The Evolution Of The Music Industry Essay

Every music artist begins somewhere. Every artist had to do something to get their music out there. No one just automatically becomes famous. Then everyone wants to listen to your music. You start out new and anonymous and become more popular over time. Artist become famous by advertising. Every music artist should be able to advertise.

Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services, offering more songs than any other service, including Pandora and Apple Music. After noticing many people using Spotify, both in and out of school, I decided to join and quickly realized why it is so popular. You can access every song in just a few seconds, making it extremely convenient for its users. I no longer have to endure the hassle of searching through iTunes to pay $1.29 for each song that I want to listen to. Spotify also offers a lot more features than other services do. You are able to create your own playlists as well as listen to the many Spotify playlists, which are constantly

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

In “The Music Industry Has Been Revolutionized,” Greg Kot explains musicians in the music industry are experiencing unwanted change around the world from technology since the popularity of file-sharing websites available online. Consumers of music don’t want to pay for music because of the increased availability, although not doing so prevents revenue for musicians. Explained in Kot’s article, increased popularity of file-sharing has made access to music so convenient to the point where the music industry is confused about how to respond to the lack of revenue while still keeping music readily available for consumer use. New technology has allowed the music industry more opportunities in being efficient with producing music. Furthermore, it

The music industry is very sensitive to changes in technology. Since the recording and playing back of audio was made possible in 1877 by Thomas Edison’s wax cylinder phonograph the industry has gone through numerous changes due to the evolution of technology. Multi-track recording was one of the earlier advancements in the music industry and is essential to all styles of music today. The digitization of music is one of the biggest changes in the music industry and has informed the direction of the music industry ever since. Finally, the shift to streaming as a business model has fundamentally changed the way in which users consume music. The music industry is often at the forefront of technology and artist’s are always pushing boundaries.

Digital recording and digital distribution has affected the Recorded Music Industry in many different ways; it has created issues for major record labels and solutions for independent artists. Digital recording has made it harder for labels to stop piracy, and easier for independent artists and labels to distribute and create music. The evolution of digital music has created an apparent and drastic shift in the way consumers and producers view and use the music industry. The existence of these music files that have been digitally compressed, making them easily obtainable for a small fee or illegally downloaded for free, has made the music industry reevaluate how they are able to make a profit from their art form. “These new means of music distributing and marketing have not only pushed the music industry to new levels, but has created a whirlwind of changes as record labels are losing control, with artists and consumers having the upper hand”(Stafford).

In the recent year, illegal downloads have been dominating the music industry not only in the UK but worldwide. In 2015, numbers showed that a massive 62% of people in the UK either illegally download or steam music online, this affect artist’s income when it comes to illegally downloading music as when they see how much money they have made it will be plummeting each month. Throughout the UK many people were surveyed and results showed that, 26% of the people surveyed downloaded music illegally online. In the USA, The Recording Industry Association of America (also known as RIAA) reported that music sales have dropped massive 42% ever since illegal download was invented. This can affect the music industry in many ways some may be that if illegal downloads keep rising it will make sales lower and potentially make it harder for artists getting worldwide recognition and will make it harder for new upcoming artist to get signed by record labels. Spotify, the world largest streaming service, could be affected by people illegally downloading music as Spotify will end up losing money which will be used to pay artist royalties but won’t be able

In the 21st century a battle over how music is delivered has begun. No longer is terrestrial radio the only way in which listeners can discover new music, revisit nostalgic favorites and connect with their respective age groups. Online digital radio outlets have become obvious replacements for men and women between the ages of 18-34. In this day and age individuals have a surplus of options when it comes to accessing music. However, many have moved away from physical products and the technologies/outlets of times past. There are two prominent companies waging this war: Spotify and Pandora. "Competition between the two programs seemed inevitable. And now, Spotify has announced a new radio station option, in effect, co-opting Pandora's

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

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.

The future of music is now. Every aspect of the music industry is changing. The ways in which the public discovers, listens, and purchases music are being revolutionized. As Allen Bargfrede, Berklee associate professor of music business, puts it: “as the music industry evolves and streaming services become the dominant means of listening, recording artists ' and songwriters’ rights and the flow of money within the industry is the single biggest challenge today 's musicians face—.” The internet and its many artist-friendly technologies (YouTube, TuneCore, Bandcamp, Reverbnation, CDbaby and many more services) make it easier for a band to be independent. The tyrannous reign of profit hungry record labels is over; the power, shifted by waves of technological advancements, is now in the hands of the artist.

The music industry is an oligopoly. Since the late 1800’s people like Thomas Edison have been buying up patents in communication technology, forming monopolies, leading to a non-competitive entertainment industry. With only a handful of corporations controlling all aspects of acquisition, distribution and marketing of music, harsh business principles create an exploitative industry that takes the best of what artists have to offer and leaves many of them unable to support themselves. Beginning in the 1950’s with payola and white cover music and ultimately evolving into iTunes and Spotify, the music industry has grown into a billion dollar industry with far-reaching influence and control. Contracts rarely serve the artists’ best interest and many are left out to dry when their usefulness has expired.

Nowadays, teenagers are living constantly surrounded by technology. Even if the younger generation may not see it, technology has had an impact on different factors. The widespread use of digital technology in the music industry has allowed consumers to reproduce digital versions of copyrighted songs inexpensively, with the help of many software and websites. There has been an increase in digital copying activities and those are most of the time claimed responsible for producers’ loss in revenues. While some people claim that the increase of digital technology has killed the music industry, in fact it has lead to innovation and new ways of consuming and sharing music, such as

In the midst of the United States’ “dot com bubble” (years 1997-2000), there was a surge in technology that brought about file sharing and digital downloads. Threatening the survival of the music industry and introducing a unique set of challenges for the industry to overcome. To remain relevant in the new global market of digital music online, the music industry would have to evolve and change with the introduction of each new facet technology had to offer. The introduction of digitally compressed music files, so easily attainable for a small fee or downloaded legally (pirated) for free, made the music industry reevaluate how to make a profit and protect copyrights. Social media created a visible opportunity for both consumers and artists to maintain digital relationships while providing a platform for consumers to follow and discover new musicians and bands, naturally, making the internet a promotional medium for artists. As the corner record shops closed to make way for virtual storefronts and instant downloads; the internet, digital downloading, and social media made an enormous impact on the music industry that has changed the way consumers purchase, source, listen to, and produce music today.

As you know Spotify is an online music streaming service that was launched in 2008.(Spotify for Dummies Introduction). Since, our launch Spotify has over 12.5 million subscribers currently boasts a library of around 15 million music tracks and about 50 million users (Spotify Press 2015). Spotify is a service and "services are deeds processes and performances (Business Service Marketing Page 5) our service provides consumers with music to suit their needs. Though Spotify still sour behind some of the higher end contenders, Pandora being the current market leader, therefore it important to understand how Spotify has managed to succeed in the music streaming industry thus far.