Digital Distribution - Mock

To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied?

Digital distribution has affected both artists and their audience. Now with the easy access of the internet audiences can easily download, watch and listen to artists music for free via YouTube, soundcloud or spotify. Audiences can also give their feedback on the artists music eg. Commenting on their YouTube videos. Prosumers also use the internet to download and 'mashup' multiple tracks to create one new track which suits their musical likes. Also digital distribution has provided Beck with a very different approach in comparison, Beck can use music produced by his audience to distribute online. Digital distribution means that production, distribution and exchange has all been merged together.

Major labels have been affected by this, major labels have adapted to change due to audience power. Major labels now provide free access online to music videos for their audience, this adaptation was critical in the three major labels as EMI who rejected this change broke down. Music is now sold online via iTunes, amazon as well as shops but is availed free to listen to via YouTube, spotify or other music apps. This adaption meant that these major label sales figures dramatically dropped, so to further adapt artists now host concerts and sell merchandise to attract and create a visual environment for fans which provides a healthy revenue. Now music is available online people can comment, like and share their videos to make them more popular and give critical feedback on the artists performance. Major record labels also use TV to their advantage, for example Sony uses X Factor to promote and showcase songs that are owned by Sony to make the song heard by other people. Also X Factor acts use songs from the back catalogue which are songs the label owns which aren't in the charts and use the show to make them more popular to create more income. Labels using their own songs on their tv show is called synergy as they combine two mediums into one. Major labels can now use digital production in a positive way, audiences become more involved if an artist is visually pleasing for example wears the most up to date clothes and has music videos online. This idea shows that audiences are more into the image of an artist than their actual music or vocal ability. Major labels are both affected in good and bad ways, free music is now the natural way to listen to music as only the hardcore fans purchase physical albums but labels also benefit hugely by the money made from concerts and merchandise.

Independent labels have adapted to digital distribution. Independent labels used to be very small and only local maybe nationwide, this was due to the fact that advertisement was very expensive. Indie labels can now create their own music tracks, videos and distribute their tracks for free. Indie labels can now use YouTube to publish their tracks and distribute their music through twitter or Facebook pages. This allows independent labels to display their tracks globally and create a wider fan base. For example Adele signed to XL recordings which is an independent label was the biggest selling artist of 2012 even though she is signed to an independent label. digital distribution gives labels like XL recordings the freedom to publish their tracks online and attract a wider audience. Audiences can also give feedback o the new artists through YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. This also means that audiences can now search for different artists and become more involved with artists that are signed to independent labels.

Prosumers have benefited majorly from digital distribution. Prosumers can download music tracks online for free and create their own track according to their own taste and publish this online for free. This gives prosumers in freedom on what they create and attract new audiences worldwide, the audience can provide feedback and add to the total views of a video published online that can be accesses globally. Prosumers can up cycle older tracks to create one new track which can be published on soundcloud and YouTube giving their fans and audience new music made from old tracks. Digital distribution has helped prosumers greatly in achieving a larger audience and fan base due to being able to get music for free and distribute their creations free of charge. Madeon is an example of a successful prosumer who has many YouTube video views and is known world-wide for his music tracks. Prosumers are a representation of how production, distribution and exchange is now all combined and merged into one.

DIY music has also progressed due to digital distribution. Beck who is a DIY artist created sheet music for anyone to create their own style of track using his sheet music free of charge. This is owned by Beck and is distributed and exhibited on Becks website and YouTube channel. With digital distribution Beck has been able to publish his sheet music online which can be accessed worldwide instantly increasing his audience, beck also uploads the creations on his YouTube channel allowing Beck to become more well known as people all over the world can like, subscribe share and comment on these videos. Becks music shows that his audience crease his music, which then is distributed online and feedback is collected via YouTube comments from Becks audience. This is another example of how production, distribution and exchange has been merged into one.

In conclusion I think that digital distribution has affected everyone both in positive and negative ways. Music is now available worldwide free of charge but at the record labels expense. Their way of adaption was by giving artists tours and concerts to create an income, but a lot of people still purchase music online through iTunes or a physical album. Also anyone including prosumers and DIY music can be created for free and advertised for free using the internet, this allows small indie labels to get their music out there globally for theory fans to provide productive feedback. Digital distribution has also made music more visual, providing audiences with music videos and concerts they can attend at a cost which is very satisfying for fans who want to see artists perform live. Audiences also now have more power and are more involved in what they want to see next from the next biggest artist or band. This is done by providing fan feedback through comments or voting on X Factor for what they want to see but not necessary hear. Eg. One Direction is mainly the image which attracts young girls and not their vocal abilities.