Research into the Music Industry
Section B of the written exam
Things you need to know off by heart…
Research and Learn the name of the owner/founder of the business and where is it located in the country.
- What type of music? Jazz, rock, folk, classical, etc.
- How many artists do they have?
- Who are the audience for this music?
Class, age, gender, etc.
- How do they produce their music?
Own studio, own production plant, cottage industry?
- How do they promote and distribute their music?
Internet, concerts, advertising magazines?
- How many customers (roughly?), sales turnover (roughly).
- How do the customers for this music “consume” the music?
Internet downloads, CDs, radio, U Tube, illegally or legally, live concerts?
The Industry
As far as the industry is concerned:
- How has it changed in recent years?
- What impact has new technology (digital) had on the industry and way the music is consumed? (this could come up as a question)
How many people have iPods or Mp3 players and primarily listen to music now alone (rather than in a room with other people)?
Is live music thriving – on the increase – or declining? How does this effect sales and audience for the music?
How are artists/labels taking advantage of the internet to reach their audience?
- Know about and talk about Convergence and Vertical Integration
- The problems of peer to peer file sharing (illegal) and mp3 downloading
illegal and legal (iTunes, Tesco, HMV, Amazon as well as other smaller operations – probably one run by your chosen label) - How is the music industry dealing with illegal downloading?
- Are there any advantages (yes there are)? Is it all bad?
READ THE CHAPTER IN THE TEXT BOOK (p. 159 onwards) FOR AN OVERVIEW AND MORE INFORMATION
AS Media Course Materials & Notes 