MUSICIn The Online Age

Charlotte English

How have online media developed?This is a phonograph. Also known as a record player or gramophone. It was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison. It is a device that has had common use for reproducing sound recordings. When it was first developed, it was used to record and reproduce sounds. Edison's was the first to be able to reproduce the recorded sound.  Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory made several improvements in the 1880s, including the use of wax-coated cardboard cylinders, and a cutting stylus that moved from side to side across the record.

Emile Berliner then initiated the transition from phonograph cylinders to gramophone records. These were flat, double-sided discs with a spiral groove running from the outside edge to near the centre. Other improvements were made throughout the years, including modifications to the record player and its drive system, the needle and stylus, and the sound and equalization systems.

The cassette tape or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording system. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in reliability led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge. The mass production of compact audio cassettes began in 1964 in Hanover, Germany. During the 1980s, the cassette's popularity grew further as a result of portable pocket recorders and high-fidelity players, such as Sony's Walkman (1979), which used a body not much larger than the cassette tape itself, with mechanical keys on one side, or electronic buttons. It was used to play a cassette .

The compact disc or CD was introduced in the year 1982. There wasn't a single person who invented it, as it was a group of people who worked together to create it. They were however introduced in Japan.

In 2001 Apple created the iPod. This was one of the biggest hits in music media. It grew in great popularity and since then, 14 different versions have been made. They all have unique differences and feature in different ways.

The iTunes Store was first launched on April 28, 2003. Apple’s idea was to provide a virtual store where people can buy and download digital music on-demand. Initially, the store only hosted 200,000 tracks and only Mac users were able to buy and transfer music to the iPod. PC users had to wait until October 2003 for the release of the Windows version of iTunes. Today, the iTunes Store is the largest seller of digital music in the U.S. and has sold over 10 billion songs

Why buy music online?Buying music online is cheaper, more convenient and very quick. Hardback CDs take up a lot of room and if you want the music on your iPod it has to be converted onto iTunes anyways. ITunes is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and if downloaded from an iphone, it will be straight on your device in seconds.

The Music IndustryThe biggest industry that has been impacted by the emergence of the new media and internet is the music industry. It has taken advantage of the digital technologies available and has changed to alter to the consumers taste. Internet has increased all over the world.

Napster is an online music store and a Rhapsody company. It was originally founded as a file sharing service. It was estimated that by October 2000, Napsters software installed 30% of all pc sharing worldwide, and it continued to grow. Some researches showed that the average users in March 2001, were spending their time using Napster rather then any other music related website.

The music industry is still facing the challenge of how to adapt to new technologies and media. YouTube remains one of the key institutions to music promotion and networking relevant links to its audiences. YouTube provides a way for major record labels to distribute and promote artists across the globe. It is also a cost effective way for musicians to get their music heard and shared. Artists such as Jessie J and Justin Bieber were founded on You Tube and it has been a massive starting point for their successful careers. It is also an institution which allows users to explore YouTube as a social network rather than just as a simple video base. Artists can engage with their fans and vise-versa listening to feedback and opinions of the viewing audience.

http://vimeo.com/35015678

It explains how businesses have become more successful and how acts can take more control of their own destiny. It also states how the consumer relies generally on the courier to help guide them to what's good and what's useful.

Music is a free for all online which is great, but can also have its issues. Musicians are trying to get their music out there, but it isn't always what the consumer wants.

The people we see in the videos are an amazing group of young people that are experimenting with technologies giving very interesting end products. With technologies such as Photoshop and after effects, footage can be fused together to create new products very easily.

Music blogs had a small community of people who had no central place. They bring together postings of blogs worldwide. Its the filter of the filter and you can find music that people across the world are listening too.

There's so many artists out there that create a lot of opportunities and opens

the doors for many acts.

Here is a useful link to a video about music in the online age.

Across the Platforms...From Radio-TV-Online

As we already know, the music industry has had a rapid change over the years. Even mobile phones now hold apps where YouTube and other sharing devices can be downloaded for FREE and music can be listened too anytime and anywhere.

The Positives of Music in the Online Age- Easy and quick- Many different sharing sites- Wider audiences are achieved- Greater variety of music- Greater connectivity as interactive comments are very becoming the norm- Sites such as iTunes are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week- Can be accessed wherever and whenever- Old music has been converted into new and effective ways- Sites gives new platforms where artists can be discovered. For example, YouTube

The Future of the Music Industry

For years, the music industry has, in the words of Bonnie Tyler, been holding out for a hero. For the industry, this certain ’hero’ must come up with an idea that is good enough to tempt fans away from the illegal file sharing sites, whilst making money for artists and song writers. The young generation are prepared to pay monthly bills for mobile phones and broadband, so why not music?

I found a website where Bob Lefsetz explains the future of the music industry and the mistakes that new acts should avoid.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bob-lefsetz-music-industry-lefsetz-letter-288217