Mock Exam Lesson. Sophie.

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

Digital distribution has changed the priorities of the consumers in the music industry. Online technologies has evolved institutions and made the music industry blander while a few select individuals use the new priorities to their advantage.

Major record labels such as Sony evolved with the change. This allowed them to keep their mass audience and their conglomerate status. Digital distribution such as Youtube and itunes has switched the priorities of visualisation, making it the most important in the audiences minds. Sony's performers all have music videos on youtube and their songs on itunes. This cause shops such as HMV to shut down as digital sales took over physical sales in early 2013.  In contrast the major record label EMI, choose not to evolve with the use of digital distribution and suffered greatly when they were forced to shut down. "Luckily" they were brought out by a parent label. TV Shows that Sony's subsdiary company Syco own  such as X Factor, who's key priority is the visualisation of the show, use digital distribution as a main marketing strategy. They use views on their Youtube videos of their performers and sales on itunes to determine who and what they can sell. Syco's performers One Direction are perfect examples of the digital marketing as they use games such as CyberPunk to market the band, completely online. Fans took part in competitions such as creating videos and images for the band which helped promote their album. Free marketing. This demonstrates that major labels now view image over music. Major labels benefit from the new path of marketing and consumption as they continue to make a fortune, just through online sales which is much easier form of shopping. This devalues music as we now do not care about the music but about the visual aspect of music because of digital distribution. 

Digital distribution created Prosumers. Prosumers use digital technology as a form of marketing their own stuff and other artists music. Prosumers create mash-ups, changing the traditional idea of consumption as we are now more involved with the production of music. Prosumers market their creations on youtube, a free advertisement unlike Major labels who have the money to advertise through TV and radio. This however benefits major labels if we choose to mash up mainstream music as its a form of advertisement adding to the devaluing of music. It also devalues music as we all have the ability to create these mash ups but not all have the talent to create something groundbreaking and amazing like Madeon. Digital distribution in this perspective has opened doors to other music which as the creates of prosumers but has changed the traditional idea of consumers.

Lastly D.I.Y artists such as Beck benefit from the new technologies but add value to his music through it, a contrast to Major labels. Beck allows his community of fans free range to interpret his songs in their own ways, creating variety in the music industry. He would not be able to do this without the help of digital technologies such as Youtube and itunes as this is how fans market their creates and Beck's song. Beck does not concentrate in the visualisation or marketing as the fans do this for him through youtube. They create videos of their interpretations. This allows the fans and Beck to get recognition for the work, the opposite of the majors idea of making all the money they can from the fans with a promise of a new way to take more money in a few months. 

Overall digital distribution has effected the industry majorly but whether it has had a positive or negative effect is undecided. It has devalued music but opened opportunities to others in the music industry.

 

Emma - Essay (Mock)

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

Digital Distribution is a factor contributing towards marketing and consumption of music through online sites such as Youtube for example. Youtube is used as a promoter for many artists, both Major and Indie labels use it due to it is a fast way to promote due to likes, views and fan videos. Digital Distribution is now a big part of Music Institutions due to free marketing, consumption by the audience (either Niche or Mainstream).
Nowadays, Artists have to connect with their fans online  through sites such as Twitter, Facebook or risk not selling music, gigs, concerts, merchandise ect. Music is now available online, however this isn't necessarily a good thing due to piracy. Fans and audiences can now consume music for free, which creates problems in the music industry.
However, Major institutions that are conglomerates such as Sony for example use Synergy as a means of promotion of their music and artists. Constructing their music in games is a new advance for music institutions due to their audience can interact with it (immersion) e.g Guitar Hero. So therefore, digital distribution does not affect music institutions entirely due to synergy through using Games is a way that people can find out about new music. Major labels are more inclined to use Synergy, in comparison to Indie Labels due to they are conglomerates and therefore own more media institutions, however it is possible for indie labels to create synergy through other media products, like Indie films for example.

DIY artists such as Beck, use digital distribution and technologies to his advantage due to free promotion using social networking sites such as Twitter, Myspace, Facebook ect. This also allows him to create a niche audience, and fan community that he can interact with online to maintain a relationship with the fans (connect or die). Beck is an example of how PDE has been blended due to the impact of the internet. Digital distribution has entitled Beck as a unique artist to make his product available for the musically talented, in return of exchanging their fan videos online in return. This has entitled him to have a niche audience, in comparison to X Factors mainstream audiences. He produces his music in the form of sheet music. This therefore entitles fans to buy it and create their own interpretations of what they think the music should sound like. This is how Beck exchanges his music. He is an example of a ‘blender’. By this, it means that Beck has created Production, Distribution and Exchange himself.

 Beck is a music revolution due to his example of how he created his success without the input of a record company and allowed his niche audience to create an image for him. In order for his fans to consume his music; they have to produce it. Beck is an example of an artist who respects musically talented and appreciate fans (niche audience). His success was created by, and is now dependant on the internet. Due to his image, fans and music is online due to the impact of digital distribution. His products are also purchasable online on his website.
However, Beck's image is not impacted by Visualisation which is definite contrast to artists like Psy, and the X-factor. His fans create the music and their own music videos for him, in which he has no input whatsoever. Psy was a world-wide sensation on Youtube due to his comic music video, and dance routine that gained him recognition instead of the music. This is an example of an artist devaluing music due to the marketing and consumption available on the internet. Youtube is world-wide, and now Psy has gained world-wide recognition for comic dance moves with no musical talent. The internet has allowed artist like Psy to dominate the music.

Digital distribution has highly impacted consumerism and marketing of music due to the internet. The internet has created free marketing and advertising of artists. Beck's audience had created Beck's image online.