Introduction
Companies and individuals with profound passion in creating and selling music in different part of the world or even in its own country have a great opportunity. These companies are the music industry or music business who makes money abundantly out of their talents, ambitions, and resources. There are various types of organizations operating in music industry and there are individuals who engage in music ventures. The individuals who belong in the music industry are the musicians, composers, performers, music publishers, engineers, producers, educators, journalists, business managers, talent managers, entertainment legal representatives, booking agents, road crew, and promoters of music venues. In addition, organizations who invest their resources in music industry are the recording studios, retail and online music stores, musical instrument manufacturers, satellite and broadcast radio, and performance rights organizations. Successful musicians and music industry should possess a driving force to achieve the common goal, good returns and good reputations. Good reputations are well patronized by customers and audiences globally (Texas).
Thesis statement
This paper provides the progress and development of the music industry over time basing on music production, live performances, sound systems, and related equipment to the music industry.
Early development of the music industry:
In the middle of 20th century, current music industries become known to every music lovers and patrons. Recording company has succeeded as the leading competitor in the music business world (Hamilton & Jill). People around the world, speaks about the recording industry commercially. The majority of the recording industry is directly managed by giant corporate labels. These giant corporate labels are the Japanese-owned Sony Music Entertainment, the French-owned Universal Music Group, and the US-owned Warner Music Group. Aside from the three giant corporate labels, there are also independent labels or known as sub-labels. Live Nation is the biggest promoter and music venue owner, and it controls the largest part of the live music market.
During the arrival of the well-known digital distribution of music, there have been extreme changes in the music industry. Evidently, in 2000, the total sales of recorded music decreased largely; Apple Inc. iTunes store became the biggest digital music retailer worldwide. The Universal Music Group and Sony/ATV Music Publishing are the two largest companies in the industry. Also, the jointly known Big Four majors are the Sony BMG-EMI Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
Music production:
Record producers oversee and manage the recording of the music on an artist, and work in the music industry. In a modern recording industry, there are two kinds of producers involved, the executive and music producers with its distinct roles. The project finances are administered by executive producer while the creations of music are administered by the music producers. Producers utilized several diverse technologies. Virtual recording software is used on centralized computers in recording and mixing tasks. In addition, devices like the main mixer, MIDI controllers, outboard effects gear, and recording device are available for utilization.
Technological development in music: There has been a great improvement in the technology involved in music due to the response for better and advance methods for transmission and reproduction of video and sound in music. These new technologies have stimulated have stimulated a wide market place for media products and music, as well. Between to 1925 to 1949, there was an improvement in the recording technology of analogue sound. Radio was widely used as a prime entertainment video at home and social places. Currently, there has been a great development in the mediums through the recording industry conveys music to the public. Improvement of technologies such as the use of personal computers, tablets, phones, laptops and improved music systems, which are modernized forms of technologies with higher transmission systems make it easy for music to be conveyed to the public. The pace at which music was conveyed to the public in the beginning was slower because the gadgets that were used were of a lower frequency and speed in them compared to the new technology systems.
Live Performances:
Live performances have been made in the past using bulky gadgets and multitudes of hardware systems. Huge racks of hardware that were presented on stage during live performances such as the use of the large rounded disks to play music could not be compared to the current ways of handling live performances. Currently, the use of a laptop with automated software’s which play large sounds of music and rhythms as the artists performs has made the whole process simple and effective. A laptop is portable and has minimal chances of crushing in the course of a live performance so long it is set and updated with the required software. The use of the olden disks had many complications where they were susceptible to mechanical damages and could at most times interrupt the process of live performance.
The use of laptops when conducting live performance has reduced the bulkiness and crowding of instruments on stage over a long time. These programs are designed and programmed with high-speed hardware and software systems that work effectively compared to the disks that were used. The coming up of technologies such as projectors has improved the efficiency of music during live performance sessions. For example, in churches, when conducting live performances during a service, the audience can be engaged in the performance by projecting to the front of the church the lyrics of the song. This is faster and effective compared to the olden days where books of the songs were spread to the members of the church. This was more involving because the books could not be equated to all members, and it wasted a lot of time scrolling for the pages in search for the song.
Music instruments and sound systems:
The musical instruments used in the past were mainly from animal products such as the skin. The ancient system of musical instrumentation contained four main classification groups of instruments: instrument that produced sound through vibration of strings, instruments that contained skinheads, instruments that produced sound by vibrating air columns of air, and non-skin instruments. Consistent development has taken a large place and new instruments have been integrated into the music industry, boosting the pace at which music is perceived and conducted. The introduction of sound systems such as the Sound cloud, a platform that deals with audio music and it enables people to share their sounds across the world with their friends, followers, and fans. It connects musicians with the large community, enabling them to build their audience. Such systems have fastened the pace at which artists get to their audience, compared to the olden days where an individual had to be seen physically performing.
The introduction of Pandora sound systems into the music industry has been a great pace maker to the general music industry. This is an internet radio system where people visit the website and get access to free music of their choice. This has made development of the music industry grow at a faster rate because of the ease circulation of music produced. The music development in terms of production was slower at the beginning because the only means of relaying the music to people was the radio, which only offered specific music to the people. There was no provision of selecting music of your choice, therefore, took time to hear your favorite on radio.
The following graph indicates the development of music from the early centuries to the current times.
The x-axis of the graph shows the effort, time, and the total input that has been invested in the music industry over a long time. It ranges from the early eighteenth centuries to the twenty first century. The Y-axis represents the progressive output of the investment that has been incurred over a period a long of time. Looking at the S curve of the graph, the base represents the early stages of the development of the music industry (Wikstrom & Patrick). These are moments where performance and production of music was more analogue. No internet was available and getting the given composition to the client was involving.
The rapid development stage represents part of the twentieth century where a lot of technological development and the use of internet was incorporated into the music industry. The maturity level represents the current state of the music industry. Much advancement has been made, and compositions are made in a more modern way. The stage has not had any other development from the current state due to the maximum investment already incurred on the music industry (Wikstrom & Patrick). The curve is straight at this point. The doted curve indicates the future development stages of the music industry. More projections have been made to improve on the current state of the industry.
CONCLUSION
The music industry has since then been dynamic from the early times. There has been a great development in the production, composition, even in the setting of the industry. Currently, most composers and musicians have perused it as a career and earned a living out of it.
Works cited
Wikström, Patrik. The Music Industry: Music in the Cloud. Cambridge: Polity, 2009. Print.
Hamilton, Jill. The Music Industry. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Print.
Berlatsky, Noah. The Music Industry. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Print.
Tschmuck, Peter. Creativity and Innovation in the Music Industry. Dordrecht: Springer, 2006.
Print.
Texas, Music O. The Texas Music Industry Directory: A Reference Book for the Texas Music Industry. Austin, Tex: Texas Music Office, 1991. Print.
Rutter, Paul. The Music Industry Handbook. New York: Routledge, 2011. Print.
Krasilovsky, M W, and Sidney Shemel. This Business of Music: The Definitive Guide to the Music Industry. New York: Billboard Books, 2000. Print.
Legal and Business Aspects of the Music Industry: Music, Videocassettes, and Records. New York, N.Y.: Practising Law Institute, 1980. Print.
Brabec, Jeffrey, and Todd Brabec. Music, Money, and Success: The Insider's Guide to the Music Industry. New York: Schirmer Books, 1994. Print.
Field, Shelly. Career Opportunities in the Music Industry. New York: Facts on File, 2000. Print.
