Week Four. Topic Three.
Filesharing, online downloading and so on obviously changes the way music is consumed. Dispersal of music to many is very easy and can be done very cheapily (free-if illegal). Any band can "make it" through these sites a mainly its to do with word-of-mouth, I think if someone says "download X-they are cool", others will. Because its quick, free and easy-many people will do it because it takes little time and effort (and often-no cost) and therefore, people are more inclide to download and either like or dislike. Social networking sites, like MySpace make it easy to tell people from all ovthe word quickly and easily about new songs and bands-spreading the word globally and quickly.
This has changed the music industry because no record deal is needed to post music-anyone can be famous and becming popular, often gaining "real life" record deals and success due to their onlne fame (Lily Allen, Artic Monkeys etc.). As people are illegally downlading music, it means that no one gets any money from the song-artists, producers, no one. Elton John even went as far as saying that the internet should be "shut down", to stop the internet "destroying music" (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article251007.ece-2007).
I believe we will not need meda companies in the future as people can do the recording, editing, producing and even deistributing their music, films (and anything they wish) from their own bedrooms easily, and often cheaply (if software is downloaded for free as well). It is hard to consider what the music industry will be like in a few years if this continues, it askes the main question-in a few years, if its so quick, cheap and easy to post music online-will everybody have atleast one song that at least one other has downloaded? and how will this effect the future of music?
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I Like your idea that people in the music industry are becoming more independent through sites such as Myspace etc and the ability to do your own recording etc. But I also think that sometimes companies can give those bands the little edge or the help that they may need
ReplyDeleteI agree that there will always been a need for media companies because somethings are specifically needed from them. But new media develops so fast, there could be other ways to assist new artists in the ways which media companies do over the next few years.
ReplyDeleteLauren-Do you think the record companies would even hear about these bands if they hadn't been able to start themselves online? I think myspace/online elsewhere is just like a new demo tape, except the public get to vote for how good they thing it is. Do you agree?
ReplyDeleteThis new type of music distribution I think is alot more democratic, it means that people can almost demand that a band is given a record deal or promoted more heavily by the record labels by "voting with their feet" or getting them lots of hits to their Myspaces. In this way genuinely good music, which may have gone undiscovered before, can now be made more easily accessible as record companies can see a band with an existing fan base, and use their resources and power to increase their popularity.
ReplyDeleteYeah Kayley I think the way it has become more democratic is really interesting. Before the net people's choice was really limited to what was backed by labels and what was chosen by them to be mainstream. Now we not only get to choose what to listen to but choose who becomes big and who doesn't...i think audiences are a lot less force-fed when it comes to music.
ReplyDeleteHow do you think it's different to back artists by listening online to being able to 'vote' by buying CD's?
I think Kay that you make some good points. But do you think that record companies to any good? Such as making the bands/songs they choose..the best they can before we hear them (production etc) instead of someone singing into their computer's microphone? we may be able to listen to what music we like...but are we loosing out on quality?
ReplyDelete*do any good, i meant.
ReplyDeleteI don't think record companies are always necessary to make a good quality record-I know plenty of good quality records that have been recorded in a studio without a label or 'at home' with pretty cheap recording/mixing equipment.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am not talking about completely erasing labels from the picture but more that the current music industry is dominated by less than 5 big labels giving smaller labels no chance to compete. The internet (I'm arguing)give both smaller/indipendant bands a chance to succeed, and smaler record labels (not talking about Sony/BMG etc)