Music in the Digital age
112 — The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications • Vol. 1, No. 2 • Fall 2010
Music in the Digital Age:
The Emergence of Digital Music and
Its Repercussions on the Music Industry
Sadie A. Stafford*
Senior Majoring in Broadcast and New Media
Elon University
Abstract
The clearly ubiquitous evolution of digital music has created an apparent and drastic shift in the way consumers and producers view and use the music industry. The presence of these music files that have been digitally compressed, thus making them easily attainable to all for a small fee or illegally downloaded for free, has made the music industry reevaluate how they are to make a profit off their art form. Social media web sites have also created a visible demand from consumers for artists to maintain a consumer-artist digital relationship, making the Internet not only a promotional vehicle for artists, but also a necessity for profit. These new means of music distributing and marketing have not only pushed the music industry to new levels, but has created a whirlwind of changes as record labels are losing control, with artists and consumers having the upper hand.
I. Introduction
The inspirational Bob Marley once said, “One good thing about music, is that when it hits you, you feel no pain.” But in our current state of being in a digital age, it is the music and the people who create this music that seem to be feeling all the pain. As the digital age encroaches on our lives, consumers are demanding the music industry to keep up with these changes, which in turn, has led to financially devastating consequences for this industry. In a world that is full of conflict, economic despair, war and constant turbulence among nations, there is only one entity that few can say they genuinely hate and that is music. Music is an integral part of our society as well as a part of societies throughout the world. It is art that strives to feed the soul and paint a canopy of
Music in the Digital Age:
The Emergence of Digital Music and
Its Repercussions on the Music Industry
Sadie A. Stafford*
Senior Majoring in Broadcast and New Media
Elon University
Abstract
The clearly ubiquitous evolution of digital music has created an apparent and drastic shift in the way consumers and producers view and use the music industry. The presence of these music files that have been digitally compressed, thus making them easily attainable to all for a small fee or illegally downloaded for free, has made the music industry reevaluate how they are to make a profit off their art form. Social media web sites have also created a visible demand from consumers for artists to maintain a consumer-artist digital relationship, making the Internet not only a promotional vehicle for artists, but also a necessity for profit. These new means of music distributing and marketing have not only pushed the music industry to new levels, but has created a whirlwind of changes as record labels are losing control, with artists and consumers having the upper hand.
I. Introduction
The inspirational Bob Marley once said, “One good thing about music, is that when it hits you, you feel no pain.” But in our current state of being in a digital age, it is the music and the people who create this music that seem to be feeling all the pain. As the digital age encroaches on our lives, consumers are demanding the music industry to keep up with these changes, which in turn, has led to financially devastating consequences for this industry. In a world that is full of conflict, economic despair, war and constant turbulence among nations, there is only one entity that few can say they genuinely hate and that is music. Music is an integral part of our society as well as a part of societies throughout the world. It is art that strives to feed the soul and paint a canopy of
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