Legal vs Illegal downloading sites

Owning music was once a commodity enjoyed by those privileged enough to afford records, cassettes, CDs, whichever media was available. In 1999, however, a program that allowed people to share audio files called 'Napster' changed not only the way people collect music, it brought change to the entire music culture. The ability for people to download single songs, whole albums, and even entire discographies over the internet has led to the downfall of many record companies, but that is another discussion within itself. As online technology has advanced, file sharing and various other music sharing media have become the popular route to new music. This entry will discuss the two different forms of acquiring music in the digital age: legally and illegally.

There are a multitude of different sources of legal music online, both commercial and non-commercial. The majority of commercial downloading sites (such as itunes, napster 2.0, and emusic) have great selections of music, focusing more on mainstream hits. The most important reason most people download from legal sites is the fact that they have full rights to the song/album purchased, and thus will not get sued by the RIAA. The disadvantages of commercial sites is that each song costs $.99, or $9.99 for an album (prices vary on provider), and the selection of music offered is limited to mainstream genres/artists. The combination of these two (costliness and limited selection), though, has led many (at least those who aren't afraid of the RIAA) to turn away from paying for a poor selection of music and look to other methods of acquiring music.

Other methods, mainly peer-to-peer file sharing clients (such as kazaa, limewire, and pirate bay), have come out of the wood work since the original Napster was shut down in 2002. For those who are unfamiliar, p2p file sharing allows anyone who has access to the internet the ability to download and/or share any media, FOR FREE. From underground to mainstream to top40 hit, almost any song can be found and downloaded from these p2p clients. Due to this, the RIAA has worked endlessly for the past decade to eradicate the internet of these music thieves. These programs do have their downfalls, though. P2p programs (kazaa/limewire), however great the sharing capabilities are, often come bundled with adware and spyware. Also, when downloading a file, you are never sure whether or not the file is a virus or what it is meant to be. Thus, there is a much higher risk when using p2p clients to find/download music, but also higher reward (selection-wise).

The fight between the downloading population and the RIAA has made way for new forms of sharing music. A growing number of artist, mainly new and upcoming artists, have blogs or social sites that allow their music to be downloaded for free. The music artists put on these sites is music that was made by the individual (as well as the artist's production crew) without the help of a record company. Thus, this music can be sold or given away, whatever the artist feels best. The growing amount of blogs and social music sites (such as myspace, bandcamp, and datpiff) is allowing all artists to create and interact with their own fan base. This is the future of the music community.   

Pirate Bay fighting back?

Several music industry websites have been targeted by 'cyber attacks' as part of a revenge campaign by fans of Swedish website Pirate Bay.  Check the article(s) out:  here & here 

Students x Technology

This research (an updated briefing from 1999) I discovered while researching for the group project and found quite interesting.  It examines current research perspectives and findings on the effectiveness technology has on improving student learning.

One of the things that surprised me was:

ISSUE: Because effective use of technology must be supported by significant investments in hardware, software, infrastructure, professional development, and support services, over the last decade, we as a nation have invested more than $66 billion investment in school technology (QED, 2004). This unprecedented level of investment in educational technology has raised expectations of legislators and the public who are now looking for returns on this investment (Benton, 2002; CEO Forum, 1999, 2000), and therefore are calling for evidence regarding the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of technology in K-12 schools (Ringstaff & Kelley, 2002; Panel on Educational Technology, 1997; Melmed, 1995).

During the 90's and early 00's the government was investing a large amount of money into school systems, which is certainly obvious in certain areas that have computers for every student and ample sources of technology available to students.  But, just a decade later, those who invested are looking for return.  How could there be a return when the majority of these students are still finishing their education or just got out of college?

The evidence is in the fact that many students, even in low income areas, can now have access to internet (at least in school).  Growing up in an area that 90% of students were awarded the free or reduced lunch fees, I am aware that many underprivileged, yet intelligent, students are unable to rely on education to take them out of poverty.  These kids often turn to other lifestyles or means of income in order to be sure they can provide for themselves, and possibly their families.  Yet, the increasing presence of technology in class and available to students, I believe, is allowing these underprivileged students to get, if not just, a glimpse at the vast opportunities available.  Also, with society relying heavily on technology (mainly the internet), a higher presence of technology in all schools will lead to a more unprejudiced educational system.  

Music & Technology's Past

Music is, and has always been, essential in social and cultural gatherings. For thousands of years societies have played music for religious events, entertainment, and celebration. In the 21^st century, the musical experience can be seen from churches to night clubs to street corners. The major growth and development of the musical industry/experience can be linked with advancements in technology over the last century. These developments have also affected various branches of society, mainly industry and social experience.

Before the 19^th century the music experience was restricted to live performance; music was played for social gatherings, theatrical performances, and religious activities. In the late 1800s, however, an invention that was able to capture and play back sound would change the music experience forever. Thomas Edison was granted a patent for a wax coated recording cylinder in 1884, and by the early 1900s wax records were being mass produced. This enabled many people to experience music genres that was unheard of in their region or culture.

The invention of the radio was the next monumental breakthrough for both music and the music industry. Originally created to ensure communication capabilities in case the country was at war, the radio not only changed the music industry, but society as a whole. (That is for another discussion). Giving an entire social class, lower classes that were not able to afford records and phonographs, the ability to listen. In order to gain the most exposure and profit the music offered is often times 'popular' consisting of the top selling singles. The disadvantage of this is the restriction to the top-selling, which interferes with underground artists' ability to gain exposure.

Music radio has yet to loose all fan base, but the next technological advancement focused on the portability of the music player. Radios were the first portable music players, but due to the disadvantages previously mentioned, portable albums were created. This led to the portable music phase (leading to the portable/digital phase) that our society still seems to be in. From 8-tracks to cassettes to compact discs, these new portable players allowed anyone to enjoy music from their favorite artist, at any time they would like.

In the last half century there have been great advances in music player technology. The greatest, by far, is the advent of the internet and digital music. With the invention of the mp3 player (mainly the iPod), people are now able to carry hundreds, even thousands, of albums and various singles. The digital music phase has created a new society of music where anyone can play, create, listen, and trade music. In the recent years, the ease of spreading information through the internet has also affected which genres are popular. Opposite from the 1980s and 90s, underground artists have emerged as the more popular among (tech-savvy) society. This trend may continue, or new technology might bring back old trends. Only time will tell.

Intro::Technology in the world of music

This blog will examine how advancements in technology affect the music industry, from artists to record executives to listeners.  Advancements in technology bring change to virtually all aspects of culture and society.  The change that our generation has witnessed is staggering.  My introduction to music came christmas '94.  I got a cassette player and 2 cassette tapes (Boys 2 Men 'II', and Tag Team 'Whoop there it is').  Thats what I listened to for six months, until I could get my parents to buy a new cassette.  And that was the 'high-tech' of the time.  Just this morning, I downloaded 3 new mixtapes (which are free albums/EPs released by the artist, for those who did not know) and over 20 songs from various music blogs online (legally, don't worry).  That example alone shows the change the medium of music exchange has undergone in only 15 years.

Innovation stemming from the internet, however, has had one of the greatest impacts on changes in music and the industry.  Sites such as YouTube and MySpace gave artists a simple option to get their music to the general public, enabling anyone with access to the internet to discover new music, of any genre, whenever they like.  Now, social networking sites dedicated to the music community are blossoming, bringing out artists' creativity and genre shattering music.  All the changes, brought about by advancements in technology, may not be best for all realms of the world of music.  Most, if not all, record companies are struggling to make fractions of sales made just a decade ago.

Throughout the semester, I will explore the advantages and disadvantages of the effect advancements in technology has had on the world of music (music industry, fans, aspiring artists, etc...).  I, specifically, hope to learn more about how unknown artists use technology to advertise and create their own image; as well as the affect this is having on transforming genres and the diminishing popularity of 'popular' music.