How Has Technology Affected The Music Industry?

 

by Taliferro Music 

 

You would think the music industry would be a simple one. Artists, producers and songwriters practice their craft , find management, seek out record labels/ publishing companies who then promote the artist and the songs via live gigs, TV and radio. Music is such a big part of life and it’s place within advertising, the media and even the common workplace is so substantial that it will always be a precious commodity.

So why do people complain that there is no good new music around anymore and why are record labels and publishing companies disappearing at a rate of knots? – One key aspect of the complex issue as to why the music industry is presently in flux is technology. We live in an age where anyone and his dog can produce a record from their home lap-top and release it to the world via posting mp3′s on social networking sites- you would think that this would be a good thing- encouraging more people to take up music and add healthy competition to the market, however the truth of the matter is entirely the opposite.

Mp3 technology has enabled mass theft and piracy of music in a way that has never been possible in any other point of history. A professional album is no cheap thing to make and most record labels are struggling to re-coup what they spend on creating a record. To top this the people who do buy music buy less albums people are more likely to download one single song they like rather then risking their hard earned money buying an album they might not enjoy.

Record labels are so afraid of losing money that they tighten their spending and only grant funding to artists that are likely to succeed in a commercial way.

Gone are the days of music being an art form and the sound of the music leading the A & R, the best commercial bets are usually pop acts and TV talent show artists and we all know how that story ends.