Research into the Music Industry
Section B of the written exam
Things you need to know off by heart…
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