In the 21st century, we are witnessing a gradual overhaul of what is largely seen to be an anachronistically structured music scene, thanks in no small part to New Media technologies. The classic structure of this scene regarded music as a commodity, with artists most often receiving significantly less money than their labels. Despite this seemingly disadvantageous scenario, no viable alternative was on offer to recording artists for over 50 years.
The process was relatively basic in structure - artists created music with the aid of record company funding, and the label then promoted and distributed. Though the music was generally created entirely by the artist, the label nonetheless legally owned it, consequentially reaping all future profits from the sale of the artists' work. Such a system was a cause of much frustration and dissent amongst professional musicians, and though this older system still exists today, it faces competition from the New Media-reliant Online Music Scene.
The basic makeup of the online music scene is intrinsically linked to the gradual process of digitizing music in the 1980s and 90s. Originally, such files were notably significant in size, but with the discovery that music could be stored and transferred in conveniently compressed formats, a new frontier had opened for the world of music. It was certainly advantageous to this newfound process that the world of the Internet had begun to thrive at around the same time as this musical digitalization. The combination of the two was inevitable, and though the identity of the originators of the concept is hotly contested, it is most generally agreed that the early digital sharing of music was the work of American college students. This, in a somewhat unlikely fashion, provides the roots of the online music scene.
Seeing the possible effects that these musically-related online technologies could have, it was not long until record labels, independent artists and the media pointed their radars squarely at music on the internet. Some of this attention was brought on by possible financial gain to be made through the exploitation of music online, but gradually more and more of the attention came to be accompanied by a distinct fear at the concept of a world of free music on the World Wide Web. To their probable horror, however, a vibrant world of music on the internet has grown steadily, with all the real-world roles once able to be fulfilled only by record labels now in the hands of the artists, who had at their disposal a world-wide-reaching communications medium. The concept of also being able to find and work with like-minded musicians on the other side of the world has also formed a cornerstone of this scene, and it in particular is still growing at an insatiable rate.
Traditional record companies would seem to be most afraid of this new technological world, as the established "way of things" is gradually superseded by the near-infinite possibilities of music on the internet. So, to examine it overall, the online music scene is an exciting and reactionary thing that has grown out of musicians harnessing the power and potential of the world wide web. It is multi-faceted, it is ever-changing, and this is a progressive attempt at examining what comprises it.
--Nick Smethurst 23:48, 9 Sep 2004 (EST)
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The history of the Online Music Scene is a fresh topic to be openly discussed. It all basically started with the introduction of electricity to music, beginning the ability to record music. Believe it or not, the Online Music Scene began in the 1950’s. RCA (Radio Corporation of America) introduced the first synthesizer, where a vast sum of data could be consumed within the one instrument. This idea led to the conception of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) in 1981 by Sequential Circuits. This advance opened up huge developments and creations of other forms of digital music and media; Napster, iPod, Mini Disk.
MP3 technology was invented in 1992 by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. It was presented as a new compression standard for music, condensing music into a small file using an MP3 encoder. Most copies of original music can be produced with practically no damage in quality, being very beneficial for Independent artists wanting to promote their music. It was exactly what they needed and appealed greatly to a wide audience. The rise of MP3 gave Independent musicians a way to act in an unprecedented manner; not wanting to deal with the corporate culture and music. Audiences took up this notion by refusing to pay the full price of music and demanded free music files to download reguardless of price, legal issues, and time constraints.
With the many issues, concepts and new technologies surrounding this developing Online Music Scene, the end to the Internet explosion is unsighted. The new millennium promises advances in Internet and Web technologies, providing many opportunities for the music industry affecting the creation, promotion, distribution, and sale of music. With the flexible nature of the computer industry and Internet, many new technologies and concepts are emerging. It is in readers’ best interest to keep up to date with technology events through checking websites, internet trade publications, news reports, and articles.
Society has changed. We are in a new era where information is distributed differently, by-passing old, existing modes. The future sees the online music scene as apart of the mainstream consumer’s entertainment experience. By the end of the 1990s, millions of music fans around the world used digital technology to enjoy millions of music related websites. Those companies responsible for these websites have established themselves as a digital music center, and will be in the right spot to dominate the online music industry when it fully develops and explodes.
Cheri Graham 03:03, 10 Sep 2004 (EST)
The Online Music Scene is a wide-ranged subject, covering everything from online radio to online music tutorials. The past decade has seen the increasing usage of personal computers, fast transmission speeds, and user-friendly software, giving music many prominent opportunities for Web presence. Such opportunities involve direct communication with fans, reaching foreign markets through the power of Websites, giving audiences a chance to preview a musician or bands creation, and maybe purchase. Some Major Record Labels have warmed to this idea and have incorporated the digital distribution system to appeal to the broader and demanding audience.
Many have viewed the scene as an exploitation of new opportunities for commercial profit-making. This factor should not get in the way of promising musicians, the music culture, and the real opportunity to give musicians freedom and choice. The following is a brief overview of central issues associated with the Online Music Scene, displaying a major positive transformation of the industry.
A main element to the Online Music Scene is the ‘Do-It-Yourself’ (DIY) notion. Growing popularity in the early 1990’s, DIY has augmented into many industries referring to new possibilities for self-determination of an individual/s. In relation to the Internet and music, the DIY culture has dropped the traditional boundaries of access and communication, and has given individuals the opportunity to achieve whatever it is they desire. For musicians, the internet has become a great facility for nurturing a musicians needs. It leads to the underground success of the Independent Record Labels, utilizing the DIY method to promote and distribute unsigned artists who have either pre-recorded their music and uploaded it to the internet, or an artist who has explored the new methods of colloborating online. The websites offer a choice of services to fans including music news, downloads, pictures, tour news and merchandise. Another great new advantage is the Internet’s ability to send out live broadcasts of an artist’s performance, breaking down the access and distance barriers that audiences once experienced.
The explosion of MP3’s was the prime factor behind altering the way the world consumes music and how fans receive artists’ work. This compressed digital music was a godsend for all of the struggling independent musicians, offering them a whole new realm to delve into. Users have the access and ability to download and swap practically any music file they request to their own personal computer from an online forum. This has created a major disturbance to the music industry, arising many legal issues regarding Copyright, and Piracy infringement policies. This controversy has set off technology companies to investigate possible approaches to somehow encrypt music files and prevent piracy.
Cheri Graham 01:08, 10 Sep 2004 (EST)
The importance of the online music scene in the world of the 21st century cannot be understated. As more and more people find themselves with regular internet access through ever-faster connections, this scene finds itself with a constantly increasing number of potential active participants. This New Media-rich scene is quite clearly changing the way contemporary society regards music, leading to what is essentially a shift in people’s perception of how music should be regarded. Whereas aforementioned record company policies would have music considered as a commodity to be bought and sold, with profits eventually leading back to the companies themselves, the Online Music Scene would seem to lead the way for the perception of music as something much more universal. Artists can meet, create, promote and distribute recordings from the comfort of their own bedroom studios, and almost all costs can then be recouped without a tithe to record companies. For contemporary musicians, this is possibly as significant as any development in the history of their art. Unintentionally, the development of the internet has given musicians a place to express themselves creatively without the constraints of corporate financial concerns prohibiting their expression. For the worldwide musical community, the importance of this is unfathomable, and the effects are already deeply resonant within contemporaneous society.
--Nick Smethurst 01:11, 10 Sep 2004 (EST)
===Visit the Online Music Scene ===
Onlinemusic.com.au Home of the unsigned artists.
CreateBands.com Have lots of fun with this! Manufacture your own band with interactive media.
MP3.com Source for digital music and technology.
Radio Locator Links to over 10,000 radio station web pages and over 2500 audio streams from radio stations around the world.
Music Scene Online Dedicated to the promotion and distribution music from emerging artists.
AIAN - Australia's Original Music Community Independent Artists Network.
Pro-Music EVERYTHING you need to know about music online.
Cheri Graham 19:13, 9 Sep 2004 (EST)
In addition to the works previously listed in our respective annotated bibliographies, the following works were referenced in our above research:
Albini, S (1993) "The problem with music." Retrieved September 9th 2004 from "[1]"
Boehlert, E (2002) "Music Industry Down the Toilet?" Retrieved 27th April 2004 from "[2]"
Hartley, John (2002) Communication, Cultural and Media Studies: the key concepts, London.: Routledge, ISBN 0415268893
History of MP3s (2003) Retrieved 9th of September 2004 from "[3]"
InfoAnarchy Wiki (2004) Retrieved 9th of september 2004 from "[4]"
Sibley, J (2004) "Interview: Denzyl Feigelson: President, Artists Without A Label" (2004) Retrieved 5 September 2004 from Musicians Exchange "[5]"
Love, C (2000) "Courtney Love does the math." Retrieved September 9th 2004 from "[6]"
McEwen, T (1999) "MP3 To Go?." Retrieved 14 May 2003 from "[7]"
Music Industry Unveils New Piracy-Proof Format: A Black, Plastic Disk With Grooves On It (2002) Retrieved 5th September 2004 from "[8]"
Richard, KD (2000) "The Music Industry and its Digital Future: Introducing MP3 technology." Sound on Sound, Cambridge UK
(compiled by Nick Smethurst)
