The rapid growth over the last decade of the Internet, and particularly social media, has forever transformed how people produce and consume music - and for the most part, that is a good thing. Through forums like Youtube and Myspace, upstart bands and artists can make a name for themselves. Other more music-centric sites like Pandora and Grooveshark allow listeners to easily peruse the vast musical schmorgesborg. P2P file sharing programs such as BitTorrent present web browsers even more - uhhhhh, kinda illegal - music listening options.
Unhindered avenues of musical exploration present tremendous opportunities for discovery and distribution. An unknown band with an affinity for autotune (see Gregory Brothers) can now become an overnight sensation with a popular Youtube hit. For the modern music consumer, a kewl new song, band or style waits to be heard around every corner. And all of this leads me to wonder how trendy hipsters found obscure European indie rock bands before having the Internet to rely on.
This article by Jackie Peters outlines just a few of the ways that social media are changing the musical sphere.
Music's increasing accessibility has exposed the art form to countless new listeners. Almost anyone you ask (especially younger people) will say that they enjoy listening to music, to some degree or another. A limitless range of styles and genres lend music a universal appeal well suited for a medium like the Internet. Don't like pop country? Perhaps hardcore thrash metal will tickle your fancy… Or how about some bebop jazz to snap your self-aware fingers along to? All of this and anything else you can musically imagine is readily available, and in many cases, completely free of charge.
In the weeks to come, I will dig up some interesting morsels regarding music and its growing alliance with social media. As these become even more inextricably linked, it will be fascinating to uncover current trends and practices. I'll delve into the many ways that the Internet and social media are changing the music business. The restructuring of the music industry has significant implications for artists and consumers alike. It will be intriguing to see how this once heavily corporatized industry continues to evolve in the coming years.
A March 2010 interview with musician Amanda Palmer on NPR's On The Media explores the evolving relationship between music and the Internet. This segment reflects on the latent meanings that this transformation carries and considers the long term effects on the music industry as a whole.
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