Music vs. Free
Mark Lang
ENGL 202
12:30-1:45
Spring 2009
Abstract
Today,
the music industry is huge, but it is not bringing in the kind of money it
could. One reason for the decline of income could be the availability of
free music on the internet. Anyone can basically find any song on the
internet for free: This is beginning to hurt the industry. Can this
problem be avoided and or dealt with? There are many people or groups out
there trying to find the answer. There has been a new technique created
to sell something to the fans that is not music or merchandise. In fact,
it is not a material object in any way. Bands are now selling exclusive
insights into the band that no one else can get. This new technique of
selling a bands "exclusiveness" could save the bands within the music
industry, but what are the Record labels doing. I plan to answer the question,
what is each part of the music industry doing to combat this.
Introduction
As technology's affect outreaches,
the world is forced to adapt. Every facet of life is affected including
major industries. It seems these days, with a simple search, you can find
any music you want to on the internet free of charge. How can the music
industry combat this change? How will
bands and recording labels adjust to the ever changing technological world?
Fieldwork Statement
I am planning on doing a survey of
the IUP campus. I will ask as many
people as I can the following questions.
1.Do you
down load music on the internet for free?
Yes/No
2.How often
you do you download music for free on the internet? - Average # of times per month
Using these
two quick questions I am hoping to gain quantitative data showing the free
music downloading habits of a normal college.
At least one hundred students will be surveyed and I will have a sheet
for them to circle yes or no and to write their average number of free
downloads per month.
Source Review / Conversations
"Research and Markets: The
Recorded Music Industry Has Grown Many Folds with Many." Business Wire The
Gale Group, Inc., 16 Nov. 2004. Web. 25 Oct. 2009. <http://www.allbusiness.com/media-telecommunications/movies-sound-recording-record/5586862-1.html>.
-This article gives statistics about the drop in annual
global sales of recorded music.
Delonge,
Tom. Modlife N.p., 2009. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. <http://www.modlife.com/>.
-This website is one example of bands fighting back at the
free music downloading.
ROVICS, DAVID "Sing for Your
Supper: A DIY Guide to Playing Music, Writing Songs & Booking Your Own
Gigs." fROOTS, Local Music from Out There 30.6 (306) (2008): 71-72.
The Music Index Online. EBSCO. Web. 29 Oct. 2009.
-
What it once took for musicians to make it in the biz.
Cobo, L. "Independent thinkers:
With Latin CD sales down more than 20%, indie promo and marketing strategies
shined." BILLBOARD, The International Authority on Music, Video and
Digital Entertainment 120.51 (2008): 40. The Music Index Online. EBSCO. Web. 29
Oct. 2009.
- Deals with the drop in Latino C.D. sales/
KNOPPER, STEVE "2007: From bad to worse; record
biz in free fall; sales down 36 percent since 2000." ROLLING STONE
1045 (2008): 15. The Music Index Online. EBSCO. Web. 29 Oct. 2009.
`-More stats about music industry decline,.
Serpick, E. "Industry: Labels in free-fall
(January CD sales worst in SoundScan history)." ROLLING STONE 1020
(2007): 12. The Music Index Online. EBSCO. Web. 29 Oct. 2009.
- Same but focusing on record labels down fall.
CHUCK D (r.n. Carlton, Ridenhour)
"'Free' music can free the artist: musicians' anger at Napster is
misdirected." THE NEW YORK TIMES 149.(2000): 25. The Music Index
Online. EBSCO. Web. 29 Oct. 2009.
-Shows how free music could be good for musicians.
Working Bibliography
Websites:
"Research and Markets: The
Recorded Music Industry Has Grown Many Folds with Many." Business Wire The
Gale Group, Inc., 16 Nov. 2004. Web. 25 Oct. 2009. <http://www.allbusiness.com/media-telecommunications/movies-sound-recording-record/5586862-1.html>.
Delonge,
Tom. Modlife N.p., 2009. Web. 12 Nov. 2009.
<http://www.modlife.com/>.
Statistics:
Cobo, L. "Independent thinkers:
With Latin CD sales down more than 20%, indie promo and marketing strategies
shined." BILLBOARD, The International Authority on Music, Video and
Digital Entertainment 120.51 (2008): 40. The Music Index Online.
EBSCO. Web. 29 Oct. 2009.
KNOPPER, STEVE "2007: From bad
to worse; record biz in free fall; sales down 36 percent since 2000." ROLLING
STONE 1045 (2008): 15. The Music Index Online. EBSCO. Web. 29 Oct.
2009.
Serpick, E. "Industry: Labels in
free-fall (January CD sales worst in SoundScan history)." ROLLING STONE
1020 (2007): 12. The Music Index Online. EBSCO. Web. 29 Oct. 2009.
FREE:
CHUCK D (r.n. Carlton, Ridenhour)
"'Free' music can free the artist: musicians' anger at Napster is
misdirected." THE NEW YORK TIMES 149.(2000): 25. The Music Index
Online. EBSCO. Web. 29 Oct. 2009.
ZIMMERMAN, ART "'Free' has a
price." RADIO FREE JAZZ, The Newspaper of the Jazz Pros 18.(1977):
20. The Music Index Online. EBSCO. Web. 29 Oct. 2009.
How the Industry once worked:
Avalon, Moses. Confessions of a
Record Producer. San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books, 1998. Net Library
E-Books. Web. 17 Nov. 2009.
ROVICS, DAVID "Sing for Your
Supper: A DIY Guide to Playing Music, Writing Songs & Booking Your Own
Gigs." fROOTS, Local Music from Out There 30.6 (306) (2008): 71-72.
The Music Index Online. EBSCO. Web. 29 Oct. 2009.
New Industry:
Tolley, D.. A
music industry program for today's colleges and universities. Diss.
The Ohio State University, 2008. Dissertations & Theses: Full Text,
ProQuest. Web. 17 Nov. 2009.
In addition there will be a survey:
