The following case deals with the formal introduction of terrestrial radio and its effect on the promotion of new artists and new forms of music. It also talks about the future of internet radio, music and its new art forms.
“Breaking New Artist and Music: Features ‘Mohit Chauhan’s’ Secrets to Stardom”
Have you ever watched the movie ‘Cadillac Records’? The documentation comprised of the earliest artists in the States where music genres like Blues, Jazz, and Rock eventually came into existence. The movie is a presage of how broadcasting companies took over uprising musicians and hence practically promoted their fame however in return, the artists suffered blows in their careers due to the prolific squanders.
Terrestrial radio initially started off slow though the business was limited roughly to around 40 stations nationwide hence this pursuit of entertaining the masses through aired telecasts was a complete washout. Stations that were financially poor resulted in shutting down their respective commerce however in the mid 90s’ there was a change in scenario which constituted the dawn for ‘Terrestrial Radio’ progression.
The broadcast lobby all over the world successfully increased their station ownership rights. Numerous terrestrial radio stations joined the business which was under the management of multi-billion dollar companies who’d bought these stations off for future advancement in the music industry. According to the new regulation in the music world, a company which once could handle just a few stations could now lever a thousand other music stations.
Consolidation of Terrestrial Radio Companies upon Rising Artists:
Thus began the surmounting trail of the terrestrial radio companies that started controlling every station in a particular city. The newcomers grabbed every small station without actually paying for it which turned out to be a messy procedure. With time the power shifted towards radio conglomerates which initiated hindrances. Songs which were once played according to the audience’s preferences were given less significance as a new playlist was generated only to influence the masses by the owners.
Rise of MTV: Did it propel emerging artists?
The scene drastically underwent transformation once visual media introduced MTV, one of the most popular music channels of the world. The speed at which new artists and their music reached homes was accelerated once the audience became hooked to MTV which certainly helped many emerging artists to propel. The channel is basically a retrospective of the artist’s song in the form of a video that fascinated the audience more than simple audio telecasts. MTV conducted shows of various concepts and themes that caught the attention of the coming generations.
MTV India’s ‘Roadies’ is one of the best examples till date. MTV also featured concerts, music and dance oriented programs which directed the audience into watching videos on television at a massive rate. With reality shows being projected on MTV, the audience took great pleasure in calling in and pitching in votes for their favourite contestants or songs. There were shows where a fan’s playlist would be featured on MTV as well as their comments that could be seen exhibited at the bottom of the channel’s show.
Right from the Beatles to Gun & Roses, the audience finally became aware of the different genres of music that existed. Slowly we obtained a fine string of fan followers who became avid lovers of rock, metal, rap and the classics. Parents would observe their children watching Michael Jackson perform his moon walk on stage while Linkin Park’s guitar solos would resonate past walls.
Several other artists like Madonna, Elton John, Backstreet Boys, Enrique, John Mayer, Norah Jones etc also started gaining recognition for their works. Since it wasn’t possible for every kid in the block to watch a live concert, the telecasts of the band’s performances on television was a fine means of obtaining major audience who could indulge in the knowledge they extracted from visual media. MTV played music tracks in a very scientific manner which was under the surveillance of hosts or video jockeys hired by MTV to entertain the audience on screen.
But Does MTV Still Propel Young Artists?
But as times changed MTV also modified its style of programming and broadcasting. The creative members of these channel realized that people weren’t interested in listening to a complete song. Hence the idea of popularizing a brand by short advertisements was established which certainly quickened the music shows however the fun of listening to a song entirely was lost within the growing generations. MTV India is one such popular example where reality shows are being broadcasted much more than music videos hence exactly how can we say that MTV propels young artists anymore?
Introducing Digital Era:
Taylor Swift’s Royal Deal:
Clear Channel is the largest radio broadcaster in the United States. According to the New York Times, Big Machine Label Group and Clear Channel Communications reached an agreement where within the premises of this royalty deal famous artists like country singer Taylor Swift, will get maximum exposure and significance when their songs are played on a Clear Channel station.
Often royalties are given to the songwriters for publically performing for a terrestrial radio however the performers receive no compensation. So, when Patsy Clines song “Crazy” is aired it is the song writer along with the publisher who obtains royalties by BMI but the performer Patsy Cline receives no recompense.
Future of Internet Radio and Terrestrial Radio:
Both internet radio and terrestrial radio have become old fashioned however depending upon the common public we can estimate if the technology will profit and prosper any longer. Since both have their distinct advantages where on one hand terrestrial radio is easily purchasable and always active to access any radio station while the internet radio offers freedom of choice with respect to the station, there are still plenty who prefer the two over the new aged technology and its means of marketing latest albums and artists.
Digital Era: Pros and Cons
Advantages:
1. With the introduction of the digital age new artists basically obtained their respective platforms to reach a targeted audience within a particular area. Thus the probabilities of these new artists of being popular within their localities and nations worldwide became a rampant trend, one which has pioneered artists like Justin Bieber, Adele, Paramore, Blackstratblues etc.
2. Today people download digitally compressed music files from the internet either for free or at a cost lower than the traditional music CD’S and cassettes.
3. One of best example of digital age’s influence on the upcoming youth is YouTube where every member obtains equal chance of exposing and introducing his/her work to the world.
Disadvantages:
1. However the disadvantage would be that apart from not obtaining royalties, digital age has decreased the chances of artists working under agencies which practically endorse their first album hence the expenditure and exposure are taken care of.
2. The digital age has made artists completely dependent upon technology due to which concerts, tours and live jams aren’t given much consideration by the younger generation who once would’ve given anything to get their hands on tickets for a music show.
3. Being completely dependent upon the audience won’t serve to expose the work of an artist early since with competition at hand within the same arena, it’s completely the people’s choice to pick you, promote you and hence make you popular.
Stardom Secrets: “Mohit Chauhan”
Any new artist can get inspired when Mohit Chauhan’s name is displayed on the charts. Even though the artist recently entered the music industry however his band have forever been associated with music and gained their respective prestige amongst the people residing on the snowy hills of Himachal Pradesh. Through online buzz and word of mouth Mohit Chauhan increased his visibility amongst the masses considerably especially once his first ever song ‘Dooba Dooba’ followed by ‘Tum Se Hi’ were featured worldwide.
He used the platform of renowned music reality show “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa- Duet Champs” to further expand his work towards the audience. As we know that discovery and awareness go hand in hand, Mohit Chauhan’s discovery enflamed the Bollywood industry where movie after movie, you could listen to his songs being played in almost every hit blockbuster. Right from ‘Fashion’ to ‘Rockstar’ and finally down to this year’s best proclaimed movie ‘Barfi’, Mohit Chauhan’s fan base has been increasing day by day.
He used the music based social network ‘Facebook’ to reach his fans as they easily get informed about his new singing projects. This famous singer of today’s youth even provides direct links of his new work within the social media easily connect with the audience. His band ‘Silk Route’ was unheard of until he started presenting his work to the audience through interviews and live telecasts.
The singer has increased his credibility through several nominations for the National Film Fare Award where he has won the title of ‘Best Male Lead Singer’ twice already, one for the song ‘Masakali’ in Delhi 6 and the other ‘Jo Bhi Main’ for Rockstar.
He believes in digital PR campaign and his audiences remain connected with him from every part of the world. ‘Mohit Chauhan’ with his rustic vocals has a variety of works before he was even recognized by the audience however with every song that is released today he never fails to mesmerize people from all age groups. Gaining his first claim after ‘Pritam’ first approached him for the movie ‘Jab We Met’, ever since then his career has been rocking the panels of Bollywood cinema.
References:
Leeds J. (2012). Radio Consolidation. 5 October 2012. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/music/perfect/radio.html
Stone R. (2012). Clear channel and big machine make royalty deal. 5 October 2012. Retrieved from http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/clear-channel-and-big-machine-make-royalty-deal-20120611
