Technology Helps Or Hurts Musical Artists
1. Do you think the internet as a technology helps or hurts musical artists? Why do so many musical performers differ in their opinions about the internet?
With the development of the internet and the influence that technology has on musical artists, it has become a convergence that now run hand in hand. Before the internet, artists were recording their music in studios and producers were selling their CD’s to customers in person. Ten years ago, the biggest record labels were worried about online piracy. Watching the decline of CD sales made record labels decide to license their records to new online services. Consumers illegally used programs like Napster and Limewire to pirate music, waiting to download tracks when they were made available.
Pirated music became a widespread problem for record labels as there was no way to police the music duplication. The idea for musical artists was to be able to share music while collecting small fees and discourage fans from stealing music online. But most of the listeners enjoy the free music online without the necessity to pay for it, so making money on streaming music isn’t really possible unless they count on the charity of the fans. However, websites like YouTube or Sound Cloud make it possible for unknown artists to become famous. These artists have no money and maybe even not enough to record a CD, but at least such online sites can make them known to the public. For example, Justin Bieber was an unknown kid at the age of 14 with just a guitar and a video camera. His videos have been watched millions of times on YouTube and eventually producers noticed him and he became famous. Technology and the internet have changed the way we source and listen to music but it has also changed the way music is produced. Thanks to the internet, musicians and singers now have more control over their own fates. They are able to produce their own tracks, upload them to the internet and promote them accordingly. This not only helps listeners discover them but also producers, helping them to get signed and make it big time. One of the biggest concerns for artists is that they just want to make sure they have control over their creations. People should not be allowed to sell copies of artists work without permission, but you can’t always track who the original creator of the work was. However, artists and musicians on all points of the spectrum from superstars to starving singers have embraced the internet as a tool to improve how they make, market, and sell their creative works. They use the internet to gain inspiration, build community with fans and fellow artists, and pursue new commercial activity. Across the board, many say that the internet has made it possible for them to make more money from their music than that it has made it harder to protect their work from piracy or unlawful use. To conclude, the internet is a good way to become famous as it is a free means to spread music, but for those who are already known in the music industry, it can be a waste of money.
With the development of the internet and the influence that technology has on musical artists, it has become a convergence that now run hand in hand. Before the internet, artists were recording their music in studios and producers were selling their CD’s to customers in person. Ten years ago, the biggest record labels were worried about online piracy. Watching the decline of CD sales made record labels decide to license their records to new online services. Consumers illegally used programs like Napster and Limewire to pirate music, waiting to download tracks when they were made available.
Pirated music became a widespread problem for record labels as there was no way to police the music duplication. The idea for musical artists was to be able to share music while collecting small fees and discourage fans from stealing music online. But most of the listeners enjoy the free music online without the necessity to pay for it, so making money on streaming music isn’t really possible unless they count on the charity of the fans. However, websites like YouTube or Sound Cloud make it possible for unknown artists to become famous. These artists have no money and maybe even not enough to record a CD, but at least such online sites can make them known to the public. For example, Justin Bieber was an unknown kid at the age of 14 with just a guitar and a video camera. His videos have been watched millions of times on YouTube and eventually producers noticed him and he became famous. Technology and the internet have changed the way we source and listen to music but it has also changed the way music is produced. Thanks to the internet, musicians and singers now have more control over their own fates. They are able to produce their own tracks, upload them to the internet and promote them accordingly. This not only helps listeners discover them but also producers, helping them to get signed and make it big time. One of the biggest concerns for artists is that they just want to make sure they have control over their creations. People should not be allowed to sell copies of artists work without permission, but you can’t always track who the original creator of the work was. However, artists and musicians on all points of the spectrum from superstars to starving singers have embraced the internet as a tool to improve how they make, market, and sell their creative works. They use the internet to gain inspiration, build community with fans and fellow artists, and pursue new commercial activity. Across the board, many say that the internet has made it possible for them to make more money from their music than that it has made it harder to protect their work from piracy or unlawful use. To conclude, the internet is a good way to become famous as it is a free means to spread music, but for those who are already known in the music industry, it can be a waste of money.