The Digital Age in Music: How Advancements in Technology Are Re-Shaping the Industry
The Digital Age in Music: How Advancements in Technology are Re-shaping the Industry
Michael Martin
Monmouth University
Abstract The ever-changing landscape of music distribution, due to constant advancements in technology, is sometimes hard to keep up with for artist, producer, and consumer alike. New editions of textbooks in Music Business classes are issued each year, and changes are made in the industry before the semester is even over. Because of this, it is vital for the industry to not only not only be aware of what is currently going happening, but also be able to foresee the direction that the music business is heading in. In this aspect, it seems that we are at a turning point where consumers and artists are taking advantage of new technologies to reshape the industry, and developers are being left behind. Record companies are struggling to maintain their stranglehold on the music industry, most notably through utilizing age-old copyright policies. This paper explores the different avenues bands are taking to make a profit, the effects of digital music distribution on the industry, and proposes the question of whether record companies will win the war against file-sharing, use it to their advantage, or be left in the dust.
Introduction In this new age of constant technological advancement - an era that may very well be looked back on as a 'digital renaissance' of sorts - it seems that everything in our world is changing. One of the greatest vessels and products of this change is our media. Not only is the media itself different, but the way we perceive it, interact with it, and distribute it is now almost completely different due to modern technology. But while digital media seems to be evolving faster in some areas than we can even keep up with, there are other areas that are sorely lagging behind. Focusing on the media of music, I'm referring mainly to copyrights. Because of ancient copyright laws that are stubbornly clung onto
Michael Martin
Monmouth University
Abstract The ever-changing landscape of music distribution, due to constant advancements in technology, is sometimes hard to keep up with for artist, producer, and consumer alike. New editions of textbooks in Music Business classes are issued each year, and changes are made in the industry before the semester is even over. Because of this, it is vital for the industry to not only not only be aware of what is currently going happening, but also be able to foresee the direction that the music business is heading in. In this aspect, it seems that we are at a turning point where consumers and artists are taking advantage of new technologies to reshape the industry, and developers are being left behind. Record companies are struggling to maintain their stranglehold on the music industry, most notably through utilizing age-old copyright policies. This paper explores the different avenues bands are taking to make a profit, the effects of digital music distribution on the industry, and proposes the question of whether record companies will win the war against file-sharing, use it to their advantage, or be left in the dust.
Introduction In this new age of constant technological advancement - an era that may very well be looked back on as a 'digital renaissance' of sorts - it seems that everything in our world is changing. One of the greatest vessels and products of this change is our media. Not only is the media itself different, but the way we perceive it, interact with it, and distribute it is now almost completely different due to modern technology. But while digital media seems to be evolving faster in some areas than we can even keep up with, there are other areas that are sorely lagging behind. Focusing on the media of music, I'm referring mainly to copyrights. Because of ancient copyright laws that are stubbornly clung onto
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