Slides to introduce concept - ties in with section on music production in AQA A2 Media Studies book.

1. MUSIC PRODUCTION &
DISTRIBUTION

2. Introduction
Developments in technology and the emergence of the Internet have
enabled far more artists to reach a wider audience. Where once
recording equipment was prohibitively expensive; it is now widely
available at a low cost. You can purchase sophisticated music production
software for a few pounds on your mobile device or tablet. Damon
Albarn recently produced a Gorillaz album in its entirety using software
on the iPad.
In many cases artists are able to promote and distribute their music
digitally without the assistance of a record label. Unsigned artists can sell
their music on iTunes, have it streamed on Spotify and produce their
own videos for YouTube.

3. Major Players
The world music market is dominated by
the "Big Four Record Labels.” They control
most of the expertise and capital to
market, influence airplay, and fill shelf space at
record retailers. They can be considered as a
music cartel that is very powerful in their
market distribution. The “Big Four” control
around 70% of the world music market and
around 85% of the US music
market, demonstrating the concept of
oligopoly within the music industry
Worldwide Record Sales 2005 Source: MEDIA MARKET: Major Record Labels
Source: Wikipedia

4. Independent’s Day
Independent record labels (or ‘indies’) are labels that operate outside of the control of the major
labels. Typically they are less reliant on mass sales for success; with lower overheads and
production costs than major labels even comparatively modest sales could generate more profit
than a record released on a major.
“The punk rock era brought about a turning point for independent labels, the do-it-yourself ethos
of the time seeing the emergence of a plethora of independent labels. Many of the UK labels
ended up signing distribution deals with major labels to remain viable, but others retained their
independence (e.g. Factory Records, Warp, Wax On, BlancoMusic) and the factor that came to
define independent labels was distribution, which had to be independent of the majors for
records to be included in the UK Indie Chart, which was first compiled in 1980” – Source: Wikipedia

5. The rise of digital distribution
“The music industry has
been undergoing drastic
changes since the advent of
widespread digital
distribution of music. A
conspicuous indicator of
this is total music sales:
since 2000, sales of
recorded music have
dropped off
substantially while live
music has increased in
importance. The largest
music retailer in the world
is now digital: Apple
Inc.'s iTunes Store”
Source: Wikipedia

6. Free Music
Established artists who may crave more creative control after
years spent under the control of major labels have come up with
some interesting ways to release their music independently.
Radiohead released their album In Rainbows in 2007, it was made
available for download and fans could choose how much they
wanted to pay for it. Despite the fact that many downloaded it for
free the band still sold 3m copies (this includes more traditional
CD sales as well as paid downloads)
Prince took another approach to the release of his album
Planet Earth. This was given away free in the UK with
copies of the Mail on Sunday newspaper and was not
available to purchase in stores. His label decided against
releasing it for purchase in the UK as there were so many
free copies ‘floating around’
Both artists were criticised for devaluing music and making it more
difficult for smaller bands to make money from their own music. Do
you think this is the case?

7. Crowdfunding
In the traditional model of music production and distribution a record
label would loan the money to artists and this would be recouped
through sales. Crowdfunding allows artists to raise the money from fans
and other investors. This gives the artist far more creative control as they
are not under the control of a record label more concerned with sales
than artistic merit. Artists will often devise innovative ways to repay
‘investors’
Click here to view US musician Amanda Palmer’s Kickstarter page.

8. New Media Platforms
The growth of the Internet has opened up different platforms for artists to
release, promote and indeed sell their music. Artists can now produce and release their
music without the support of a record label at all. Digital distribution platforms such as
iTunes and Google Play allow artists to sign up and release their music. Music can also be
released onto streaming platforms such as Spotify. Artists can use social networking sites
such as Twitter and Facebook to quickly reach a large audience.
Typically one of the largest costs in distribution music is the cost of producing physical
copies on CD or vinyl. The exponential growth of iTunes means that artists can sell
thousands of copies of their music without needing to have a physical copy. The UK
charts were changed in 2007 to allow downloads to count as record sales (this has
previously existed but the artists had to have a physical copy available for sale as well).
Many artists also release videos on YouTube, which now operates a revenue share
scheme that allows artists (and indeed any other YouTube user) to make money by
showing adverts before their videos. ‘Artists’ have even been signed to major labels after
being spotted on YouTube (I use the term ‘artist’ lightly in this case!)

9. Useful Links/Further Reading
http://blakesgangblog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/demise-of-cultural-hegemony-
in-music-as.html
(Discussion of the impact of new technology on the established hegemony of
the music industry)
How the DIY ethic of punk rock influenced indie record labels - Helium
Did Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' Honesty Box Actually Damage The Music
Industry
Music industry attacks Sunday newspaper' s free Prince CD