Music Industry Mock C3

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I agree to a great extent that digital media affects the music industry significantly. Why put the question in your essay? – this bit is the answer. Services such as social networks, youtube and MP3 downloads have changed the music industry positively and negatively at the same time. But why – outline your argument. Read the question – it is asking you about consumption of music, so what is positive & what is negative? Piracy? Prosumers? Beck? 2 sentences not using the question to pad it out please.

Indie companies are now more rife??? as promotion, production and exchange now cost a lot less. This is due to some digital services (such as... examples?) with many users are free to use by anyone for no cost at all. Examples are youtube, twitter and myspace of what? What is your Point? Where is the “Explanation” that should follow “Example”? Indie labels such as XL have used twitter (a social network) to promote one of the vampire weekend gigs on a free youtube livestream to their niche fanbase. The livestream got thousands of views in total by people all over the world, giving not only the band promotion but the livestream service and the indie label (XL Records).This is a form of synergy as the bands music got promoted on another form of media, youtube. But how does this answer the question? – why is this relevant to your argument or your answer? – it is factually correct but there is no “Point” made. In comparison to another gig performance by the X factor former winners their gig was not live streamed for free at all. This can also show that the indie labels are more focused on gaining a more personal, intimate relationship with their niche audience rather than the money. But how does this comparison show this – just because they don;t stream live gigs online – what is a better example of how Majors are after money – your case Study is Xfactor & One Direction but neither are addressed here. Another indie label WARP used two digital medias (which/what artists?) to promote a new album, one of the songs featured on the album was used in the introduction of a new film, the whole album was also uploaded onto youtube for anyone around the world to listen to. Not specific examples On the subject of global availability (when did we change to this subject – you've not introduced this before – what has it got to do with the question – is this relevant?) domino records has a radio station that also allows anyone in the world to listen to which can lead to worldwide exposure for bands and artists. Most independent labels also offer their fans to buy vinyls instead of MP3, which can turn them from fans into prosumers if they choose to use the vinyl to remix the song. What is the point of this Case Study – what are you comparing it to & what point are you trying to make – Explanation?

Xfactor sells their contestants live performances on iTunes for people to buy, this is an easy way to gain money from their mainstream audience. Why do they buy it when they can just steal it? Xfactor use social networks, (no they don't you phone in...) which are world wide and extremely popular, to allow their fans to vote for contestants to stay in the competition. The X factor competition also allows their fans to give them feedback on certain contestants on these social network sites, Facebook has a like button which X factor uses to gauge an artist/band popularity. Good – but you must develop this to address the question – which mentioned Consumption – Participatory Audience? X factor will put a picture of a contestant up with the description "like if you thought JLS's performance was good this week", this shows how certain institutions use social media to see what is popular at the moment. This process is also similar to what the indie labels do to see wether an artist it popular. But how is this changing consumption?

Sony also sells all their music on iTunes which allows fans to listen to their favourite artist on iPhones and mp3 players on the go, digital technology has allowed people to listen to music whenever they want. But the internet has opened the doors for people to pirate music of major conglomerates like Sony. Digital technology has also sapped money from the music industry through pirating, this has lead to companies like Sony to loose money, therefor now money can be put into finding new talent. This has lead to an argument as to wether music nowadays is more bland and stale due to the constant recycling of artists. Good Conglomerates can no longer fund money for new less mainstream artists as they might not make money, they cannot take the risk as money is being taken away through the use of digital pirating.It is now up to the indie labels to produce less mainstream artists.This is a negative example of how digital technology has affected the music industry. Some sense of argument coming in here – right at the end. Your argument should be clear from the start & the essay backs it up?

Not much range in your examples – One Direction?

What about Beck?

What about Prosumers?

Surely these are more radical ways of distributing the music & the audience not just consuming it – you have actually done this yourself...strange that you would not even refer to this and focus so much on Indies? 

AEE - 13

EX - 12

T – 5

30/50C3