Monday, 12 May 2014
Thursday, 8 May 2014
Mock Exam
To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the music industry?
Digital distribution is the main factor that affected the music industry and how music itself is shared. More artists are able to share their music online (free of charge) via websites like Youtube and Souncloud. Throughout this, an increase of prosumers excelled to take advantage of producing music in the easiest possible way. Artists like Beck and Madeon distribute, produce and exchange their own music via horizontal integration (The merger of competing companies from the same line of business and involved at the same level of activity). Music production has become more accessible so that it isn't necessary for artists to go to record labels anymore and pay other people for their music to be made - they can produce music themselves. Commercial television shows like X-Factor use music from the label that it's owned/funded by. This is easier than getting permission from every artist outside the label, also, when prosumers and audiences download the songs from X-Factor, the money goes straight to the record label. Another way X-Factor contributes to the music industry is re-using old songs from the label it's owned by to promote itself. As people re-discover these songs and download them again, more money goes to the record label who own the rights to those songs. This is called back-catalogue. In terms of music exchange processes, artists can share their music online to gain popularity and recognition and views from a wider audience. Audiences are also able to give the artists feedback online about what they enjoyed about their music, what they didn't particularly like and suggestions to what the artists could do differently. This helps the artist build up a relationship with the audience and creates a fan-base. The audience (prosumers) buy the artists' music, merchandise, concert tickets and are bought into the full music experience. The blurring of PDE is caused by online music and digital distribution.
Digital distribution is a positive way for artists and musicians to get picked up and singed by/to a record label. For example, Madeon is now signed to Sony after they saw and heard his mash-up song on Youtube. He now gains money whenever he features one of their label's old songs or backing tracks - he was not able to do this before as a general prosumer. A lot of musicians distribute their music online in the hopes that they'll get recognised by a record label and that they'll be signed, further helping their music career. Exchange is the largest form of music promotion. Independent artists use digital distribution to their advantage becausse it helps promote their music and provides opportunities for gigs and larger audiences to hear their material.
Online marketing works well with digital distribution in the sense that it is more accessible to prosumers. Examples of this are Spotify adverts that promote new releases from all different genres of music and up and coming artists, Youtube advertisements that have previews of an artists new single or album that is soon to be released and iTunes has a "suggested music" section to widen the prosumers' choice of what they could be listening to. Artists can release their music videos online so that audiences can see their image and the song gets promoted. Music videos are a large contibution to the visualisation aspect of the music industry. Music video can cause arguments, disruption, different opinions and sometimes the song has absolutely no relation to the music video. Online marketing is cheaper which gives the artists more money to produce their music and get it to a better quality. The downside to this is that because music is so easily acessible online, other artists and prosumers are able to download and pirate music and pass it off as their own. Music can be purchased online via iTunes, but not all people will do so. Because music is easily accessible online, prosumers may feel entitled to free music and download it illegally without purchasing. Some prosumers still go to record stores and HMV to legally buy the music they enjoy - this helps the music industry get the money back. Existing music stores try to get their audiences involved in the industry again by selling musical produce like headphones, speakers and band merhcandise in attempts to boost sales within the music industry. Other attempts to promote new music is to feature artists on film soundtracks, in television programs, background music in advertisements and in video games (e.g. Fifa, Fallout), this is known as synergy. With digital distribution and illegal downloading affecting the music industry and its economy, many record stores like HMV have shut down as a result of this.
In conclusion, digital distribution has caused a negative effect on the music industry, causing piracy to become more frequent which causes the music industry to lose money. Many people would argue that digital distribution tampers with the purity of music and that it is no longer fully appreciated. Digital distribution causes albums to be leaked online before the release date which is a massive loss for the music industry. Although more prosumers are being exposed to different types of music, people are no longer paying for the music which damages the music industry's economy
Digital distribution is the main factor that affected the music industry and how music itself is shared. More artists are able to share their music online (free of charge) via websites like Youtube and Souncloud. Throughout this, an increase of prosumers excelled to take advantage of producing music in the easiest possible way. Artists like Beck and Madeon distribute, produce and exchange their own music via horizontal integration (The merger of competing companies from the same line of business and involved at the same level of activity). Music production has become more accessible so that it isn't necessary for artists to go to record labels anymore and pay other people for their music to be made - they can produce music themselves. Commercial television shows like X-Factor use music from the label that it's owned/funded by. This is easier than getting permission from every artist outside the label, also, when prosumers and audiences download the songs from X-Factor, the money goes straight to the record label. Another way X-Factor contributes to the music industry is re-using old songs from the label it's owned by to promote itself. As people re-discover these songs and download them again, more money goes to the record label who own the rights to those songs. This is called back-catalogue. In terms of music exchange processes, artists can share their music online to gain popularity and recognition and views from a wider audience. Audiences are also able to give the artists feedback online about what they enjoyed about their music, what they didn't particularly like and suggestions to what the artists could do differently. This helps the artist build up a relationship with the audience and creates a fan-base. The audience (prosumers) buy the artists' music, merchandise, concert tickets and are bought into the full music experience. The blurring of PDE is caused by online music and digital distribution.
Digital distribution is a positive way for artists and musicians to get picked up and singed by/to a record label. For example, Madeon is now signed to Sony after they saw and heard his mash-up song on Youtube. He now gains money whenever he features one of their label's old songs or backing tracks - he was not able to do this before as a general prosumer. A lot of musicians distribute their music online in the hopes that they'll get recognised by a record label and that they'll be signed, further helping their music career. Exchange is the largest form of music promotion. Independent artists use digital distribution to their advantage becausse it helps promote their music and provides opportunities for gigs and larger audiences to hear their material.
Online marketing works well with digital distribution in the sense that it is more accessible to prosumers. Examples of this are Spotify adverts that promote new releases from all different genres of music and up and coming artists, Youtube advertisements that have previews of an artists new single or album that is soon to be released and iTunes has a "suggested music" section to widen the prosumers' choice of what they could be listening to. Artists can release their music videos online so that audiences can see their image and the song gets promoted. Music videos are a large contibution to the visualisation aspect of the music industry. Music video can cause arguments, disruption, different opinions and sometimes the song has absolutely no relation to the music video. Online marketing is cheaper which gives the artists more money to produce their music and get it to a better quality. The downside to this is that because music is so easily acessible online, other artists and prosumers are able to download and pirate music and pass it off as their own. Music can be purchased online via iTunes, but not all people will do so. Because music is easily accessible online, prosumers may feel entitled to free music and download it illegally without purchasing. Some prosumers still go to record stores and HMV to legally buy the music they enjoy - this helps the music industry get the money back. Existing music stores try to get their audiences involved in the industry again by selling musical produce like headphones, speakers and band merhcandise in attempts to boost sales within the music industry. Other attempts to promote new music is to feature artists on film soundtracks, in television programs, background music in advertisements and in video games (e.g. Fifa, Fallout), this is known as synergy. With digital distribution and illegal downloading affecting the music industry and its economy, many record stores like HMV have shut down as a result of this.
In conclusion, digital distribution has caused a negative effect on the music industry, causing piracy to become more frequent which causes the music industry to lose money. Many people would argue that digital distribution tampers with the purity of music and that it is no longer fully appreciated. Digital distribution causes albums to be leaked online before the release date which is a massive loss for the music industry. Although more prosumers are being exposed to different types of music, people are no longer paying for the music which damages the music industry's economy
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Additional Terminology
Convergence
-Coming together of multimedia digital technologies allowing audio, video, graphics, games and animation (eg iphone)
or
- Coming together of institutions (eg EMI bought up by Sony & Universal)
Synergy-
-The coming together of two media texts to benefit them both eg: a film and its soundtrack will be released
Conglomerate-
-An international company with a wide and varied range of commercial interests
Globalisation-
-The growing tendency of industrial and commercial companies to merge and operate on an international rather than regional basis
Vertical Intragration
-The takeover of companies operating at different stages of the production/distribution/exchange - in musicopoly this let you operate 50% more efficiently
Horizontal Integration
-The merger of competing companies from the same line of business (ie if itunes & Spotify merged) and involved at the same level of activity
Major Record Label-
-They are the 'Big Three' music companies which are Sony/BMG, Universal and Warner Brothers
Subsidiary Label-
-A company controlled by a holding or parent company (ie Syco & Sony)
Independent Label-
-Not connected to a major company (ie XL or Ninja Tune)
Niche Audience-
-A targeting of a small but significant group of consumers with a media product directed specifically at their interests
Mainstream Audience-
-The uncontroversial, generally accepted attitudes, beliefs and values of the majority population
Fans-
-Someone who has a strong interest and belief in the band or artist
Prosumers
-Audience as active participantants in the process of both PROducing and conSUMING of media texts
Consumption-
-Buying/downloading/streaming/filesharing music, paying for live convert tickets etc
Web 2.0-
-The second phase of the internet, where the focus shifts from people receiving information and services to people creating and sharing material (music 2.0 is related to this)
Download-
-The practise of selecting and receiving digital information from an online source on a computer, as opposed to sending it by upload
Streaming-
-A method of relaying data over a computer network as a steady continuous stream, allowing playback to proceed while subsequent data is being received
Peer to Peer-
-The sharing of media material between two parties in an equal relationship
Piracy-
-Distribution of media material that infringes copyright law
Portability / Miniaturisation-
-The quality of being light enough to be carried (iphone & Djay app anyone?)
Sampling-
-the technique of digitally encoding music or sound and reusing it as part of a composition or recording - you have done this with your mash ups
Artists and Repertoire (A&R)-
-Is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label. They use your followers/friends on social media now to make this judgement
Record Deal - Contract - Royalties-
-A recording deal is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist or group, where the artist makes a record or series of records for the label to sell and promote
Distribution-
-Promoting music and getting it into shops, on the radio and downloaded for payment
Plugging / Marketing-
-The transmission of information about a media text to a target audience in such a way as to maximise its appeal to that audience
-Coming together of multimedia digital technologies allowing audio, video, graphics, games and animation (eg iphone)
or
- Coming together of institutions (eg EMI bought up by Sony & Universal)
Synergy-
-The coming together of two media texts to benefit them both eg: a film and its soundtrack will be released
Conglomerate-
-An international company with a wide and varied range of commercial interests
Globalisation-
-The growing tendency of industrial and commercial companies to merge and operate on an international rather than regional basis
Vertical Intragration
-The takeover of companies operating at different stages of the production/distribution/exchange - in musicopoly this let you operate 50% more efficiently
Horizontal Integration
-The merger of competing companies from the same line of business (ie if itunes & Spotify merged) and involved at the same level of activity
Major Record Label-
-They are the 'Big Three' music companies which are Sony/BMG, Universal and Warner Brothers
Subsidiary Label-
-A company controlled by a holding or parent company (ie Syco & Sony)
Independent Label-
-Not connected to a major company (ie XL or Ninja Tune)
Niche Audience-
-A targeting of a small but significant group of consumers with a media product directed specifically at their interests
Mainstream Audience-
-The uncontroversial, generally accepted attitudes, beliefs and values of the majority population
Fans-
-Someone who has a strong interest and belief in the band or artist
Prosumers
-Audience as active participantants in the process of both PROducing and conSUMING of media texts
Consumption-
-Buying/downloading/streaming/filesharing music, paying for live convert tickets etc
Web 2.0-
-The second phase of the internet, where the focus shifts from people receiving information and services to people creating and sharing material (music 2.0 is related to this)
Download-
-The practise of selecting and receiving digital information from an online source on a computer, as opposed to sending it by upload
Streaming-
-A method of relaying data over a computer network as a steady continuous stream, allowing playback to proceed while subsequent data is being received
Peer to Peer-
-The sharing of media material between two parties in an equal relationship
Piracy-
-Distribution of media material that infringes copyright law
Portability / Miniaturisation-
-The quality of being light enough to be carried (iphone & Djay app anyone?)
Sampling-
-the technique of digitally encoding music or sound and reusing it as part of a composition or recording - you have done this with your mash ups
Artists and Repertoire (A&R)-
-Is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label. They use your followers/friends on social media now to make this judgement
Record Deal - Contract - Royalties-
-A recording deal is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist or group, where the artist makes a record or series of records for the label to sell and promote
Distribution-
-Promoting music and getting it into shops, on the radio and downloaded for payment
Plugging / Marketing-
-The transmission of information about a media text to a target audience in such a way as to maximise its appeal to that audience
Music Industry Exam Practice
C3 Mock Exam Response:
promotion, production and exchange now cost a lot less. This is due to some digital services
Examples are youtube, twitter and myspace
Indie labels such as XL have used twitter (a social network) to promote one of the vampire weekend gigs on a free youtube livestream to their niche fanbase. The livestream got thousands of views in total by people all over the world, giving not only the band promotion but the livestream service and the indie label (XL Records).
.This is a form of synergy as the bands music got promoted on another form of media, youtube.
This can also show that the indie labels are more focused on gaining a more personal, intimate relationship with their niche audience rather than the money.
Another indie label WARP used two digital medias to promote a new album, one of the songs featured on the album was used in the introduction of a new film, the whole album was also uploaded onto youtube for anyone around the world to listen to.
domino records has a radio station that also allows anyone in the world to listen to which can lead to worldwide exposure for bands and artists.
promotion, production and exchange now cost a lot less. This is due to some digital services
Examples are youtube, twitter and myspace
Indie labels such as XL have used twitter (a social network) to promote one of the vampire weekend gigs on a free youtube livestream to their niche fanbase. The livestream got thousands of views in total by people all over the world, giving not only the band promotion but the livestream service and the indie label (XL Records).
.This is a form of synergy as the bands music got promoted on another form of media, youtube.
This can also show that the indie labels are more focused on gaining a more personal, intimate relationship with their niche audience rather than the money.
Another indie label WARP used two digital medias to promote a new album, one of the songs featured on the album was used in the introduction of a new film, the whole album was also uploaded onto youtube for anyone around the world to listen to.
domino records has a radio station that also allows anyone in the world to listen to which can lead to worldwide exposure for bands and artists.
Independent Record Label Research - Step Five
Does your independent label supply artists for music festivals? If so which ones?
4AD supplies artists for various music festivals: Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury, SXSW, Coachella, Sasquach
Who owns the independent label?
4AD is owned by a parent label called Beggars Banquet which is run by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent.
Where is the label based?
4AD is based in the city of London in the United Kingdom
Does the label have marketing, legal, creative and production departments?
Yes, 4AD has International Marketing (UK), Head of Creative Marketing, General Manager/ Chief Financial Officer, Head of Publicity, Label Manager, Head of Publishing
Is the label attached to a famous club?
No
Can you supply music for the label to consider (A&R)?
4AD supplies artists for various music festivals: Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury, SXSW, Coachella, Sasquach
Who owns the independent label?
4AD is owned by a parent label called Beggars Banquet which is run by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent.
Where is the label based?
4AD is based in the city of London in the United Kingdom
Does the label have marketing, legal, creative and production departments?
Yes, 4AD has International Marketing (UK), Head of Creative Marketing, General Manager/ Chief Financial Officer, Head of Publicity, Label Manager, Head of Publishing
Is the label attached to a famous club?
No
Can you supply music for the label to consider (A&R)?
Independent Record Label Research - Step Four
Chose a couple of artists who are signed to your independent label
Daughter and Bon Iver
Last plays on Last.fm
Bon Iver: 87,731,028
Daughter: 11,144,873
What similar artists does Last.fm recommend?
Bon Iver: Volcano Choir, Justin Vernon, James Vincent McMorrow, Daughter, Bon Iver & St Vincent, S. Carey
Daughter: London Grammar, Bon Iver, Lucy Rose, Ben Howard, MS MR, The Paper Kites
Where would you place them on your Last.fm long tail?
Bon Iver:
Daughter:
Their downloads on iTunes
Bon Iver
Daughter
What similar artists does iTunes recommend?
Bon Iver: James Blake, Vitamin String Quartet, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver
Daughter: Wayward Daughter, Sons and Daughters
Daughter and Bon Iver
Last plays on Last.fm
Bon Iver: 87,731,028
Daughter: 11,144,873
What similar artists does Last.fm recommend?
Bon Iver: Volcano Choir, Justin Vernon, James Vincent McMorrow, Daughter, Bon Iver & St Vincent, S. Carey
Daughter: London Grammar, Bon Iver, Lucy Rose, Ben Howard, MS MR, The Paper Kites
Where would you place them on your Last.fm long tail?
Bon Iver:
Daughter:
Their downloads on iTunes
Bon Iver
Daughter
What similar artists does iTunes recommend?
Bon Iver: James Blake, Vitamin String Quartet, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver
Daughter: Wayward Daughter, Sons and Daughters
More background information with the Music Industry
Mash-up = a mix of songs put together to make a new one
Prosumer = an ameteur producer who makes their own music
Peopke are able to PDE themselves without needing a major label
Mash-ups are promoting the songs used in them
Purity; arguments and debates
X-Factor devalues music
Not paying for your music devalues it
What's more important, visual or the song itself?
Music has become a live experience
Madeon is signed by Sony
Audience giving feedback
A&R = audience and recording/repetoir
Back catalogue
Sampling - is it devaluing music?
Prosumer = an ameteur producer who makes their own music
Peopke are able to PDE themselves without needing a major label
Mash-ups are promoting the songs used in them
Purity; arguments and debates
X-Factor devalues music
Not paying for your music devalues it
What's more important, visual or the song itself?
Music has become a live experience
Madeon is signed by Sony
Audience giving feedback
A&R = audience and recording/repetoir
Back catalogue
Sampling - is it devaluing music?
Introduction to the Music Industry
360 Degree rule = record companies make money of the whole product of the band
The Big 3 = Universal, Sony, Warner. Major labels.
Synergy = When a company uses two different media forms to promote or advertise
Vertical intergration = own one of each PDE, you make all the money
Horizontal intergration = You own everything on one line
Tabloid scandal for dance label artists affects pop artists affects pop artists sales
Promotion at Glastonbury helps artists and record labels gain money
Drug scandals make them lose money
Independent labels specialise in one genre
Youtube = exhibition and production
Exhibition is called exchange
The Big 3 = Universal, Sony, Warner. Major labels.
Synergy = When a company uses two different media forms to promote or advertise
Vertical intergration = own one of each PDE, you make all the money
Horizontal intergration = You own everything on one line
Tabloid scandal for dance label artists affects pop artists affects pop artists sales
Promotion at Glastonbury helps artists and record labels gain money
Drug scandals make them lose money
Independent labels specialise in one genre
Youtube = exhibition and production
Exhibition is called exchange
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