Trending Tunes: How Technology is Changing Music

     As I continue this series of social expectations that have come from technologic advances in the media, music has to be one of the biggest areas of change over recent generations.  Music has been part of human civilization, and different variations have always been played across the globe.  Before electricity, the only way to share music with an audience was to play a live concert which seriously limits the amount of people that can enjoy the music.  The funny thing is that music was part of society and culture for thousands of years, so all of the advances have come within the last hundred years or so.  As musicians began selling their music, people wanted to be able to access more songs faster.  Thus pushing technology forward with consumer demand, and then people started creating digital music databases.  Although online music can be very beneficial to both the audience and the artist, there have been some very rough seas during the development of digital downloads.  A great introduction can be found in this YouTube video that gives some solid statistics and numbers to the tech influence on music.

(blagoysavov, 2013)

     Now we live in an age in which we don’t need to own a hard copy of the music we want (Harrison, 2014).  Consumers can buy their favorites from iTunes, Amazon, or other sites and apps.  Not to mention apps such as Pandora, Spotify, and other Internet radio channels.  These basically allow listeners to find specific bands, songs, albums, and more as long as they have an internet connection.  This also negates the trouble of buying an entire album when you only like a couple songs, and most of the folks from my generation have been in that situation.  YouTube has also given the audience a video platform without needing to watch MTV or other music channels.  Laura Harrison, contributor to Socialnomics, explains how the Internet changed the way music is made as well as the ways it can be played.  In her article, How has the Internet and Social Media Changed the Music Industry?, she shows that a couple decades ago the musicians would have to have a corporate executive listen to a demo tape, while today’s market allows for a much more direct approach across a social media platform. 

     Now artists love how some technologies can help them create and produce music, as they have synthesizers, vocal filters, and many more digital devices that enhance creativity.  However, when it comes to software programs like Napster and Limewire the audience was happy, while the artists became agitated quickly.  The technology driven delivery system was severely cutting into the profits of musicians, and in some cases led to costly lawsuits such as Metallica vs. Napster in April of 2000.  Since then, the technology has not stopped, but artists have found ways to control the flow of their own music through these digital platforms.  This has created a well balanced approach that both the audience and the musicians seem to be happy with, and I think this trend will continue to change as technology moves us into the future.

References

blagoysavov (Director). (2013). The Impact of Technology on the Music Industry [Motion Picture].

Harrison, L. (2014, July 23). How has the Internet and Social Media Changed the Music Industry?: Socialnomics Website. Retrieved from Socialnomics Website: http://www.socialnomics.net/2014/07/23/how-has-the-internet-and-social-media-changed-the-music-industry/