Independent - PAWS: labels are not tied to a major. Gives artist creative freedom, and they interact closer with fans and audience. This community is niche, which the label obides by. They indie labels are less about money, more about the art form. The music awards that celebrates independent artists.
Majors - Taylor Swift: invigorate the traditional act of an indie label, but are purely for the money. BRITS is a prime example of this, strictly major artists promoted by this medium through distribution and marketing. We are told that this type of music is cool and in.
Music videos are how turbans gives its image through sex, rebellion etc. HOwever, there is an argument that this is more important than the music, devaluing it.
Since 2000s, majors aren't as prominent in the industry anymore. Online platforms such as iTunes aren't as contemporary as soundcloud, which allows anyone to put their music up. Spotify is a subscription service that allows you to stream music. Apps have also allowed progression in music, not only for promotion (The XX) but for creation (iDaft) which give a sense of interaction.
DIY - Beck: Since released songreader as a proper album, incorporating artists as a form of promotion.
Prosumer - Madeon: Prosumers are being signed to labels (e.g. Madeon - Sony) as recording artists.
Focus on the artist, not on label
Animation can be used to give a music video to an artist that doesn't have an image, as it were a score to a short film. As indie films are cheap to make, they often syngerise and has a soundtrack made by an indie artist.
WARP - indie, dance music specialist: Signed Aphex Twin, syngerising their music into the making of a short film. Also own a film production company.
Aphex Twin: Without image, they have limited commercial appeal, no lyrics, no singer, no image. Given image through, soundtrack for dead man's shoes.
It's easier for indie artists to get into film, games etc through horizontal intergration due to cheaper technology advancing.
Fan apps give free promo for artist, quizes etc. Ringtones accept that the majority of music is played on portable devices. As do apps. More and more artists are having apps made to promote their music.
X-Factor is owned by SONY, who like it because it recycles their old songs and gets them back up the charts. Utilities image on top of an 'alright' singer. Family show put on at prime time. X-Factor is 10 weeks of market research and image shaping. Original songs gets bought by nostalgia fuelled people, making it sell again.
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-Evaluate
-Digital technologies (apps: relationship with artist app, distribution apps, creation apps)
-Distribution (Spotify streaming -Tay swift), (iTunes, SoundCloud, YouTube [converters] etc)
-Filmmaking (WARP)
-Videogames
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Revise:
Group chat to aid eachother
Terminology
-Wheel (test yourself and others)
-Past questions and answers (how to use terminology), mock exam
Case Studies
-2x Beck & Madeon (DIY and prosumers - artist, digital tech, participatory audience)
-2 labels prezi (test yourself using Prezi)
-Past questions and answers (how to link case studies to questions)
Arguments
-music is more about image
-digital technology is devaluing music (streaming and piracy - no investment emotionally or monetary)
-purity (instruments, live, mumford and sons VS Autotune, sampling, electronic)
-participatory audience (collaboration - Madeon)
Evaluate and argue these points
Exam is more focused on apps and tech - what recent tech advances have we found used in our case studies.
Talk about how anyone can do what Madeon did.
Do not agree with the question, recognise both sides of the argument. Eg: piracy and streaming means they get no CD sales, HOWEVER, they sell concert tickets, merch etc.
Questions are asked to lean toward one or two case studies, but we must apply as many as we can through linking
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How the development of digital technology has affected both a Major record label (Sony) and an Independent (FatCat)
Sony music are a conglomerate who dominate the music industry as well as other areas (insurance, gaming, electronics etc.) Sony ME have utilised technology through both their production of music and its distribution.
Sony ME owns stages of the development of music , from production to distribution, and exa!please of horizontal integration. Because of this, the profits are kept in house and Sony ME are able to be one of the major record labels.
Sony ME then buy smaller independent record labels and run them under their company. They own hundreds of labels, buying them once they're successful and a threat to Sony. This is an example of vertical integration.
Sony are able to use their horizontal integration to increase their profits for example. Sony ME own AC/DC and PlayStation and so produced a PlayStation game using AC/DC music. This example of synergy that allows for more advertising for the band as well as extra profits coming into the conglomerate
Write answer in introduction. This is:
Majors act more like traditional independent labels, Indies use technology to outreach their music from their artists. How they do it similarly and differently.
Write argument at end and throughout the essay.
"Previous students label case studies" has stats to use in exams
