Technology’s Unwelcomed Landing on the Music Industry

Title: Interactivity and the Future of Digital Distribution and Artist Promotion:Technology Unwelcomed Landing on the Music Industry.

Research Question:

“Can current technology further change digital distribution and artist promotion in the music industry?” Exploring the validity of a movement towards a digital industry, has led to the intrigue surrounded by the observation and discovery of technologies growing influence on an industry.

Description of Research:

The music industry is made up of layers. Therefore, digital distribution and artist promotion will be analyzed and researched according to the stage of the artist. The stages are based on the affiliation the artist has with: a major label, independent label, or has no affiliation either by choice or because they are newly emerging. The breakdown is necessary to provide a distinction and bring continuity to the research.

Parallel to the progression of technology, music has experienced change to its distribution mediums, going from A-Tracks to Compact Discs, and now MPEG-1 Audio 3’s (MP3’s). Artist promotion has undergone a transformation as well. The days of intimately promoting a new artist in a small venue setting is being replaced by webpage creations on social networks, enabling consumers to instantly familiarize themselves with that artist without a period of, disconnect that could occur between an album release and promotional appearance.

Visibility is of great importance in the music industry because it is motivated by image and consumer appeal. How an artist is packaged can determine their success and longevity. Methods like selling tracks and records out of car trunks involve the same ideology as distributing music on the web. It is being done as a way to accessing the main stream, instantly getting music to the consumer, and promotes the artist without restraint.

Predictions

1. With technological application including social networks, and Internet being accessible to the public, to some degree, artists are able to do their own promotion and music distribution.

2. More artists will emerge, leading to an influx of material and a loss of quality.

3.  Having so much information and technology at the disposal of none industry personnel could cause the industry to loss control over artist promotion.

4. The industry is structured to release artists at a specific time and with the growing number of underground artist, it creates competition and loss of revenue.

5. The industry will have to conform or adapt.

6. The use of digital mediums has greatly advanced the industry. However, will it cause the loss of industry jobs? 

7. A new venture that could spawn from this research is formulations of new and innovative jobs, which will merge new technology with current industry jobs.

                                                                                                                                   

Methodology:

1. Evaluate literature based on its relevance to digital distribution and artist promotion.

2. Create a survey to analyze digital distribution.

         a. The survey would be broken down by ages: (18-25), (26-35), (35-40), (40 and  

            plus).

                       b. Questions:

                                    1. Do you listen to music?

                                     2. What type do you listen to?

                                     3. How do you consume music?

                                    4.  Do you download? If so how often? From where?

                                    5.  Do you purchase music? If so how often? From where?

         c. Questions will be analyzed to determine how or if digital distribution can     

            influence change in the music industry.

3. Interview industry professionals.

         a. Utilize resources for Third Day to investigate the effect  

                         technology is having on digital distribution and artist promotion.

         b. Gain insight from a radio station Promotion Director.