Blogging task : What have I learnt about the music industry in 2011?

After reading an article from the guardian in class called Music is thriving, but the business is dying. Who can make it pay again?, we learnt that the music industry is struggling to cope with the demands of the public. Back in the day, it was common for teenagers and adults alike to purchase physical copies of songs, such as cassettes, CD's and vinyl records (oh, the good old days!) and this is where the profit for the music industry came from. However, with all the new technologies available such as Spotify and YouTube, buying a CD is something of the past - everything is readily downloadable for the public. So how exactly has the music industry changed in all aspects? Let's investigate.

Production
Making of music and recording it to a suitable good standard so it can be sold

THEN: Before, it was common for songs to be recorded in a music studio, with basic equipment such as a mic and a recording device. The video editing was very basic, with simple cuts and editing.

NOW: We use expensive equipment such as mixing tables and DJ mixing tables and high-tech computers to do a lot of complicated complex effects. Video editing has expanded and improved - you can make anything happen in a music video nowadays.

Distribution
Distribution is how people hear/know about music and how it gets to the public.

THEN: Before, advertising for music was very different. There was very limited internet, so we had to rely on posters put up around the street, Television adverts and the radio. There were live shows broadcasting artists playing live, such as Top of the Pops!

NOW: Everything is on the internet. We hear about music online through social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Myspace. Maybe artists choose to promote their music through YouTube, which is a user-based website where users can upload videos, or make a music Myspace account and promote their music through there.

Exchange
This is what changes hands between the artists and the audience which is basically how we receive music.

THEN: Music industries made a lot of money through people buying physical copies of music, it was the main source of profit.

NOW: Due to websites such as YouTube and Spotify, paying for music is something of the past. Torrent websites, such as YouTube converters that change the music video to an MP3 file suited to use for a portable device such as a phone or MP3, have become very popular nowadays. So basically, we pay nothing for music. Artists get their profit from concerts and band merchandise such as posters and t-shirts. Sad right?

Overall to conclude, the music industry needs a pick me up and it might have to be a drastic change before we stop downloading illegal copies of songs.

Until then!

Stephanie