a way to have music for their employees or customers. The plus with this is that it increases moral for employees so everyone will work harder and want to be there.

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

The major music-only stores such as Tower Records (which once wielded considerable influence in the industry) went bankrupt, replaced by box stores (such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy). Recording artists began to rely primarily on live performances and merchandise for their income, which in turn made them more dependent on music promoters such as Live Nation (which dominates tour promotion and owns a large number of music venues.)[6] In order to benefit from all of an artist 's income streams, record companies began to rely on the "360 deal", a new business relationship pioneered by Robbie Williams and EMI in 2007.[7] At the other extreme, record companies also used simple manufacturing and distribution deals, which gives a higher percentage to the artist, but does not cover the expense of marketing and promotion. Many newer artists no longer see any kind of "record deal" as an integral part of their business plan at all. Inexpensive recording hardware and software made it possible to create high quality music in a bedroom and distribute it over the internet to a worldwide audience.[8] This, in turn, caused problems for recording studios, record producers and audio engineers: the Los Angeles Times reported that, by 2009, as many as half of the recording facilities in that city had failed.[9] Consumers benefited enormously from the ease with which music can be shared from computer to computer, whether over the internet or by the exchange of

The music industry has changed in very quickly in so many ways it almost seems impossible. Thomas Edison recorded the first voice in 1877 and now we listen to hundreds of different types of music on devices that hold more information than the computers that sent the first astronaut to the moon. People have been getting music in tons of ways for the past hundred plus years and when the internet came into the picture, the music industry sky rocketed. People could get their own music out and be heard just by clicking a few measly buttons and using the internet to stream millions of songs with high speed. But even though the internet has helped the music industry by making it easier to distribute, advertise, and produce music, it still has its disadvantages.

For artists that haven't really been discovered yet, it is vital that they get paid for their work. While I understand that some of the larger artists don't have this problem, some put a lot of money to make an album and are left with little money to support themselves. Rolling Stones Magazine explains the Fair Deals Digital Declaration as, “evenhanded accounting for the labels' artists with regard to digital sales and streaming.” In other words, larger artists are more likely to be paid for their music with upfront payments, so smaller groups joined together to get fair pay. Since they already have to fight to even get a little bit of pay because they are still trying to get discovered, it leaves less money for them to support themselves. Some people have families, houses, and other expenses that need to be thought of when living in the music business. By paying for music, you support these small artists that struggle to keep making

When people illegally download music they are robbing the artists of royalties. The fact that people are increasingly stealing music begs a further question of how slippery this slope is. Will the music industry stop making money altogether because people can just find a way to get their music illegally? While this is the far extreme it is important to note the far reaching implications of what this could mean for the industry. Striking losses of profits would cripple artists and everyone involved in producing or distributed the music. An example of how the music industry is losing profits on royalties is evident with the declining us of CDs. Today, the CD is becoming an outdated and inferior product that only true fans of an artist will seek out. Another example is when music is being purchased legally online. When consumers purchase online music it is almost always going to be a lower cost. As a consumer, you have the option to just buy the songs you like.

He can still remember it as if it was yesterday – how he had his heart broken for the first time and not tell anyone. Through his growing years, his mom bought him numerous records of his favorite artists. He loved it dearly and listened to it every day. When he realized that some of it had been broken, he tried searching for new copies on record stores, but he was not able to find any. On the back of his mind, he was asking, “How can they not carry those amazing records anymore?” However, all those years of pain were momentarily forgotten when music streaming was introduced in the 2000’s. “It was life changing” he said. Now, he would be able to listen to his favorite music through Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube. Streaming is the ability to listen to different songs, and watch videos without having to download the file; it is very convenient, and most people find it a blessing, for they can listen to the type of music or even a particular artist that they desire in just one click and cost-free. However, some believe that although it is beneficial for most people, streaming music comes with a huge price. Unseen by the naked eye, streaming music exponentially ruins the music industry.

“Before the days of YouTube and the Internet, a band 's chances of striking it big depended on record companies. If a band was lucky enough to get a record deal, it gained access to a label 's vast resources and connections. The company paid for the band 's studio time, … and got its music played on the radio, reaching millions of record buying Americans” (Majerol, 1). Now, anyone with talent can post a video of themselves and become an internet sensation, only to then receive a deal with a label to continue growing their career. The issue is, with the Internet came digital downloading, and with the growing popularity of digital downloading came illegal downloading, known as Digital Piracy, which has affected the music industry greatly. This issue affects everyone involved in the Music Industry. From the small CD store owner to the Artist on stage, everyone has and continues to be affected by the growing popularity of digital downloading services. Artists, producers, and songwriters lose an estimated 12.5 Billion USD every year to illegal digital music services. Further, the economic impact from [digital downloading] is an estimated loss of 2+ Billion USD (Storrs, 1). This money affects the “little guys” in the industry and the average worker within the industry.

Introduction: Setting the trend for the future, the distribution and consumption of recorded music transformed dramatically with the launching of Apple’s iTunes in 2001. The proliferation of online music subscription services and other music sharing services exerted a great pressure on the conventional music distribution business model. Combined with this transformation, piracy of digital music had a profound impact on the whole industry. These worsening conditions in the market place for recorded music forced both established and upcoming new artists to experiment with new ways of selling their music.

Companies like Apple, have decided that it is best to get in with the downloading business. However, an end to the illegal downloading conflict remains to be realized. The RIAA and associated artists continue to wage war against illegal downloaders while computer savvy audiences persist in sharing music files online every day. While it is undoubtedly true that downloading music is a crime, it remains to be proven that it is wrong. Without establishing this principle, most downloader's are likely to continue the activity. Even with new, inexpensive and available means of downloading files, they can still be shared for free online. The rift must be repaired between music lovers who feel that they have been taken advantage of in the past and recording companies and artists who worry about their future livelihood.