essay- the online music epidemic
HYPOTHESIS
The internet has helped revolutionize the music industry
ESSAY- The Online Muisc Epidemic
Recent years have seen a shift in how music consumers access their music. Online music piracy continues to be a major problem for the music industry; though is it really? ‘In the past few years there has been a marked increase of music piracy mostly due to new technologies that facilitate the downloading and sharing of music’ (Berger, Jong, Nadonly, 2001). Ivey and Mackay (2004, pg.92) point out that ‘new media’s greatest significance may lie in the impact they are having on older media – which are developing new forms, using new technologies and being regulated in new ways’. With the creation of sites such as ‘MySpace’ and ‘YouTube’ and Peer 2 Peer programs including ‘Kazaa’ and ‘LimeWire’, users are now able to download music without having to pay a cent. However due to these sites and programs many artists are now getting discovered and landing record deals. With every negative there is always a positive and this is evident in the issue at hand. Besides the fact that music piracy is illegal; the invention of these new technologies had helped revolutionize music for the 21st century.
A question that arises when thinking about online music piracy is ‘what exactly is online piracy?’ According to Corredor, (2007) online music piracy can be defined as playing or downloading from the Internet songs and lyrics without getting authorization to, and without compensating the artists. Since he demise of Napster; downloading and sharing recorded music in the forms on MP3 and other audio files has become more prominent than ever. This has caused CD stores sales to drop my 20% every year (American Federation of Musicians, 2004). According to Laing (2004, pg. 88) the figure for record sales in 2002 was ‘almost 8% lower than the total of 2001 record sales’.It has been said that peer to peer programs such as LimeWire and Kazaa are responsible for more than 2.6 billion downloads each month. Over a year that is more than 30 billion files downloaded illegally each year by users of peer 2 peer programs.
The program Kazaa is one the leaders in peer to peer sharing. It has become on the most downloaded programs worldwide. Besides Kazaa, there is over 20 more peer to peer networks that allow the sharing and downloading of copyrighted material. These include the Bit Torrent network which supports 21 applications. The number of users using these programs in unknown but by looking at the number of downloads per month the number of users would likely be in the high millions. Also the word MP3 had replaced ‘sex’ as the most searched for word on the internet (Corredor et al, 2007). This shows that users today are far more interested in downloading pirated tracks for free.
However what many users fail to realize is that there are potential risks with downloading music online. Not only is it illegal but users of the peer to peer networks also upload viruses with their files. Things such as spyware and malware are uploaded into the networks and these two things can be extremely harmful to your computer if opened. Besides the risks for your computer; there is also the legal ramification if a user is caught. Music is deemed as intellectual property and as stated by Berger et al (2001) ‘theft of intellectual property is rampant on the Internet. The music business and its artists are the biggest victims’.
Each day millions of pirated songs are being downloaded and under that intellectual property act the downloading of this music is known as copyright infringement. All music is copyrighted by the artists and record companies; when piracy takes places that copyright has been breached. Each jurisdiction has different laws and penalties regarding music theft (piracy) but they are generally the same. Most cases are mainly prosecuted through private lawsuits where monetary damages are usually claimed. In recent years there have been many famous cases regarding the theft of music which includes Napster vs. Metallica. ‘Metallica filed suit against Napster and three universities for copyright infringement and racketeering’ (Cretsinger, Menell, 2001). After that case Napster was shut down and instead was re launched not as a peer to peer network but as a programs which requires users to pay for tracks downloaded.
Record executives view piracy on the internet as a negative issue and cannot see the potential that it beholds. Breen (2004, pg.81) points out that ‘the drama of change is such that consumers who download music haven been characterized as enemies of the music industry’. Consumers downloading music is one of the biggest problems the music industry faces today. On the other hand it also provides a revolutionary new medium that enables the industry to grow and reach a new era. Music on the internet allows the various record labels greater access and knowledge of the consumers who buy and listen to the music their labels produce. The internet also offers artists a creative outlet that permits them to be more in touch with their audience. Artists today now have a MySpace music page that allows users to listen to their music but are unable to download it. MySpace also gives unsigned artists the chance to post their music on their page. This allows those artists a chance to get their music out into the world. These new technologies have enabled the success of many bands such as Koopa who ‘scored a top 40 hit despite no record label or any physical copies of their CD on sale’ (Fildes, 2007).
Artists such as Lily Allen and the Arctic Monkeys owe much of their success to the internet. Their music was listened to by the online fans that went out and purchased their CD’s and those who purchased them on iTunes. Genevieve Read (2005) points out that iTunes ‘marks the biggest event in music since the birth of the CD’. iTunes which was developed by the creators of the iPod, Apple computers; offers music goers the option of downloading songs from their online store for a fraction of the price it would cost to purchase them offline. According to the Associated Press (2004) downloading music online is ‘unburdened by manufacturing and distribution costs, online music was supposed to usher in a new era of inexpensive, easy-to-access music for consumers. In many cases, buying music online is still cheaper than shopping for CDs at retail outlets’.
With the invention of online music stores; the music industry is making it much easier for consumers to reach their product while at the same time making a profit. Items such as the iPod and other MP3 players have changed the way we listen to our music. On the other side programs such as the peer to peer networks and iTunes have changed the way we access our music. We can either download it illegally for nothing or download from a reputable program for a fraction of the cost. Either way the way we access our music has changed with the help of new technologies. With the help or MySpace and YouTube, unknown artists are getting the opportunity to get their works heard and already established artists are able to reach their fans and build a bigger fan base. According to the NHC Action for Children (1997) ‘the internet has become a vast library which you can bring into your home’ thus allowing down loaders to bring a vast and diverse music library into their homes. The internet has revolutionized music and the music industry and while record companies may think it is for the worse; music enthusiasts agree that it is a new wave of great technology.
References Links
American Federation of Musicians (2004) ‘Online Music Piracy’ http://www.afm.org/public/departments/leg_issues_05.php (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Associated Press (2004) ‘ Speaking of Music Piracy’ http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2004/04/62995 (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Berger. Melinda, Jong. George, Nadolny. Alexis (November 20 2001) ‘The Evolution of Online Music Piracy’ http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/its/piracyfall01/finalpaper.htm (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Breen, Marcus (2004) ‘The Music industry, technology and utopia – Busting the fans – the Internet’s direct access relationship’ Popular Music 23(1):79-82, Cambridge University Press, London
Caldwell, John .T and Everett, Anna (ed) (2003) ‘New Media – theories and practices of digitextuality’, Routledge, New York and London
Corredor. Nathalie, Gu. Yixin, Guerra. Elaine, Hill. William and MacQuarrie. Rebecca (2000) ‘Music CD Industry FAQ’ http://www.soc.duke.edu/~music/piracyfaq.html (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Cretsinger, Cathy E. and Peter S. Menell, (2001) ‘Annual Review of Law and Technology: Foreword’ 16, Berkeley Technology Law Journal, http://www.lexis_nexis.com/universe (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Fildes, Nick (18 January 2007) ‘Music industry threatens ISPs over piracy’ The Independent, http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2162919.ece (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Ivey, Darren and Mackay, Hugh (2004) ‘Modern Media in the Home’, John Libbey-
CIC Publishing, Rome Italy
Laing, Dave, (2004) ‘World Record Sales 1992-2002’ Popular Music 23(1):88-89, Cambridge University Press, London
NCH Action for Children (1997) ‘Young People and the Internet’ The Computer Age : Issues for the Nineties Volume 85, The Spinney Press, NSW Australia.
Read, Genevieve (30th October 2005) ‘Nothing to fear as Teens tune Out’ Current Social Issues 105(20):20, Australia
The internet has helped revolutionize the music industry
ESSAY- The Online Muisc Epidemic
Recent years have seen a shift in how music consumers access their music. Online music piracy continues to be a major problem for the music industry; though is it really? ‘In the past few years there has been a marked increase of music piracy mostly due to new technologies that facilitate the downloading and sharing of music’ (Berger, Jong, Nadonly, 2001). Ivey and Mackay (2004, pg.92) point out that ‘new media’s greatest significance may lie in the impact they are having on older media – which are developing new forms, using new technologies and being regulated in new ways’. With the creation of sites such as ‘MySpace’ and ‘YouTube’ and Peer 2 Peer programs including ‘Kazaa’ and ‘LimeWire’, users are now able to download music without having to pay a cent. However due to these sites and programs many artists are now getting discovered and landing record deals. With every negative there is always a positive and this is evident in the issue at hand. Besides the fact that music piracy is illegal; the invention of these new technologies had helped revolutionize music for the 21st century.
A question that arises when thinking about online music piracy is ‘what exactly is online piracy?’ According to Corredor, (2007) online music piracy can be defined as playing or downloading from the Internet songs and lyrics without getting authorization to, and without compensating the artists. Since he demise of Napster; downloading and sharing recorded music in the forms on MP3 and other audio files has become more prominent than ever. This has caused CD stores sales to drop my 20% every year (American Federation of Musicians, 2004). According to Laing (2004, pg. 88) the figure for record sales in 2002 was ‘almost 8% lower than the total of 2001 record sales’.It has been said that peer to peer programs such as LimeWire and Kazaa are responsible for more than 2.6 billion downloads each month. Over a year that is more than 30 billion files downloaded illegally each year by users of peer 2 peer programs.
The program Kazaa is one the leaders in peer to peer sharing. It has become on the most downloaded programs worldwide. Besides Kazaa, there is over 20 more peer to peer networks that allow the sharing and downloading of copyrighted material. These include the Bit Torrent network which supports 21 applications. The number of users using these programs in unknown but by looking at the number of downloads per month the number of users would likely be in the high millions. Also the word MP3 had replaced ‘sex’ as the most searched for word on the internet (Corredor et al, 2007). This shows that users today are far more interested in downloading pirated tracks for free.
However what many users fail to realize is that there are potential risks with downloading music online. Not only is it illegal but users of the peer to peer networks also upload viruses with their files. Things such as spyware and malware are uploaded into the networks and these two things can be extremely harmful to your computer if opened. Besides the risks for your computer; there is also the legal ramification if a user is caught. Music is deemed as intellectual property and as stated by Berger et al (2001) ‘theft of intellectual property is rampant on the Internet. The music business and its artists are the biggest victims’.
Each day millions of pirated songs are being downloaded and under that intellectual property act the downloading of this music is known as copyright infringement. All music is copyrighted by the artists and record companies; when piracy takes places that copyright has been breached. Each jurisdiction has different laws and penalties regarding music theft (piracy) but they are generally the same. Most cases are mainly prosecuted through private lawsuits where monetary damages are usually claimed. In recent years there have been many famous cases regarding the theft of music which includes Napster vs. Metallica. ‘Metallica filed suit against Napster and three universities for copyright infringement and racketeering’ (Cretsinger, Menell, 2001). After that case Napster was shut down and instead was re launched not as a peer to peer network but as a programs which requires users to pay for tracks downloaded.
Record executives view piracy on the internet as a negative issue and cannot see the potential that it beholds. Breen (2004, pg.81) points out that ‘the drama of change is such that consumers who download music haven been characterized as enemies of the music industry’. Consumers downloading music is one of the biggest problems the music industry faces today. On the other hand it also provides a revolutionary new medium that enables the industry to grow and reach a new era. Music on the internet allows the various record labels greater access and knowledge of the consumers who buy and listen to the music their labels produce. The internet also offers artists a creative outlet that permits them to be more in touch with their audience. Artists today now have a MySpace music page that allows users to listen to their music but are unable to download it. MySpace also gives unsigned artists the chance to post their music on their page. This allows those artists a chance to get their music out into the world. These new technologies have enabled the success of many bands such as Koopa who ‘scored a top 40 hit despite no record label or any physical copies of their CD on sale’ (Fildes, 2007).
Artists such as Lily Allen and the Arctic Monkeys owe much of their success to the internet. Their music was listened to by the online fans that went out and purchased their CD’s and those who purchased them on iTunes. Genevieve Read (2005) points out that iTunes ‘marks the biggest event in music since the birth of the CD’. iTunes which was developed by the creators of the iPod, Apple computers; offers music goers the option of downloading songs from their online store for a fraction of the price it would cost to purchase them offline. According to the Associated Press (2004) downloading music online is ‘unburdened by manufacturing and distribution costs, online music was supposed to usher in a new era of inexpensive, easy-to-access music for consumers. In many cases, buying music online is still cheaper than shopping for CDs at retail outlets’.
With the invention of online music stores; the music industry is making it much easier for consumers to reach their product while at the same time making a profit. Items such as the iPod and other MP3 players have changed the way we listen to our music. On the other side programs such as the peer to peer networks and iTunes have changed the way we access our music. We can either download it illegally for nothing or download from a reputable program for a fraction of the cost. Either way the way we access our music has changed with the help of new technologies. With the help or MySpace and YouTube, unknown artists are getting the opportunity to get their works heard and already established artists are able to reach their fans and build a bigger fan base. According to the NHC Action for Children (1997) ‘the internet has become a vast library which you can bring into your home’ thus allowing down loaders to bring a vast and diverse music library into their homes. The internet has revolutionized music and the music industry and while record companies may think it is for the worse; music enthusiasts agree that it is a new wave of great technology.
References Links
American Federation of Musicians (2004) ‘Online Music Piracy’ http://www.afm.org/public/departments/leg_issues_05.php (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Associated Press (2004) ‘ Speaking of Music Piracy’ http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2004/04/62995 (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Berger. Melinda, Jong. George, Nadolny. Alexis (November 20 2001) ‘The Evolution of Online Music Piracy’ http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/its/piracyfall01/finalpaper.htm (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Breen, Marcus (2004) ‘The Music industry, technology and utopia – Busting the fans – the Internet’s direct access relationship’ Popular Music 23(1):79-82, Cambridge University Press, London
Caldwell, John .T and Everett, Anna (ed) (2003) ‘New Media – theories and practices of digitextuality’, Routledge, New York and London
Corredor. Nathalie, Gu. Yixin, Guerra. Elaine, Hill. William and MacQuarrie. Rebecca (2000) ‘Music CD Industry FAQ’ http://www.soc.duke.edu/~music/piracyfaq.html (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Cretsinger, Cathy E. and Peter S. Menell, (2001) ‘Annual Review of Law and Technology: Foreword’ 16, Berkeley Technology Law Journal, http://www.lexis_nexis.com/universe (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Fildes, Nick (18 January 2007) ‘Music industry threatens ISPs over piracy’ The Independent, http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2162919.ece (Accessed 30 April 2007)
Ivey, Darren and Mackay, Hugh (2004) ‘Modern Media in the Home’, John Libbey-
CIC Publishing, Rome Italy
Laing, Dave, (2004) ‘World Record Sales 1992-2002’ Popular Music 23(1):88-89, Cambridge University Press, London
NCH Action for Children (1997) ‘Young People and the Internet’ The Computer Age : Issues for the Nineties Volume 85, The Spinney Press, NSW Australia.
Read, Genevieve (30th October 2005) ‘Nothing to fear as Teens tune Out’ Current Social Issues 105(20):20, Australia
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