Digital Distribution of Music.

In the World of Ones and Zero

The digital distribution of music...what we like to call the easy “DIY approach” to listening to and marketing music online. “Do it yourself (DIY) is a form of collaboration environment allowing individuals to publish and share their contributions of information and knowledge” (Saunders, 2007).


Compared to several years ago, the number of places to buy music online has skyrocketed into the thousands. I now ask the question, will the major record labels disappear like the dinosaurs to which they’ve often been compared? I think not. I must admit though, it’s now clear that the independent music distributors emerging in the business, such as Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead, are going to be a far bigger piece of the picture than ever before. These artists have taken upon the “DIY” approach in distributing their music by their own means over the internet, ditching their record labels to showcase their own talent. Is this the new trend that will see the fall of the dinosaurs or is the old school ways of distributing CDs through record labels still in the norm for consumers?

An enormous crop of mushrooms springing up overnight has been the common story since the emergence of the Web. The massive and rapid growth of online music distribution outlets is pretty amazing. Now I can’t really preach to you all here and say that I have never illegally downloaded a song off the internet. Because I have, countless amounts of times I might add. The accessibility of it is really just too tempting.

Nevertheless, with all this put aside, online distribution is fast becoming the most effective way of listening and marketing music. "We are today barely seeing the first glimmerings of what a fully networked public culture might look like" (Russell et al, 2006). Undoubtedly, a growing number of artists are seeking new ways to control the marketing and distribution of their output to counter music piracy on the internet. Of course, this does really depend on the popularity of the band, and whether the distribution method will work for them in particular. Coldplay set the precedent for other commercially successful bands by ditching their record label and releasing their new single on the internet, free of charge.

"The battle between the recording industry and file-sharing music fans is perhaps the most high profile example of shifts in the production and consumption of cultural products, and it illustrates some of the underlying issues associated with these changes " (Russell et al, 2006). “Radiohead and Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails have seemingly been trying to one-up each other when it comes to using the Internet in innovative ways. Radiohead released its latest album, In Rainbows, on its Web site and invited fans to download it for whatever price they felt was fair. Nine Inch Nails then released multiple versions of its album, Ghosts, on its Web site, with prices ranging from free to $300. Not to be outdone, Radiohead invited fans to remix one of its songs and upload their versions to the band’s site” (Worthen, 2008).

I’m not sure if online distribution of music will become the ‘next big thing’ for all artists, as I believe the tangible aspects of the CD are still much appreciated by some. I can also say, without hopefully sounding too hypocritical, that I do prefer listening to the “authentic CDs” of my favourite artists and bands, rahter than the dodgy online versions. Bands such as Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails are really rebelling against the industry, and it’s hard to imagine a lot of other “more mainstream” artists seemingly deciding it’s time to give their record label the big BOOT.

“Record companies should focus on understanding the Net better and on harnessing its potential. For starters, less rigid rules would help propel the record companies into the online music business” (Brull, 1999). Nevertheless, I believe physical discs are going to be around for a long, long time for several reasons. The most obvious reason is that people are use to them, and have invested lots of money in gadgets for playing, recording and storing them.

So in my opinion, when the planet is bathed in a thick layer of ones and zeros, online music distribution will be gargantuan. Right now though, it’s merely a trend that is and will be quite successful for a minority of artists and consumers who prefer this way of life. But it is not for all!

References

Brull, S. (1999). “Are music companies blinded by fright?” Business Week Online. June28. 1999 Issue. http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_26/b3635140.htm (accessed 11 May, 2008).

Russell, A et al. (2006). Culture: Networked Public Culture. http://networkedpublics.org/book/culture (accessed 12 May, 2008).

Saunders, B. (2008). KCB201 Week 7 Lecture. Queensland University of Technology

Worthen, B. (2008). The Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/04/29/coldplay-metallica-motley-crue-embrace-the-web/ (accessed 11 May, 2008).