notes from lesson on 20/4/07 - Internet and music

• in the last 20 years - production, content, performance and reception has changed popular music
• developments driven by music industry, musicians and consumers
• ISSUE - distribution on the Internet
• digital technology DEMOCRATISES music making - anyone can be a producer, performer, engineer - "digital auteur"
• low cost of digital recording software
• record companies loose control of there artists (power/control has been taken away)
• independant distribution - do you need a record deal?
• music in teh multimedia home eg. hi-fi, PC, radio etc.
• popular music penetrates the home environment more
• digital music empowers teh listener more eg. ordering tracks etc.
• listening becomes more creative eg. playlists
• digital technology allows the artist to distribute music how they want it to be heard eg. surround sound
• becomes distinctly private but mobile experience
• blurring the boundries between public and private
• music on the move - CONVERGENCE with mobile phones
• is it an anti-social technology? (negative technological determinist)
• internet allows for performance to be streamed/transmitted as well as music videos
• visualisation of songs via multimedia devices
• Napster was the first to offer free music downloads - caused panic in music industry
• peer-to-peer networking eg. Kazaa and Gnutella
• piracy revolution - 1 pirate can transmit to millions
• 800 million illegal files are available on the Internet
• sites like this do not hold the files, just provide the peer-to-peer service
• DRM - digital rights management, controls access or usage of digital data and is used by publishers or copyright owners
• ISSUE - protesting copyright OR monopolising the market