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Technology and its Impact on the Music Industry

Technology and its Impact on the Music Industry. Tulane University Scott Aiges’ class Wednesday, December 1, 2004. Introduction: Todd Souvignier. Special Operations, Tipitina’s Foundation Coordinator of the New Orleans Music Office Co-Op ( http://musicofficecoop.com )

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Technology and its Impact on the Music Industry

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  1. Technology and its Impact on the Music Industry Tulane University Scott Aiges’ class Wednesday, December 1, 2004

  2. Introduction: Todd Souvignier • Special Operations, Tipitina’s Foundation • Coordinator of the New Orleans Music Office Co-Op (http://musicofficecoop.com) • Co-Founder & CTO, Exploit Systems Inc. (http://exploitsystems.com) • Author of four published books on audio technology

  3. Production Technologies History Current Issues Trends Delivery Technologies History Current Issues Trends Outline: Two Concurrent Revolutions

  4. Thesis: A Dual Edge • Technological innovation’s downside: • Obsolescence • Frictional unemployment • Disruption of existing business models • Property disputes • May enhance power structures

  5. Thesis: A Dual Edge • Technological innovation’s upside: • Efficiency • Standardization • Increased accuracy/quality • Improved price/performance ratios • Individual empowerment • May erode power structures

  6. Production Technologies: Piano • Pianoforte developed around 1720, by Bartolomeo Cristofori of Padua, Italy. • Replaced harpsichord as the standard keyboard instrument - “velocity sensitive” • Forced acceptance of Equal Temperament as the tuning standard for Western music • “Settled” a tuning argument that began with Pythagoreans v. Aristoxineans, circa 400 BC

  7. Production Technologies: Horns • Early Horns included straight trumpets made of wood, bronze and silver • Such as the salpinx found in Greece, and the Roman tuba, lituus, andbuccina. • The modern brass orchestra became feasible only after 1840, when machines capable of making consistent valves were invented. • Beethoven first major composer to use trombones, in his 5th and 9th symphonies.

  8. Production Technologies: Engraving • Gutenberg Bible: 1455 • Constance Gradual first fully-printed sheet music, 1473 (Germany); Used freehand wood engraving • Brietkopf (Germany) developed moveable type system for music in 1754 • Lithography first used to print music in 1796, used limestone plates • Photolithography using zinc plates perfected 1860

  9. Production Technologies: Copyright • 1709: Statute of Anne 1st British © law • U.S. Copyright Act of 1790: books, maps • Berne Convention 1887 rationalizes international copyright law (except in U.S.) • Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act 1998 adds years, favors corporations • Life of Author, plus 75 - 95 years • Mickey Mouse would have entered public domain ~2000

  10. Production Technologies: Electrical Recording • Electrical Recording developed by AT&T 1924, popularized by Victor as “Orthophonic” • IMPACT: • Better sound quality • Easier recording setups • Music now fills the home • Crooners replace belters

  11. Production Technologies: Tape Recording • Magnetic Tape developed in Nazi Germany - AEG Magnetophon • U.S. Army Signal Corp liberates technology, delivers it to Ampex • Bing Crosby finances development • IMPACT: • Sound Quality • Time Shifting • Editing • Killed the “transcription disk”

  12. Production Technologies: Multitrack • Multitrack tape recording developed by Les Paul, 1950s • Popularized by Beatles, late 1960s • IMPACT: • Destroyed the simultaneous performance imperative • Allowed “one man bands” and “auteur” style of record production • Better sound quality • Eroded the studio orchestra business

  13. Production Technologies: Synthesizers • Synthesizer developed by Moog, Buchla, others, early 1960s • “Switched-On Bach” by Wendy Carlos was the watershed LP • IMPACT: • Inaugurated a boom era in musical electronics • Expanded sonic palette • “Replacing musicians” more hype than fact

  14. Production Technologies: Drum Machines • Drum machine introduced by Roland, Linn late 1970s • Cheap digital drum machines become prevalent early 1980s • IMPACT: • Improved rhythmic accuracy • Streamlined the recording process • Improved price/performance • Eroded studio drummer business

  15. Production Technologies: Sampling • Introduced by Fairlight, NED, others, mid-1970s • Becomes prevalent mid-1980s • IMPACT: • Derivative recordings become a primary mode of popular music production • Touched off a firestorm of litigation • Biz Markee v Gilbert O’ Sullivan • Sample licensing: new revenue stream

  16. Production Technologies: Computer Recording • Computer-based digital multitracking developed by OSC, others, late 1980s • Feasible for home users mid-1990s • IMPACT: • Accelerates the home recording trend • Improves quality of independent recordings • Erodes the professional studio business • Kills the analog multitrack business • End of huge recording budgets

  17. Production Technologies: Current Issues • High-resolution audio • Faster sample rates, bigger bit depths • Surround mixing • Driven by the DVD market • Sampling prohibition creates inequities • Ease of access -> flood of bad music • Supply outstrips demand, now more than ever

  18. Production Technologies: Trends • “Mix Tapes” (usually CD-Rs) are a new enforcement priority • Replicators forced to become sample cops • Quality and price/performance will continue to improve • Performance/skill augmentation

  19. Delivery Technologies: Phonograph • Phonograph patented by Edison, 1878 • Berliner patents disk phonograph, 1895 • Berliner & Frank Seaman introduce spring-wound Gramophone, 1897 • IMPACT: • Preservation & exploitation of performances • Brought music into the homes of non-performers • Eroded the piano & sheet music industries • Pianos declared “obsolete” 1904 • Eroded the live music performance business • Created the new role of Disk Jockey

  20. Delivery Technologies: Radio • Radio developed by Tesla, Marconi, Fessenden mid-1890s to 1906 • Popularized as consumer entertainment by Westinghouse, others, 1920s • IMPACT: • Competed with the phonograph record industry, live music performance and sheet music publishing • BMI formed to counteract ASCAP • ASCAP Strike exposes “outsider” music, 1941 • Broadcast Prohibition 1920s - 1940 • “Not Licensed For Broadcast” struck down by SCOTUS in RCA v Whiteman -> No Performance Right for Sound Recordings

  21. Delivery Technologies: Vinyl • Vinyl 12” LP and 7” 45 developed late 1940s • “microgroove” recordings • Early 1950s market confusion and sales slump • Industry settles on the album/single concept • IMPACT: • Better sound quality than shellac • Better handling, durability • Cheaper to manufacture, transport, store • Taught the record business the value of obsolescence and upgrades

  22. Delivery Technologies: Cassette • Cassette tape developed as a music delivery medium by Henry Kloss • Dolby NR was lynchpin - 1971: Advent 201 • Consumers preferred cassette to 8-Track • IMPACT: • Recordable medium gives consumers more control over music • Record business accepts format, fights home taping • Leads to cassette-based multitracks & the first stage of the home recording trend • 8-track, reel-to-reel obsolete consumer formats

  23. Delivery Technologies: CD • Compact Disc (CD) developed by Sony & Philips; Matsushita accepts standard 1981 • Introduced to U.S. market 1983 • Labels stop taking vinyl returns 1988 • IMPACT: • Better sound quality • Cheaper to manufacture, transport, store • Artists paid less • Higher retail & wholesale prices • Consumers re-purchased their collections • Vinyl, turntables obsolete • Rescued & maintained by DJs

  24. Delivery Technologies: DAT • Digital Audio Tape (DAT) - Sony 1987 • Based on VCRs: helical scan • Originally envisioned as a consumer medium • IMPACT: • Precipitated passage of Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 (“the DAT tax”) • SCMS mandated for consumer units • Only pros adopted DAT • AHRA assumes pre-emptive guilt, creates new revenue stream for labels • “Piracy” becomes bogeyman

  25. Delivery Technologies: Web • Tim Berners-Lee invents WWW at CERN, 1990 • Military/Educational Arpanet opened to general public, renamed Internet, 1994 • Advent of the dot-com domain • IMPACT: • Artists (and virtually all other businesses) forced to migrate to computers, use email, have Web sites • Inexpensive, instant self-publishing allows a proliferation of new voices, increases the general noise level • Music became a factor w/ advent of MP3 format and high-speed service

  26. Delivery Technologies: MP3 • Moving Picture Experts Group publishes MPEG-1 Specification, 1993 • MPEG-1, Audio Layer 3 (aka MP3) adopted by Internet music hobbyists • IMPACT: • RIAA v Diamond Multimedia (the “Rio case”) establishes exemption for computer devices • MP3.com popularizes format with artists • Spurs development of competing compressed formats, including WMA, AAC • Erosion of label control over distribution • Overall DECREASE in sound quality

  27. Delivery Technologies: P2P • Shawn Fanning writes Napster, first peer-to-peer search/retrieval system, 1999 • Justin Frankel writes Gnutella, first distributed P2P application, 2000 • Many descendants, Bit Torrent, eDonkey, etc. • IMPACT: • Practically all music available for free, instantly • Erosion of label control over distribution • DECREASE in sound quality (see MP3) • Disruption of recording industry business models • Record industry begins suing its own customers • Internet piracy becomes hot-button (or red herring?)

  28. Delivery Technologies: Streaming • Apple Computer introduces QuickTime, 1991 • RealAudio introduced, 1995 • Yahoo buys Broadcast.com for $5 Billion, 1999 • DPRA establishes performance rights for sound recordings, 1995 • CARP negotiation -> streaming royalties, 2002 • IMPACT: • Immediate unplugging of most streams • RIAA spin-off SoundExchange becomes collector of a new private “tax”

  29. Delivery Technologies: Issues • Ownership called into question • Music consumers demonized as “pirates” - a generation criminalized • Opens the doorway for taxing ISPs, other computer products/services • Along with anti-terrorism, anti-piracy efforts risk establishing a police state

  30. Delivery Technologies: Trends • Digital Rights Management (DRM) cornerstone of for-profit online music businesses • Labels segue from CD business to marketing/management • DVDs, Merch, personal appearances, licensing are main products • Pre-recorded music -> a loss leader • P2P -> entrenched distribution venue

  31. Delivery Technologies: Trends • Verizon decision overruled • Courts rejecting mass-John Doe suits • Grokster decision legitimizes P2P apps • Labels now willing to sell into P2P • Snocap, WurldMedia • Licensed music services gaining traction; still less than 5% of the market • CD sales rebounding slightly • Music industry will co-opt P2P over time

  32. Thank You Todd Souvignier Tipitina’s Foundation • New Orleans Music Office Co-Op • 4040 Tulane Avenue (at Carrollton), 483-2880 http://musicofficecoop.com • Personal: http://souvignier.net • Email: todd@souvignier.net

  33. Recommended Reading • Daniel Gross, “Does a Free Download Equal a Lost Sale?” New York Times, November 21, 2004 • Editorial, “Music’s Brighter Future” The Economist, October 28, 2004

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