Music sharing online.
When thinking about this topic, a lot of what could be said here is discussed in an article basically talking about the ongoing battle between vinyl, CD’s and MP3. The writer discusses how much things have changed within the music industry in the past decade because years ago, most DJ’s were in the transition between vinyl and CD’s. Whereas todays D’js ‘seems to be a new internet generation of discjockeys coming - people getting their music from MP3s off different web pages, trading with others and the vilified online trading services. They download the MP3 files convert them to cd and bam they play the hottest hits as well. There is even software now where you can mix directly with MP3s. For a music industry used to one form of promotion, the internet and other new forms of distribution are creating all kinds of mayhem.’ (2003)
This ‘mayhem’ is what is bringing such a controversy to the topic.
I think that soon CD’s will be such a thing of the past as cassettes and tape recorders for music. Why go out and buy a CD of your favourite artists for £14.99 when so many thousands of people are currently downloading it straight onto their laptops and computers for free whilst comfortably sitting at home with a cup of tea.
If this truly happens then will artists even bother continuing because surely there will barely be any money involved if the business goes completely online? ‘When you download MP3s, remember all the people who worked to put the song together. If you like it and listen to it, buy it. If you don't, there may not be more songs like it in the future.’ (2003)
DJ Ron Slomowicz (2003) ‘Vinyl vs CD vs MP3’ http://dancemusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa052603a.htm
i like your point about the net causing mayhem. It is not a word i'd normally associate with this. Do you think this trend will continue or do you think it will start to wear off, as CD'S are beginning to and LP's have?
ReplyDeleteHmmm...I'm not so sure about the imminent demise of the CD - and here's why. CDs and casettes didn't have the barrier of an entirely new technology or literacy in the way of using them. Casettes followed on from LPs in bunging a thing into a machine and playing it - as did CDs. But with MP3s and downloading music, you have to be internet-literate to start with. You also have to be bovvered to choose. I can't be (bovvered). I just want to buy and go. And that way I get to go to Cafe Nero and have a cup of tea and a sticky bun too......
ReplyDelete....but on the other hand, I have a feeling you'll have a retort to my p.o.v. - so have a go ....
I can see what issy is saying. However i dont think that in the near future artists will say oh whats the point because there's no money in it anymore. I'm a illegal downloader (and god i hope i dont get fined for saying that) and its not like i would completely dismiss CD's altogether. If i just want want to try out a new artist i would just download it because i don't mind about the quality of the music, but if i'm following an artist i would go out my way to buy their CD's, as sometimes there's bonus material that you just dont get if you download. So i'm half and half.
ReplyDeleteThen you've got the people who choose to download but pay for it, through 'Itunes' or many other websites. BBC Radio 1 have adopted the download chart for people who no longer buy CD singles, so there's obviously a market there, overwise, they would of stopped the singles charts altogether.
People do have the option to download music but instead of this form of consuming music taking over traditional forms, it has been incorporated into our society, maybe as a benefit that we are now faced with millions of artists on the web etc, a change from the little choice we had as kids, listening to only boyzone and spicegirls.
also not forgetting about the people who just buy CDS (alison) ha
ReplyDeleteHmm ok I think I agree with Micha here.. but surely this would mean that artists would then solely rely on the 'followers' and true fans of their music as their income, which would obviously be a good source if you were, say, Michael Jackson selling certain concert tickets for £1000 a go - unfortunately :( ha.
ReplyDeleteBut i think the whole point of this new technology and literacy (as i agree with Alison that you do need to be internet and computer literate for this) is that it is all about 'convenience'.
This day and age, with so many things making life so much easier and stress-free, it was only a matter of time until such cultural influences as music would somehow change and develop into a simpler way.