The music industry and the internet

Music and the Internet

in order to accommodate these specifications in the number of pages requested (though the paper is 9 1/2 pages as it stands), the paper has utilized ANALYSIS in the article and the discussion section, thereby combining article summary with analysis of sources and thus putting the second point given by the professor "Then write a separate discussion the issue as a whole…" into a proper context

-however, as this paper is a model, it CANNOT be utilized as your own, so please consult the terms and conditions above for proper citation methods

Music and the Internet:

A Shift in Tradition; A Shift to Technology

Many advances in technology have changed the current living population's life, especially in developed countries. These include better food, better medicine, and better connectivity with the rest of the world. Yet perhaps one of the most important things, especially in these Westernized countries, has been the improvement of finding and enjoying entertainment in a variety of mediums, at a higher quality. Film, for example, is not only in color but also in HD (high definition). Cooking shows show simmering pots, for instance, that televisions now render so vivid, one can almost smell the aromas as well. Yet music, another form of entertainment, has perhaps experienced the most transcending change. Whereas only a few decades ago music could only be listened to in the home, on huge record players, one can now have music readily available, literally at one's fingertips, and can download and listen to a song in a matter of seconds. Yes, technology has changed the way people listen to music traditionally, but has also improved the experience, and one of the most important ways in which this has happened has been placing music on the internet, available for all for a small fee (i.e. iTunes $.99 price-wise). Thus, this paper will examine this important topic, music and the internet, and will demonstrate how this has come to fruition, through a variety of analysis found in articles, as well as will discuss the impact of this change upon generations to come in a variety of explanations in the discussion section.

Article Section

There have been many articles written on the music industry and its evolution throughout the past decades with the advent of technology, in both positive and negative light. Though this paper does not take a side and aims to present the information objectively, it is important to mention that some think that internet is good for music, as it is utilized to promote artists much better, and thus they are recognized much quicker and profits come in much more quickly as well. However, those that see music on the internet in a negative light state that the internet allows for music piracy, as there are many sites that promote illegal downloads. This was, at one time, the problem with Napster. Piracy can still not be fully controlled especially in the digital music industry, and remains a problem with legal ramifications. However, the collection of articles below aims to give readers a better idea of the kinds of things that are written about music in the digital age, from a variety of viewpoints, in chronological order for the past year.

1. This first article is found on a music research site, FGI Research, and explains how music has evolved and what devices are now used to listen to music, as well as what this has to do with the present topic, music and the internet. The article, titled "Has the Internet Changed how We Listen to Music?" describes the following:

There is data to suggest that people who listen to music through electronic devices and online devices listen to more music and for longer periods of time;

However, there was also data pointing to older devices, such as radio and CDs, which people still utilize to listen to music;

In order to see whether internet truly has changed how one listens to music, FGI performed further research and found that many more people listen to digital sources of music than radio or CDs, and that these people own more music as well and can listen to music up to 13 hours per week, thereby leading the internet as the provider of music for many people without a doubt;

The article further mentions another statistic; namely, that out of those who utilize digital sources for music, few spend more than $100/month on music, whereas those listeners who utilize traditional sources, especially CDs, can attain this mark much more quickly;

The article concludes with a mention that most music listeners today do utilize music and the internet whether purchasing or listening, and this is a huge change from decades past.[footnoteRef:1] [1: All points from: FGI Research. 2011. Has the Internet Changed How we Listen to Music? [online]. Available at: [Accessed 1 December 2011]. ]

2. The second article comes from Music Week, and is entitled "Going Digital." This article, much as the first one, describes the positives and negatives of music and the internet, in the digital age. The article touches upon the following points:

How Bill Roedy, the former chairman of MTV, allowed the business to "go digital" while also maintaining a TV presence of the network;

The need to recognize the link between music and the internet, especially with the constant development of technology, and the need to expand while also keeping the business thriving in its original locations, one issue for which the internet has been absolutely necessary, and one which has promoted interconnectedness and better communication within the company;

How music and the internet have become virtually interchangeable and how MTV has taken advantage of this technology from the former CEO's point-of-view.[footnoteRef:2] [2: All points from: Music Week. 2011. MASTERCLASS: Bill Roedy: Going Digital [online]. Available at: [Accessed 1 December 2011].]

3. The third article is titled "How the internet has all but destroyed the market for films, music and newspapers," which is a bit more of a negative light than the previous two, and comes from The Guardian website. The article comments upon various points, including:

The loss of jobs and profit in some of the most central music companies, such as EMI, the home of Pink Floyd and The Beatles;

The fact that, according to the article, the "public hasn't lost its appetite for television, journalism or film; shows, articles and movies reach more consumers than ever online. The problem is that, although the internet has expanded the audience for media, it has all but destroyed the market for it,"[footnoteRef:3] all of which is also true for music, as this article aims to hint to the fact that many shows and many songs, for that matter, can be downloaded illegally; [3: Quotation from: Robert Levine, 2011. How the internet has all but destroyed the market for films, music and newspapers [online]. The Guardian. Available at: [Accessed 1 December 2011].]

The necessity to cut down music costs for websites such as Apple who make their products more profitable, but which in turn can make the music industry lose profits due to digitalization and the internet and can, subsequently, for this same reasons of internet utilization, also promote piracy, which is a serious problem now, as opposed to somewhat of a threat in the past.

4. In the fourth article, which comes from Reuters, the author examines "The Supreme Court's rejection of the Internet music download case." This article states:

The Supreme Court refused to review a ruling that stated that a downloaded piece of music does not constitute a performance by the artist;

Artists had argued that this ruling, if continued to go unrevised, can keep costing them hundreds of thousands, potentially millions in royalties yearly;

The artists "lost" with the Supreme Court's standing decision that "Music [downloaded from the internet] is neither recited, rendered, nor played when a recording (electronic or otherwise) is simply delivered to a potential listener," which shows just how much of an impact this medium can have on this industry.[footnoteRef:4] [4: All points taken from: James Vicini, 2011. Supreme Court rejects Internet music download case [online]. Reuters. Available at: < http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/04/us-internet-downloads-idUSTRE7923AM20111004 >. [Accessed 1 December 2011].]

5. In the fifth article, coming from The UK Telegraph, the issue of the iPod and music is analyzed. Here, the article speaks about just how much Apple, with it iPod has changed the music industry, and how it has truly revolutionized it. The article recognizes also that not only is music and the internet a vitality to our life today, but also that Apple has had a great impact upon this reality through its iPod. The article further states, "The iPod was not the first MP3 player but it was the first to get the technology so right it became a mass-market product. Rival machines were bigger and heavier or stored less music, took longer to transfer songs or had poor battery life. The iPod could store 1,000 songs, had a 10-hour battery life and enabled you to transfer lots of songs from your computer quickly. All of this in a device the size of a pack of cards."[footnoteRef:5] This fact can only help move us, music, and the digitalized transfer of music forward, as many download more and more, faster and faster, and as more technology is created, humanity thus advances. [5: Shane Richmond, 2011. Happy 10th birthday to the iPod - the little machine that changed our lives [online]. The Telegraph. Available at: < http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/8841331/Happy-10th-birthday-to-the-iPod-the-little-machine-that-changed-our-lives.html>. [Accessed 1 December 2011].]

6. This next article also talks about how Apple has truly revolutionized much technology, and focuses upon iTunes, the service that the company utilizes to enable its users to download music legally, at a small fee, from its program. The article discusses eight ways in which iTunes has changed music and its link to the internet, including:

Promoting singles over albums;

Album changes (i.e. changing song order or only downloading part of an album);

File sharing (which is controversial due to the potential inevitability of theft);

"Brick-and-Mortar Implosion" which means that, according to the article "record and video stores are fast-disappearing, as the new technologies make more and more content available online;"[footnoteRef:6] [6: All points and quotations taken from: Internet Service Providers Research. 2011. 8 Ways iTunes has Changed the Music Industry [online]. Available at: < http://www.internetserviceproviders.org/blog/2011/8-ways-itunes-has-changed-the-music-industry/>[Accessed 1 December 2011]. ]

Portability of devices;

Enabling radio on these devices and other such functions.

7. The next article is relatively recent and deals with Napster, the company that started the music on the internet craze in the late 1990's. This company has grown to great proportions even despite of various scandals, but even it has had to modernize or risk extinction, the latter of which has somewhat happened according to this article, as Napster has just been sold to Rhapsody, thus changing the original view of music and the internet. For instance, whereas Napster was created to allow users to download music directly, websites such as Rhapsody make automated playlists for users or allow them to buy music at small fees. The two organizations together, with the proper legal acumen, can still stay ahead of the digital music craze, however.[footnoteRef:7] [7: Julianne Pepitone, 2011. Today is Napster's last day of existence [online]. CNN Money. Available at: < http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/30/technology/napster_rhapsody/?source=cnn_bin>. [Accessed 1 December 2011].]

8. Perhaps this last article, again found through a research website, is the most pertinent for it relates clearly to the subject of this paper "How the Internet Has Changed Music." This article proves, beyond a doubt, that music is no longer what it used to be, and neither do we listen to music in the traditional way. Today, music is available almost everywhere in seconds, especially with an internet connection. Points in this article have been made throughout the rest of the articles above, which is why this article is mentioned last; however, one should not detract from its importance, for this article reiterates the most salient points of this discussion and is a fantastic research for a sum-up of previously made points.[footnoteRef:8] [8: Recording Connection Audio Institute. 2011. How the Internet Has Changed Music [online]. Available at: < http://www.recordingconnection.com/reference-library/recording-entrepreneurs/how-the-internet-has-changed-music-aug-2011>. [Accessed 1 December 2011]. ]

Discussion Section and Conclusions

Music is unifying. A song can speak to so many people. In fact, Bob Marley's "Africa Unite" sends the message that only music can unite a divided peoples. This may be true, at times, but it has not been proven. What is clear, both from the introduction presented above, as well as from the article section is that music is ever-evolving and ever-unifying for various populations, but also ever-changing with respect to how fast and how well one can get music. With different devices (iPhones, Blackberry, iPads) music can be downloaded almost instantly. As seen in all articles, many believe that, whether positive or negative, this is a great and important technological stride. Furthermore, this constitutes the change from music in the traditional medium in the home, on record players and even on CDs, to music on the internet, always available as long as one can have an internet connection.

There was a fantastic interview conducted by TIME magazine when this kind of technology was just getting popular. The article spoke about the success of bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, who went from obscurity to popularity because of the internet. This has been the same phenomenon as seen with Justin Bieber, who was also discovered on the internet. Both of these bands would not have reached even close to the same success if it had not been for the internet. Furthermore, they may not have even existed or been known as they are today.

To take the example of the band Death Cab for Cutie, the article describes the group as starting out playing empty clubs for perhaps $50 per night. After years of relative obscurity, however, the band started finding more and more fans were coming to see them play. What was the change? The internet, of course. All the new fans were telling the band that they had heard and bought their songs on the internet before Death Cab even had a website. Eventually, and due to these advancements, the band got a call from the show The O.C., and from then on, as they say, the rest is history. The whole story, as well as many more like it, are told in a book called Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music. In this book, Greg Kot talks about "the demise of the music industry, whether illegal file-sharing is really that bad and why there may never be another band as big as the Beatles."[footnoteRef:9] [9: Greg Kot, 2009. How the Internet Changed Music [online]. TIME. Available at: < http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1900054,00.html>. [Accessed 1 December 2011].]

This book is a fantastic resource due to the fact that it talks about the phenomenon of how music and the internet truly developed together and how this changed the music industry as a whole. In this book, Kot talks about the time when live music was threatened by recordings, whether records, tapes or CDs. Today, however, live music is threatened by the internet. This change, effectuated by the digital age, as well as by technology, truly revolutionized the industry and many argue for the best. However, as seen in the articles above, as well as in this book by Kot, there are arguments against this positiveness. Furthermore, even the Supreme Court has taken on this issue, as seen above, and has decided that really digitalized music is not the same as live music. Thus, the threat continues.

Kot further speaks about this constant threat of technological advancement, and how it has affected music. Every time something new comes out, people think that "live" music will die. Yet this is not true. Despite all the technological advancements today, people still go to shows and concerts to listen to music live, and people still buy music, rather than just download it illegally. Yet one big difference between music today and in the 1960's and 1970's, for instance, is the fact that, due to digitalization, music today is about business, rather than just about music. Thus, this could be a negative due to the fact that music today is of an inferior quality when compared to that a few decades ago. Yet one cannot say truly that technological advancements decreased desire for music; rather, they have promoted new kinds of music. This is, then, what one should focus on rather than the argument between positives and negatives.