The Internet reflected a horizontal move in the distribution in music. To define the Internet for the current generation would be redundant. Its influence has permeated almost every aspect of human culture in a remarkably short period of time. Its influence on music is no exception. In 2009 Times Magazine article, Greg Kot discusses the changing face of the music industry. “For years, the music industry was confined to four multinational corporations that dominated the revenue stream of 70% of the music coming in…Now all that has been broken up into millions and millions of little pieces and subcultures and niches that are serving small, really dedicated communities of music lovers” In his article he continues to elaborate on the advent of “niches” serving a healthy appetite for music.
Some may believe that audiences have changed. It has been a reoccurring theme for music industry critics to blame the influence of “instant gratification” provided by the Internet. Kot is quick to repute such claims. Unlike music distribution in the contemporary context, record companies had grown too large and harnessed too much control over the direction of music. With a monopoly on this aspect of the industry, this circle of influence under these major labels could see no limitations regarding how much they could charge consumers as well as controlling what music found it’s way into popular culture. The age of illegal downloads and free music is the only necessary conclusion to the stranglehold of influence held by this elite class of music distributers.
Although it may seem heroic to stick it to the big, bad record companies after their reign of terror, there were some benefits to their influence. For one, Artists were guaranteed credit and recognition for their work. They were also compensated for the money their music made. Lastly, record companies were able to convince consumers to purchase entire albums. Albums and Album Artwork would take a backseat to the digital age of mass chaos and “pirating” music. The questions arrive begging weather this new wave of accessibility would foster or diminish the sanctity of the artist and it’s applications in music. The answer lies in an assimilation of the resources we already have.
Consumers, though not always completely informed, have not changed. If one were to take consumer’s wants and desires from today’s generation and compare them to their predecessors, one would most likely find they aren’t very different. Consumers are also smart enough to recognize what they believe something is worth. Today’s music industry has taken foreword-thinking steps to begin to not change, but rather adapt to the growing trends.
Musicians have begun reverting to previously used technologies such as vinyl as a means to add value to their product. In many ways this makes perfect sense. Why would consumers buy music they could easily find for free? The answer lies in adding value through cultural capital. Consumers are no longer paying just for the music, but also the experience of hearing music in its purest form of “analog” recording. Listeners are also paying for the experience of holding an album and soaking in the history it has endured. Combining new age technologies with the value of historical context could pave the way for a cultural revolution. “As an extra lure, many labels are including coupons for free audio downloads with their vinyl albums so that Generation Y music fans can get the best of both worlds: high-quality sound at home and iPod portability for the road.”
The growing accessibility of music has been a reoccurring theme throughout history. Music in society today is no exception. Whether through mass production of sheet music throughout the 1700’s or even the chaotic scramble for unauthorized downloads of the new millennium, the growth in society’s wealth of experience of music has shared in no deficit. In today’s world, for the first time in history, independent artists stand a chance in the global market. Consumers today can find and listen to music from seemingly endless genres with a few clicks of their mouse. The growth in community of listeners fuels the spread of knowledge, adding to the development of music as a precursor towards a continued tradition of innovation and development.