Web 2.0

It is impossible to ignore the impact of the Web 2.0 on the music industry. As a media student I am aware of the significant changes which the web 2.0 has caused not only in the music idustry but for the the entire world.

Negative

• Free online file sharing means that artists music can be distributed to consumers with no return for the artist and also without their consent. It is effectively a loss for the music industry, a growing cost for producers and record companies.
• The fall of the traditional sales of music is largely blamed on the rise of online consumption of music. For example the well known music, film and gaming stores HMV and Blockbusters which have recently collapsed as they are unable to survive on the small numbers of hardcopy sales.

Positive

• All artists are able to distribute their music on a level playing field - artist such as Jessie J have been discovered due to social networks such as YouTube which have no costs involved in distribution. Alternatively record companies also benefit from the fact that they can find new artist online simply.
• The consumer can choose what they want to listen to, there is unlimited choice. All genres of music and even emerging genres are found online. Axample of an emerging genre in the music industry on a global scale is 'Afrobeats'. Also the creation of different styles of music such as 'Techno Bregga' music popular in Brazil.
• Online distribution of music is far more popular than traditional hard copies such as CDs and vinyls. Itunes is one of the main distribution sources for music as it is easily transferred to phones, ipods, ipads and other modern techonology.