Survey on music audiences

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HLW6HQ5

"The online revolution has proved as damaging to independent labels as to multinational companies" Do you agree?

Both multinational and independent labels has been damaged by new technologies. Both these labels rely on the artist's music to provide them with money but as music is so easy to get hold of they are both losing out on their income.
People used to buy a record, tape or CD to listen to music. Now a days you can hear songs all over the radio, TV, find them on the internet (such as on YouTube) or download them off website for your ipod. Why buy a CD when you didn't listen to half the songs on it and it costs you money, when you could just download any song you feel like listening to off the internet? Labels lose out on lots of money as illegal websites allow you to download songs for free. Also places, like Itunes, sell them cheaply, for example, 79p.

I think the online revolution has damaged independent labels, such as Domino, slightly more than multinational labels, such as UMG. This is because they rely on a more traditional structure of making money. By using other companies to handle the other aspects of the production, such as the marketing and promotion, they just focus on the song writing and music sales. However multinational companies and don't just get money through song writing and publishing but through many things such as:

• Promoting and marketing
• Recording
• Having one of their songs in a film
• Songs featured in an advert.
• In a mobile deal
• Having a radio deal
• Selling hardware

A multinational company is much more likely to have one of their artists make a sound track for a film as they:

• Have more money
• Better reputation for their music
• Music would be more suited as bigger companies have more genres of music to offer
• Artists are international so liked everywhere
• Have many contacts unlike a independent label

Not only has the online revolution made it harder to earn money but it is damaging other things. For example we used to buy a CD and get all kinds of things inside as well as the music, such as the booklet of lyrics and images of the artist. But now we can just looking on the internet and find all of that for free. We no longer want or need the CDs and we know longer get excited about when an album comes out in a shop as it is on the internet weeks before that.

Convergence

Technology convergence benefit and damages the music industry in many different ways. A few of these are:

Benefits:

• It narrows the gap between the produces and the audience
• Allows the audience to access content instantly, therefore they can listen to music anywhere and easily.
• People buying the music can do whatever they wish with it, like put it on an ipod so can listen to it where ever they are.
• Opens up opportunities for artists to promote their work as there are so many way in which the can advertise their songs now.
• Free distribution, this is good as the artist does not have to spend extra money on getting their CD or Album out into shops.
• The artists songs are more likely to be heard as people are willing to listen to them on the radio or internet for free, if they like it they may be more likely to go out and spend money on it.
• Artists can set up blogs and twitter accounts so become more interactive with their audience. This is good for promoting them as well.

Damages:

• It allows the audience to steal the songs off illegal websites and send them to each other via things like bluetooth. This means that the artist and record label companies do not get money for the song.
• We no longer have all of the extra things you get with the CDs, like the lyrics, as people no longer buy them as it is easier, quicker and cheaper to download the songs.

Island and Fascination Records

Island Records:

Fascination Records:

UMG uses these subsidiaries to maximise success of specific genres because they are both aimed at completely different audiences. Island Record’s website, looks older more unique. This is suggested but the old fashioned TV and the record in the top. The bright colours and palm tree logo make you think of holidays and chilling out.

Where as on Fascination Record’s website there are only a few colours and these are duller shades. The website looks very professional compared to Island Record’s website which looks like a messy shelf. Looking at the unique abstract look to Island Record’s website, you can tell that they have a more unique and specific audience, their music is older and abstract like the website. It also has a vintage look, which narrows down the audience to the people that will be interested in that kind of music.

Fascination Record’s is aimed at a younger audience. The website suggests this as it is modern looking. Most teenagers and young adults would be interested in looking at this website so keeps its target audience.

Both websites have a video playing when you open the page, this shows you what artists they have straight away. They also have links to the most popular artists on the home page. This gives you an idea of what kind of music they have. Also it ‘s good advertising for these artists as the kind of people who listen to one artist on their website would also like the other artists as they mostly have the same style of music. Having subsidiaries makes it easy to break down all the different kinds of music into specific genres.