Mock exam - With corrections

Major record labels, do not have full control over the music industry. Although they have successful and global artists, so do indie record labels, and DIY and Prosumers can reach a global audience too. Prosumers now use digital media technology, the internet, to distribute and exchange their music to a global audience. Majors still have some power, specifically with the mainstream audience, but indie labels do as well, reaching a global audience as they do.

Sony record label, are a major record label, whose have a subsidiary label, called Syco founded by Simon Cowell. One direction, were the biggest selling boy band of 2013, winning several awards such as a BRIT award, MTV and BBC teen choice award. This shows that Sony are very successful already, but because of digital media technology, this means that Sony have to now use convergence to keep current in order to get a remain with a global and mainstream audience. One direction use Youtube to Distribute their music, using visualisation through music videos. This allows fans to have a stronger relationship with them because they are able to see them. This is style over substance, because a music video is essential for them in order to keep their young female target audience. Itunes distributes their 'This is us' film, this is more efficient and quick for the audience to purchase this. Syco also have a game online, on a website called cyber punk, a game which is interactive and directed for young girls because of the pink colour scheme. The website says it is a way to show how much you care about One Direction, so this is helping to create a stronger relasionship with One Direction because they can show 'how much they care'. Rewards are also given, such as phone calls and Tweets (Twitter a social media website, digital media technology), this makes fans feel like they know One Direction. The Cyber Punk website is linked to One Directions main website page, where their music is played, the only way to stop this is to mute your computer. This shows they are constantly advertising their music, in order to get people to buy their music, which you can also do on the website along with merchandise, which is free advertisement for them. 

1D also have an app, which features their music another use of distribution. Sony Is horizontally and vertically integrated, which means they are able to do PDE at a lower cost, so they can spend more on digitial media technology to rival with any competition. For example they have can produce more music videos, with unique ways of presenting visulisation. Pharrel Williams recently had produce a 24 hour music video, to distribute. Which could be said it is more style over substance, the idea is very unique, but is it actually worth watching? The X-factor allows Sony and Syco receive exchange, through voting, Sony and Syco can know what song is the best for that act or their dress sense. Sony also uses convergence in other digital media technology, such as radio, allowing them to reach more audiences.

Domino records are the opposite of Sony, because they are an independent label. Although Domino do not make as much money as Sony, because they have a niche target market, they have a global audience, through digital media technology. Similar to Sony, Domino's music is still substance over style. Although they offer an alternative style of music, they are still more about the 'Indie' style than the substance. Domino's biggest  artist signed with them are the Arctic Monkeys, with Hot Chip the second. The Arctic Monkeys dress in dark clothes, with a rock/indie feel to them, which the audience follow who also like this genre of music, which creates a relationship with them because they have similarity.The Arctic Monkeys have a global audience, seen from their Youtube total views at over 143 million. Also they played at the Olympics opening ceremony, which is broadcast through digital media technology (radio and internet) to a global audience. The Arctic Monkey's are played on BBC radio 1 regularly, as are One Direction showing they have a national audience and are as popular on this radio station. They create this large audience,by creating a relationship which is made through distribution through their Youtube, Social media, Domino's website and Domino's youtube channel,which tells the audience what they are doing, dates etc. making them feel involved and important, making their a participatory culture.

Beck is a DIY artist, he is famous from being signed in 1993 to Geffen Records, and major record company who wanted to sign him, Warner Bro records, but he turned them down. This allowed him to have an existing niche audience, so when he unsigned he was able to 'Do it yourself'. He created a website called sing reader, and after that an album, which were song sheets, so his fans who were artists (not just his audience) where able to produce, play and record the song as well as making music videos(using final cut pro, Avid, DaVinci Resolve and premiere pro). This can be done with digital media technology, using garage band, online websites, Soundcloud and other software's/hardware's)  The website also allows these versions to be distributed, and comments can be left (exchange). This blurs together PDE, which creates a stronger relationship with Beck and his fans, because they feel involved if they are the artists, and if fans are commenting they do as well. This also allows music to be multi genre's so it appeals to a larger audience, and the use of digital media technology distributes it to a global audience. Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Itunes, Spotify and Soundcloud all distributes music, either from Beck himself or the artistic fans.

A prosumer is a consumer of music who also produces in. Madeon is from France, and has a global audience. He creates mash up's, a soundscape of sample taken from songs by signed artists, 'Pop culture' was a mash up he made with 42 songs, taking 2-3 second samples. This mash up was what made him popular, using Youtube, Soundcloud and social media websites, he blurred together PDE, allowing him to reach a global audience. As well as create a strong relationship with his global audience, this is because he was not signed yet, and he was just a consumer himself, yet he had the skills to produce a mash up. Mash up's can be seen as devaluing music, as does style over substance, but I argue that it is not. Because it is free advertising for the original song's record label and artists. But others may see it as removing a meaning of a song, and recycling it into just a sound. 

In conclusion major record labels do not have the most power in the music industry, because of the internet allowing PDE to be blurred together. Majors still do have control over the music industry,because they are vertically and horizontally integrated, but this is only mostly over mainstream audiences so doesn't allow them to have all power. But their relationship is not as strong, because they are the most concerned with style over substance which is wanted by their young target audience, but not by all audiences. With digital media technology, DIY, prosumers and independent labels can now have as large of an audience because they can blur PDE making the processes inexpensive.

Music Industry Exam

Plan:

To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied?

Digital distribution is the distribution and marketing process done digitally, it has developed vastly in the last 10 years, allowing independent (Domino), prosumers (Madeon) and DIY (Beck) to reach a larger audience. Mostly it has a positive affect, but some negatives for majors (Sony).

Domino Records are an indie record label, located in the UK, they use the internet to distribute some of their music. Traditionally an independent record label have a more niche audience, but with the development and the high level of the consumption of music through the internet, has changed the smaller audience. Allowing independent labels to be very successful, and have a global audience, Domino mostly uses, their own website, and they have their own YouTube channel in which they can advertise and distribute their music. Some of their artists also use Youtube to distribute their music, visulisation of the music videos and the audio, which is manged by web distributors, The Arctic Monkeys do this. The production and exchange also uses digital technology to reach a larger audience, but also to produce the music, at a more cost effective method, because producers etc. do not have to be hired. This blurrs Production, Distribution and Exchange together, which in turn allows the company to have a stronger relationship with the audience. 

Madeon is a prosumer, who became very successful from distributing his mash up 'Pop Culture', digitally. He used digital technology to produce the mash up using FL studio as one of his main software, distributing using Sound Cloud and Youtube and exchanging using Youtube and social media. He blurred the PDE process, making his connection with his global audience, because he is a consumer just like his audience but actually produces, distributes and exchanges his mash up's all by himself. Marketing himself as a prosumer, allowed other prosumers to turn his video to hi audience, into a music video. The current video was him producing the music, which could be argued that visulisation is interesting and unique, but may be directed to a more niche audience. A global audience or mainstream audience like music videos, prosumers made music videos, making a stronger relationship with Madeon. The affect on the consumption and marketing from the hugely popular digital distribution, is positive allowing Madeon to have a large audience, and allowing him to produce professional sounding music. But Mash up's as Madeons, could be considered devaluing music, because the sound scape, are taking second samples from original songs. This means the meaning of those songs is lost, because they are recycled to create a new song. But it is also considered a current unique way of advertising older songs, allowing the global audience of Madeon download those original songs, all the songs are copyrighted, so the rights go to the artists and record labels, either currently or on their back catalog.

Do it yourself, an example being Beck, also uses digital distribution greatly, allowing him to reach a global audience. Beck's book 'Song Reader' is a book of music sheets, used by his fans making the song, and creating visulisation to those songs with music videos. Those fan's commonly use Youtube, because it is so widely available, free advertising and extremely popular therefore a global audience. But this affects Beck positively because he owns all of the rights, so any money made go's to him.

Major labels, have a more of a negative affect. Sony are apart of the 'Big 3' and a conglomerate label, so have a global audience, recently they have used traditional methods, rather than blurring PDE together ,as the other 3 case studies have shown. Now that the internet has developed and become much more used in recent years, these traditional methods of reaching a larger audience, Record stores, Advertising on TV, film, radio and magazines, is no longer a must, allowing indie labels to reach a global audience. This means that Sony now have more and more competition, Arctic Monkeys signed to Domino is as known and successful as Leona Lewis signed to SYCO, the subsidiary label of Sony. The raised competition has not yet affected Sony hugely, but if this continues and independents become vertically and horizontally integrated, Sony may lose profit and artists. Currently with Sony's subsidiary, SYCO they have SYCO TV company, producing X factor allowing Sony to advertise their music on another medium, because they are vertically and horizontally integrated. One Direction have a huge global audience, and are main stream, and are more style over substance. The visulisation, way they look and music videos, are seen as more important than the actual music. 

Overall digital distribution affects the consumption and marketing of music positively, from look at DIY, Prosumer and independent label case studies. But affects Major record labels negatively, but if they do not want to become like EMI who were in the 'Big 4', going against the audience so then being bought because they were not popular anymore, they will have to develop the technology and do with the majority. So in conclusion it is having a positive affect, because it is helping Domino, Beck and Madeon and Sony may not be so in charge of the industry anymore. 

Terminology and case studies list

Spotifty - A website which allows you to buy monthly/yearly, to listen to any music you want. This is a way to distribute music.

Style over Substance - The appearance (one direction), is being seen over the music.

Prosumers - Consumers of music, producing their own music.

Devaluing music - Reducing the value of music, more worthless. Because of illegal downloading, formula music.

Visulisation - What you are seeing, music videos and appearance of musicians. Example Gangnam style, the dance made the song.

Convergence - Viewing music on different mediums, Apps, Internet (Youtube etc.), Radio, TV and film. 

Subsidiary Label - A record label which is owned/has a mother label. Example, SYCO is a subsidiary label to Sony records. Meaning Song has rights to all of SYCO's artists/back catalog.

Conglomerate label - A record label in which own a number of companies. Sony is a conglomerate label.

Synergy - A synergy is when a company own/have another company of a different product. For example SYCO are a record company as well as a TV company, so they can use record on Xfactor, meaning they have the rights so get money when someone downloads.

Exchange - The way the music is exchanged/shared/listened too. TV, Film, Radio, Internet and Apps are all examples. 

Distribution - The way the music is distributed, so how the physical and downloads are sold. Examples are HMV and Itunes.

Production - The way the music is produced, software, studios etc.

Repackaging - When music is repackaged, it is taking the original and changing it. For example on the X factor, Misha B sang would I lie to you, changing it from the original by Charles and Eddie.

Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace etc.) - Social media is used to advertise and Exchange music, it allows record companies to reach a global audience.

SYCO -  A subsidiary label, owned by one of the Big 3, Sony. Founded by Simon Cow, also have a synergy with a TV company, famous for X factor. As well as a Film company, making One Directions film, because they are signed to SYCO.

The Big 3 -  3 major record companies including, Sony, Warner music group and Universal Music group. These are all Conglomerate labels, there used to be The Big 4, including EMI as well.

Sony - A Conglomerate label, apart of the Big 3 the parent of SYCO.

Universal - A conglomerate label and apart of the Big 3.

Multinational Corporation - A corporation that produces and sells products, in/to multiple countries.

Vertical integration - The take over of companies at different sectors of PDE. A&R(talent scouting), CD manufacture, Web distributor, Music tv channel, Venue, etc. are all examples.

Horizontal integration - The take over of companies with the same end product, so they can buy record labels with different genres. 

A&R - Artist and repertoire are the side of the record label, who scout for talent. They are the people who sort through the bad and good, mostly through the internet now.

360 Degree deal - Rather than the traditional contract an artists signs with a record company. The 360 degree deal is a business relationship between the artist and company, the record label agrees to provide financial support for the artist, including direct advances as well as funds for marketing, promotion and touring. The artist agrees to give the company a percentage of all of their income, including sales of recorded music, live performances and any other income.

Soundscape - A collection of sounds.

EMI RIP - EMI were apart of the Big 4 but they tried to fight against illegal downloading so became not popular, being bought out.

Mash Up - Soundscape is used to create a Mash Up, a collection of songs taking a low number of seconds of the song and putting them together to create a new song. Madeon is an example.

Madeon - Madeon is now signed,but how became well known for his Mash Up, Pop Culture, produced with FL studio.

Youtube - Youtube is extremely popular in exchanging music. It is free, and allows a global audience to listen.

Back catalog - The record company owns rights to artists songs, even if they have left they own the songs they produced when they were signed.

Monopoly - One individual owning everything.

Oligopoly - A small group of individuals owning.

Fan Culture/Relationship - Fans of artists who are less known/indie are a niche audience, meaning they have a stronger relationship. Where as a global audience to a band such as One Direction are very committed, buying merchandise etc. But they don't have as strong of a relationship.

Beck score - Beck wrote a book with sheet music allowing fans to become prosumer's and create the music and videos, creating a stronger relationship.