From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
Cameron Hawes
- Second Year CI Student
Submajors: Music and Journalism
Project Topic
- With relation to the overall issue of new media technology, I will be observing the reletively recent use of music file sharing and peer to peer interaction, more specifically, investigating the legal implications of such technology and it's place in the music industry.
Music File Sharing
Email
[1]
New Media in the Music Industry
- Caldwell, J.T. (ed.) (2000) "Electronic Media and Technoculture" New Jersey, USA. :Rutgers University Press, ISBN 0813527341
- This book is largely focused on the social ramifications that are occurring with the rapid development of technology and new electronic media. "Electronic Media in Technoculture" is a collection of contributions that observes shifts in social patterns through the introduction of the internet and how society had embraced cyberspace. The subject of new media in the music industry also involves internet related issues such as file sharing, online remixing, and downloading, making the topics covered in this book relevent to the research subject.
- Gerrish, B. (2001) "Remix : The Electronic Music Explosion" Vallejo, California.:EM Books, ISBN 0872887405
- Gerrish's book is a detailed look at the musical sub-genre of remixing. The book gives an insight into the development of the genre and also observes the technology that is employed in its production and recording. The element of cyber technology and the internet also plays a big role in the distribution of remixes, and Gerrish observes in detail the functions of the web in sharing and playing music, discussing media such as MP3 sites, internet radio, and file sharing. This book is an ideal profile of new media and its place in the music industry. It discusses both new technologies that are being used in the production and composition of music (i.e. MP3 players, CDJs, turn-tables), as well as the communication technologies that are being employed to distribute the music, while also touching on the social and ethical implications of such new media.
- Manning, P. (2004) "Electronic and Computer Music" New York, USA.:Oxford University Press, ISBN 0195170857
- "Electronic and Computer Music" provides a concise history of the technological developments that have occurred within the music industry, and how these developments have influenced the composition, recording, and playing of live music. Manning observes from the very early developments of broadcast and studio technology that took place after the second world war, right up to today's use of MIDI software and sophisticated processing equipment. This book provides an extremely detailed overview of the technological developments that have influenced the production of music, but is slightly less relevant to the subject of new media in the music industry in terms of social and economical impacts.
- Murphie, A. and Potts, J. (2003) "Culture and Technology" New York, USA.:Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 0333929292
- This text begins by observing, in very general terms, the concepts of both technology and culture. The book provides a brief history of the concepts, citing various philosophies and theoretical arguments that aided their development. The philosophies and frameworks that are discussed would provide a valuable resource in researching the subject of new media in the music industry by providing a theoretical context in which to analyse the social and economical impacts that new media has had on the production and marketing of music. The book also observes the cultures and values that have developed with new media technologies, including things such as digital aesthetics, net culture, and authorship. Although these issues are not discussed within the context of the music industry, they are applicable to aforementioned music media such as file sharing and mp3 downloads. Murphie and Potts also touch on technology's impact on music specifically. Innovative composer John Cage is cited as an early pioneer of electronic music, and his experiments, among others, are discussed in terms of their social impacts in broadening the perception of musical composition.
- Rosenburg, R.S. (2004) "The Social Impact of Computers" San Diego, California.:Elsevier Academic Press, ISBN 0125971214
- Rosenburg focuses mainly on the legal and social aspects that have developed with the advance of new media technologies. These issues are particularly relevent to the music industry, with such controversy surrounding technologies such as Napster and Kazaa, the music business is frequently faced with legal issues such as ownership, piracy, and free distribution. Rosenburg starts by providing a brief history of the computer and its original functions, describing technological developments such as the first silicon chips right up to the internet. The book also illustrates the use of computer technology in the business world, as well as outlining their functions in the fields of medicine and education. The section most relevant to new media in the music industry would be Rosenburg's insight into intellectual property rights on the internet. This section describes the peer-to-peer file-sharing technology that has had massive legal ramifications on the music industry. Rosenburg also goes on to illustrate that it is not just music files that are being downloaded, but also videos, feature films, books, and even comics. A brief history of Napster, the most widely recognised file sharing development, is also provided. With reference to this technology, legal cases of artists filing lawsuits against Napster would be included as an example of how the music industry has been affected by new media technology.
- Rule, G. (1999) "Electro-Shock: Groundbreakers of Synth Music" San Francisco, California.:Miller Freeman Books, ISBN 0879305827
- Rule's book profiles the artists that have pioneered the use of new media technology in musical composition and production. The book looks at the equipment employed by these artists and how their personal careers evolved to include such technology in their work. Rule provides detailed descriptions of specific products and how they are used by various artists, giving an illustration of the actual musical abilities of these new media technologies. Cultural aspects of these developments are also covered in Rule's book. He observes how various musical genres incorporate different pieces of equipment to suit the musical aesthetic, and how interpretations of the use of this technology differ depending on the context in which they are used to create musical sound.
- Shuker, R. (2001) "Understanding Popular Music" London, England.:Routledge, ISBN 0415235103
- "Understanding Popular Music" is a very useful resource in regards to observing the impact of new media technologies on the music industry. Shuker observes the influence that these technologies have had on all aspects of contemporary music including equipment, the music press, merging genres, music videos and MTV, converging record labels, and the cultural politics surrounding popular music. The book illustrates the blurring of lines that once separated musical genres, as a result of technology that allows artists to sample and remix the works of others, ascribing new meanings to different styles of music by digitally manipulating and playing them in different contexts. Shuker also observes the internet's affect on the music press, citing developments such as online zines and publications that offer consumers quick and easy information and reviews on their favourite artists. The marketing of popular music is also discussed with reference to MTV and music videos that are also available for download over the internet. Such technologies have also affected the major music labels, with companies seeking to broaden their market and distribution by using the internet to sell and distribute artists' work. Shuker cites the merging of record company Time Warner with internet provider AOL as an example of this.
- Van Buskirk, E. (2003) "Burning Down the House: Ripping, Recording, Remixing, and More!" California, USA.:McGraw-Hill/Osborne, ISBN 0072228792
As the title suggests, Buskirk's book is essentially a step by step manual for operating some of these new media music technologies. The book begins by illustrating the ways in which personal computers can be utilised, by way of various programs and software, to store, arrange, manipulate, record, and even play live music. Buskirk provides a list of technological requirements for the user and outlines the functions of the various pieces of software. The book goes on to describe the process of copying, ripping, downloading, recording, burning, and digitizing music. This book is an ideal example of the affect that new media technologies have had on various aspects of music.
- Young, R. (ed.) (2002) "Undercurrents: The Hidden Wiring of Modern Music" London, England.:Continuum, ISBN 0826464505
- This book is a collection of essays that observe and discuss some of the most influential events and happenings in contemporary music. Many of these are to do with the development of musical technology that has shaped the course of modern music or even formed entire genres. The genre of 'sound art' as a result of developing technology is observed in this book, a style that involves artists sampling everyday noises and arranging them in a rhythmic or melodic pattern to create what could be considered music. The book also observes the relatively recent development of vinyl manipulation used by DJs in popular genres Hip-Hop and RnB, also going on to discuss a digital version of the turntable called the CDJ, which enables artists to manipulate the sound on a CD as if it were a vinyl record. The cultural implications of electronic dance music are also addressed, suggesting that the use of repetitive synthesisers were first used to achieve a super-human level of accuracy.
"Undercurrents" provides a distinctly cultural evaluation of the new technologies that have affected the way music is perceived and consumed.
