To what extent has convergence affected the production, exchange and consumption of media products in the Music Industry?

Convergence has had a variety of different affects on the production, exchange and consumption of media products in the Music Industry, whether it be through technical convergence or the convergence of two companies. 
          In 1987 the Music Industry saw a huge change when the "Big 6" became 5 as Sony Music bought over CBS, which was then followed by PolyGram who later merged with Seagram to become Universal Music Group in 1988.  This meant there was now a smaller, yet stronger number of Major record labels which were strongly succeeding, so the competition for smaller labels was a struggle, and this lead to many closing down. Although even the Major record labels have found themselves under threat due to technical convergence. An example of this would be the iPad. The iPad has many features and can be used as a computer, camera, music player and a game console. Due to the apps on the iPad, brought out by Apple, you can now cut out the middle man in the Music Industry and design your art work, create music, record and distribute your music. You can also consume your music through an iPad. A clear example of this would be The Gorillaz, as the front man Damon Albarn told NME that he was planning to record his second album using just his iPad. This means less money is spent on recording and people don't see a need in even finding a record label at all. This then causes problems for music records and recording studios as they are no longer needed in the production and the Los Angeles Times have reported that half of the recording facilities in the city have failed. Daniel Johnston also used his iPad to create artwork for his album space ducks, and later released an iPhone app to let fans unlock tracks of his album by completing games. 
          It's fair enough to say that Apple generates most of it's income due to technological convergence. Examples of this would be the iPod, iPad, Mac Book and iPhone. All of which combine features of a computer, camera, music player, game console and phone in one. Not only through the sale of these products does Apple get it's money, but also through apps for the devices. The app Garage Band makes it very simple and easy for anyone to create their own music and also allows you to export it to iTunes so that not only can you listen to it, but also distribute it, as you can burn it to a CD, or upload to YouTube and various other music  websites such as Soundcloud. Convergence such as those listed and more have impacted the Music Industry as it means people no longer even need record labels to help produce, distribute, exchange or help consume music any more. 
          The iPod has defiantly changed the way we consume music now as nearly every person owns a version of Apple's iPod. This means people consume music everywhere, whether they're out and about with head phones in, at a party in which an iPod is placed on a docking station, or at home. With the introduction of the iPod Touch people were able to access the iTunes stores directly from their device which meant that people were buying music anywhere as long as they had internet and they had their credit card details. Although, despite all the negativity advanced technology gets from the music industry, it is due to these technological advantages, such as iPod's, mp3 players, phones etc. that people are now listening to music more frequently and it become apart of their lives. The lack of a power a record company now has means artists find it easier to directly market their music and communicate with the public about it. The YouTube, Spotify and Soundcloud app, amoung many, benefited the music industry as people are able to sample different genres and artists they normally wouldn't and it also gives them the opportunity to check out the other songs on their albums and end up becoming a fan of the artist, which you normally wouldn't have done. It is also a good way for fans to communicate with each other. This means they can recommend similar artists and songs to people, therefore getting even more artists recognition. Apple's bump app for the iPhone means that people can share music with each other and therefore the music is exchanged from person to person without every person having to buy the music.
           Before such technological convergences, consumption used to be going to the shops and actually physically buying a physical copy of the music, or paying to see the Artists perform live concerts or gigs. However, this has changed now as one no longer has to leave the comfort of their own home to actually consume music. This means that people can now download music from their laptops, computers, phones, iPods, iPads etc. whether it be by legally downloading it, but actually paying for it from the distributor or illegally obtaining the music via file sharing, where you spend no money and nothing goes towards the artists and those who help with the production and distribution of the music. Due to the increasing popularity of consuming music online via the iPod, iPhone or iPod, it has become common for artists to use the internet now to make their money. An example of this would be U2 who recently used the website YouTube to post a live stream of their concert where you would simply pay a smaller fee than what you would if you actually went to the concert. Even MTV has found itself releasing an iPod app so that people can watch their music shows and talk about them with friends at the same time, by teaming up with Facebook. This means that everything is once more to the advantage of the consumer and therefore the Music Industry has become more involved with keeping the consumer happy due to the extent of convergence.

Small Town America

What kinds of music do Small Town America produce?

 Small Town America are every specific in the kind of music they produce. The genre of music they produce is mainly punk rock, punk, new wave and indie rock. They only believe in producing music they personally like to listen to and therefore accept the fact that they don't produce mainstream chart/pop, and therefore have a certain audience to appeal to.

What strategies do they use to promote and distribute their music?

The main strategy Small Town America uses to promote and distribute their music is through their website, which is used as an online store for each artist that is on the label. The website gives them the opportunity to promote music by constant updates through the news section for up and coming tracks from previous artists, or new artists breaking through. They also offer previews of the tracks before a customer chooses to purchase the music. It also offers different ways of purchasing the music through different formats, as they have CD's, Vinyl's and digital downloads, therefore targets a wider range of audience to suit their demands. Each of their artists have a short description about their type of music and similar sounds, as a result targeting and attracting the right audience.

Who is the audience?
There isn't a specific audience for Small Town America, but instead anyone who is interested in any of the variety of genres they produce. Due to being an indie label, their audience wouldn't be as vast as a Major record labels, so their audience would be someone who is more into the niche market, rather than the mainstream chart/pop market. Small Town America's music reaches a wider audience due to them also being linked with the indie record label "Richter Collective".

What is the relationship between Small Town America and the mainstream music industry?
There's no clear relationship between Small Town America and the mainstream music industry, because Small Town America targets their distribution at niche audiences rather than the mainstream audiences. Small Town America also chose to keep their music mainly within their website, which is just another way in which they differ from the mainstream music industry. However, one similarity between the mainstream and Small Town America is that they are keeping up with technology and allowing digital downloads to be purchased, which is just to keep up with modern trends.

What ways do Small Town America audiences consume Small Town America Music?
Small Town America's audience mainly consume Small Town America's music digitally via their own online music story they set-up, ww.independentmusic.com. This store cuts out the middle man, basically meaning that the artist gets all the money and not the distributer etc. Small Town America audiences also consume music via buying concert tickets and physical copies of the music at concerts/gigs. Small Town America have said that they make most of their profit through touring bands, such as As I watch you from Afar.

How would you describe the relationship between Small Town America and their audience?
Small Town America have a personal relationship with their audience and purposefully set out to recommend certain music to them based upon their interests. They offer deals for their audience and special offers as well to keep them interested and help them feel like they really do play a major part, therefore rewarding them for staying with their artists.

What is Small Town America's attitude to file sharing?
Small Town America accept the fact file sharing is just a matter of life and there isn't much they can do about it. Although they do special promotion deals and offers for their audience to try and make them feel like they are apart of something if they buy the music, therefore hoping to cut down on file sharing. Although they also see file sharing as a way of people hearing about their music and also take pride in people wanting to listen to their music.

What ways do Small Town America differ from a major record label? 
There are many different ways in which Small Town America differ from a major record label. A major way in which they differ is Small Town America allow their bands independence and control, which maybe ultimately more profitable. They also care less about the aesthetics of the band, and more with the way the band conceives their career. The way they distribute their music is also very different from major record labels, as their website allows you to sample the music before you actually purchase it, whereas a 'Big 4' label such as Universal wouldn't even consider this kind of approach.

Soul Jazz Records

What kind of music do Soul Jazz Records produce?
Soul Jazz Records produce a range of different styles of music. The genre of music they produce is mainly black music such as reggae, soul, dubstep, funk/soul, jazz and hip hop. It's obvious that the music they produce is niche rather than mainstream chart/pop, and may only appeal to certain audiences.

What strategies do they use to promote and distribute their music?
The number one strategy Soul Jazz Records use to promote and distribute their music is via their website, which is used as an online store for each artist that is on the label. The website gives them the opportunity to promote music by constant updates through the news section for up and coming tracks from previous artists, or new artists breaking through. They also offer previews of the tracks before a customer chooses to purchase the music. It also offers different ways of purchasing the music through different formats, as they have CD's, Vinyl's and digital downloads. It targets a wider range of audience to suit their demands. The website also uses multimedia platforms, as it advertises 'coming soon' DVDs with tracks on it from artists on their label.

Who is the audience?
There's not a particular audience for Soul Jazz Records as it offers such a wide and diverse range of genres which essentially targets a wider range of audience. As everyone listens to different types of music there are always going to be different niche audiences for the different genres that Soul Jazz Records have to offer. Soul Jazz Records also have sister labels on their website, such as Universal Sound, which once again offers an even further range of genre again reaching a wider audience.

What is the relationship between Soul Jazz Records and the mainstream music industry?
There's no clear relationship between Soul Jazz Records and the mainstream music industry, because Soul Jazz Records targets their distribution at niche audiences rather than the mainstream audiences. Their website allows you to sample the music before you actually purchase it, whereas a 'Big 4' label such as Universal wouldn't. An example of Soul Jazz Records not targeting the mainstream would be their decision not to use social networking sites, but instead having their own blog through the website. This could be a disadvantage as they aren't reaching mass audiences when they have the ability to. However, one similarity between the mainstream and Soul Jazz Records is that they are keeping up with technology and allowing digital downloads to be purchased, which is just to keep up with modern trends.

Key Terms

Production: Production is the recording and making of the music.
Distribution: Promoting and getting the music out into shops, radios and online.
Marketing: Like distribution only deals with the interest of the media product to get people to want to buy it.
Consumption: How people buy and listen to music i.e. buying CDs, downloading, buying concert tickets, listening to music via Youtube and radio.
The Music Industry: The organisation of various activities such as; selling compositions, recordings and performances of music, and distributing it.
File Sharing: Uploading music online for others to download and listen to without having to pay for it.
Vertical Integration: A media company that profits and benefits from all areas of production, distribution and consumption. An example of this would be Apple because they control their processor, hardware, software and services together.
Synergy: Marketing and distribution of a range of related media products across various different sectors and platforms. An example of this would be Pop Idol as they combined different areas of the media industry i.e music, TV, magazine.
Technological Convergence: The hardware and software of different products come together as one product i.e. the iPhone - hardware and software of a phone, iPod, camera and computer.
Copyright: Owned rights of a creative or intellectual property i.e a song.
Conventions: The rules and process of how things are done.
Demographic: A portion of a population at who you target your product at. Considers age, gender and  culture.
Download: The practice of selecting and receiving digital information from an online source on a computer, as opposed to sending it by upload.
Hardware: The physical parts of a computer and related devices. Internal hardware devices include motherboards, hard drives, and RAM. External hardware devices include monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, and scanners.
Independent: A media organisation or activity that is not connected to a major company.
Subsidiary: A record label owned by another larger label or music group.
Horizontal Integration: The process of two companies coming together through merging. An example of this would be when in 1998 PolyGram merged with Seagram to become Universal Music Group.
The Big 3: The 3 MAJOR music labels: Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. Formally 'The Big Four', became 3 after EMI's merger with Universal in November 2011.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SME): Companies whose headcount or turnover falls below certain limits.

Consumption

Consumption is when people buy CD's, cassettes, vinyls, download music, pay for live and recorded concerts, and also purchase any relate products. Due to the digital revolution, consuming now no longer just means buying music, it can also be watching and listening to music on YouTube or Spotify.
          Before the technical revolution consumption used to be going to the shops and actually physically buying a physical copy of the music, or paying to see the Artists perform live concerts or gigs. However, this has changed now as one no longer has to leave the comfort of their own home to actually consume music. This can all come down to the digital revolution. What is the digital revolution you may ask? Well, the digital revolution is the change from analog, mechanical and electronic technology to digital technology that has taken place since the 1980's and continues to til now. This means that people can now download music from their laptops, computers, phones, iPods, iPads etc. whether it be by legally downloading it, but actually paying for it from the distributor or illegally obtaining the music via file sharing, where you spend no money and nothing goes towards the artists and those who help with the production and distribution of the music. 
          File sharing is a main topic now a days when discussing the music industry. File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia (audio, images and video), documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways. Common methods of storage, transmission and dispersion include manual sharing utilizing removable media, centralized servers on computer networks, World Wide Web-based hyper-linked documents, and the use of distributed peer-to-peer networking.
          Due to the increasing popularity of consuming music online it has become common for artists to use the internet now to make their money. An example of this would be U2 who recently used the website YouTube to post a live stream of their concert where you would simply pay a smaller fee than what you would if you actually went to the concert. You can also pay to see concerts from your house on Sky Box Office. A new thing some artists are doing is that after you actually go to their concert you can buy the footage from that exact concert on a USB memory stick, so that you don't have to go out and buy a DVD of another concert, also this works very affectively due to impulse buying at concerts. 
          Although the digital revolution has meant that more people are consuming their music online through, file sharing, legal downloads, YouTube and other methods, it has also been statically shown that some people still consume music physically as the rising sales of vinyls has actually increased. Also, due to the internet and the constant advertising on websites, concert tickets sales have increased and therefore so too have the prices, meaning the artists etc. receive their fair share through concert sales also. 

Distribution

Distribution is the process of how albums and singles get into shops and online. Distribution companies sign deals with record labels, but also artists in rare occasions, that gives them the right to sell that label's products to record stores that have an account with that distributor. The distributor then takes a cut of income from each album or single sold and then the pay the label the remaining balance.
          Before the digital revolution, distribution used to be promoting the singles and albums to get them into shops and to be played on the radio. Now distribution does not just that, but it also is now the process of getting the product up on the internet to be downloaded, and having it played on YouTube.
          The different ways music is distributed theses day include digital distribution and the physical distribution of albums and singles. Digital distribution puts the music straight online meaning it bypasses the physical distribution. A prime example of a digital distributor would be Apple inc. as they have the iTunes store, and distributors make sure that they get iTunes to sell the music.  
          As for the future of music distribution, it is said that by 2014 the digital music opportunity is predicted to be an $8 billion industry that is growing at an 18 percent CAGR and digital distribution will grow by 16% while physical distribution is predicted to drop by 98 percent. Which is can cause massive layoffs in the music industry. Broadband growth and proliferation of smart phones etc. are expected to continue to drive global growth and penetration of music distribution. 

Production

From the start of the 21st Century, the production in the music industry has changed drastically. We have seen records change into tapes, which have changed into C.D's. The real change in recording labels emerged at the end of the 1980's when we saw the introduction of the "Big 6" in terms of music companies. These were to include; emi. cbs, bmg, PolyGram, wea and mca. Although this "Big 6" was to change in 1987 when Sony Music bought over cbs and then changed it's name officially to Sony Music in 1991. Later in 1998 PolyGram merged with Seagram to become Universal Music Group, thus meaning the "Big 6" became the "Big 5". It was then in 2003 that "iTunes" became available to download music legally from the internet. This was the birth of legal digital downloads and the start of the popular internet music distribution, as in 2009, over a quarter of all recorded music revenues were now coming from the internet. Now this means artists rely heavily on merchandise and live performances to gather the majority of their money for their music, meaning they are now more dependent on music promoters. 
          Another major change in the music industry is the fact that music studios no longer need to be used in order to make music, as people can record using their laptops or iPad's as long as they have the suitable software. A clear example of this would be The Gorillaz, as the front man Damon Albarn told NME that he was planning to record the second album using just his iPad. This means less money is spent on recording and people don't see a need in even finding a record label at all. This then causes problems for music records and recording studios as they are no longer needed in the production and the Los Angeles Times have reported that half of the recording facilities in the city have failed. This has lead to digital music selling very cheaply, with most songs being under £1 to download. Although, the recording software has started to increase in price, meaning corporations such as Apple receive most of the money.
          Justin Bieber was discovered through producing his own music via Youtube. This can be used as a very good example of how music producers and recording studios are no longer needed to be used in the production of music. Justin simply posted a few videos of himself onto Youtube and as he did he increased in views, until Usher and Justin Timberlake both wanted to sign him. Justin Bieber then chose to sign with Usher and now has become an international popstar sensation. The fact that music producers and studios no longer are needed it means that the music is more raw and therefore aren't as auto tuned, and instead sell their music based not heir music and not just try to sell the person as a product like many artists today. However, this does mean that more people are less "airbrushed" and anyone can be an artist if they want to be now.
         Although, despite all the negativity advanced technology gets from the music industry, it is due to these technological advantages, such as iPod's, mp3 players, phones etc. that people are now listening to music more frequently and it become apart of their lives. The lack of a power a record company now has means artists find it easier to directly market their music and communicate with the public about it. However, it is a fact that from every c.d or single bought or downloaded, 40 are "stolen" or shared illegally. Another way in which the internet has actually benefited the music industry is people are able to sample different genres and artists they normally wouldn't and it also gives them the opportunity to check out the other songs on their albums and end up becoming a fan of the artist, which you normally wouldn't have done. It is also a good way for fans to communicate with each other. This means they can recommend similar artists and songs to people, therefore getting even more artists recognition.