The Impact Of Technology And Social Media On The Music Industry

The Impact of Technology and Social Media on the Music Industry
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The Impact of Technology and Social Media on the Music Industry
Technology and social media have taken the 21st century by storm. Nearly everything today has an influence of technology in it. Through technology, connectivity between people has greatly increased, thus making it possible for people to share and interact more closely than they did decades ago (Bennett & Waksman, 2015). In other words, technology and social media have brought a revolution that has transformed today’s social order in a big way. One of the industries that have been greatly impacted by technology and social media is the music industry. Before the advent of the internet, music was very different. It was not known in the scale that it is known today. For example, it was not easy for artists to be known beyond their countries of origin. Music is a global industry that has a great impact on the society at different levels and in various aspects. Irrespective of the geographical boundaries that exist in the world today, technology and social media has made it possible for people from far and wide to interact with one another on the platform of music. Music lovers are able to get copies of their favorite music within a minute and they are also able to get the latest information on music from around the world without any struggle (Einav, 2010). All this has been made possible through technology and social media. Certainly, technology and social media have played a big role in the revolution of music and made it one of the most influential industries in the 21st century.
Easing Accessibility of Music
Accessing music has been made more convenient today than it was years ago. A couple of decades ago, music was been packaged in hardcopy format, thus it was not been spread as it is been spread today (Katz, 2004). Recorded music was only available in CDs and cassettes. According to (North & Hargreaves, 2008, p. 34), “People got to hear new music from CDs, radio stations, and music charts.” In such a format, this meant that there were people who could not get hold of certain songs, and when they got to hear them, it was after a long time. Technology was not advanced as it is today. However, with the advancement of technology in the contemporary world, the music industry has grown to a whole new level. “Accessing music has changed drastically, with people being able to access music even minutes after its release” (Suhr, 2012, p. 118). Unlike the olden days when music could only be packaged in hardcopy format, nowadays music is being packaged on softcopy. People now own electronic copies of newly-released music, a pattern that was not evident before the advancement of technology. Unlike in the analog days when one had to wait for a long time to get hold of new music, accessing music is very easy today. The internet has made it easy for people to download music online. Some of the online music downloading sites include: Noise Trade, Epitonic, and Free Music Archive. Free Music Archive, for instance, was launched in 2009, and allows music fans to download free music legally. Also, Noise Trade offers a platform for music sharing and free music download. On this platform, artists are able to share their music, thus expanding its accessibility. This has contributed greatly in making music easily accessible.
Additionally, it is possible for people to view new music videos on platforms like YouTube. Artists benefit a lot from YouTube because it gives them an opportunity for millions of their fans to get access to their music through video streaming. Spotify, just like YouTube, is a digital music platform that makes it possible for millions of people globally to access music online. Through YouTube and Spotify, it is very easy to access music, unlike in the analog era whereby music fans had to buy music by going to a music store.
The social media platform has also played a huge role in increasing the availability of contemporary music, thus elevating the music industry to a higher level. Social media platforms like Facebook have opened wonderful opportunities for music consumers to follow their favorite musicians and make music available to them (Rosenberg, 2004). For example, musicians are able to interact with their fans, and in the process make their music known to them. Indeed, technology and social media have contributed largely in impacting the music industry by opening avenues for making music easily available to consumers.
Marketing the Music Industry
The aspect of marketing is very important in the music industry. Without a good marketing strategy, it is difficult for artists to make major breakthroughs. Today, technology and social media have taken the role of marketing quite well. Schloss, Starr & Waterman, 2012, p. 67 argue that, “Musicians are reaping huge benefits by using technology and social media as tool for marketing their music.” Before the penetration of technology into the music industry, musicians relied heavily in music promoters to ensure that their music reaches out to their fans. However, in today’s digital world, it is very possible for musicians to market their work without relying on promoters. This has been made possible by an increase in the use of technology and social media platforms (Valencia, 2008). Individual musicians and music bands have realized the significance of technology in making their music and projects known by their fans.
For example, musicians today have their own websites where they display their music, advertise their upcoming shows and also talk more about themselves (Valencia, 2008). By utilising on websites, artists provide an interactive environment between them and their fans and, consequently, expand their reach to potential listeners and also retain their current fan base. This is, indeed, a viable way of marketing themselves and building a cutting edge portfolio in a music-loving world. Moreover, social media platforms are playing a huge role in marketing music. For example, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are ...