The Impact Of Technology On The Music Industry

Technology and music have always been interlinked. As technology improves ways of recording and distributing music improves. Over history we have gone from scratchy records to clear and portable MP3s. New and innovative technology have helped to shape America’s culture as a nation.

The ever-changing landscape of music distribution, due to constant advancements in technology, is sometimes hard to keep up with for artist, producer, and consumer alike. New editions of textbooks in Music Business classes are issued each year, and changes are made in the industry before the semester is even over. Because of this, it is vital for the industry to not only not only be aware of what is currently going happening, but also be able to foresee the direction that the music business is heading in. In this aspect, it seems that we are at a turning point where consumers and artists are taking

John Covach, the author of What’s That Sound, distinguishes the cultural elements of pop-culture/music within four distinct categories: social, race, business, and technology. Without a doubt, all four of these traits within pop-culture have been evolving and changing ever since the emergence of any pop-culture. The cultural themes of the always-changing society, business, and technology have indefinitely changed pop-culture and vice-versa. In my essay, I want to discuss how the technology and the evolution of technology affected the growth and modernization of popular music.

Using your own knowledge, and the websites above, describe some of your thoughts concerning the influence of technology on the development and proliferation of popular music.

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

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.

Needless to say, the society we live in has been greatly impacted and shaped by music and changes in popular culture, especially over the last number of decades; no matter what music one may be into, as said by H. Goodall in ‘Story of Music’ whether classical, rock, metal or pop, it can make us weep or dance, and reflects the times it was written in. It has delighted, challenged, comforted and excited us (H. Goodall- Story of Music). This almost reliance on music can be seen through the massive development of music playing devices of vinyl to the current IPhone and recent development of things such as Spotify and Apple Music, these are all things that have come about in recent years to the meet the demands of people and the music they want

The Internet has made a major change in the music industry because everything is more mainstream. The internet has provided many different sources for music streaming for listeners who wants to listen music online. Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud are one of the most popular music apps that allowed users to listen to music online without any paid subscriptions. Spotify is a free music app where you can create a playlist from your results of any selection and also you can listen to pre-selected stations that based on genre. The service works as like a music library but instead of purchasing songs, many users can stream music. Apple Music is another free music app that provides any user with access to approximately 250 genre-focused stations.

No one can deny that technology is actively changing the music industry. Production, distribution and sales of music have been affected dramatically within the last 10 years along with artists, composers, and technicians. Most of the changes have been great for consumers, but vastly negative for professionals in the music industry, however a few artists have found ways to adapt to the changing atmosphere of digitally downloaded music and use it to their advantage. We’ve seen music change form from physical, tangible products like records and CD’s to electronic single tracks stored in an invisible cloud. Two major factors in this sudden revolution are online music stores (specifically iTunes) and file sharing websites that allow music to be downloaded illegally.

“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.

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.

The creation of musical works has always been culminated by several different processes and usually involves many people. The process takes a lot of time delaying the release of music. Advancement in technology has played a significant role in the music production by lowering the length of time it takes to produce recorded material. Artists usually sign a contract with a recording company that markets their music products. The internet and low-cost recording technologies have created a “do-it-yourself” music movement. New artists have gained worldwide recognition without landing a recording contract with a major record label.

are new ways to produce, manufacture, and sell music purely for entertainment. Since the first

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.