From shopping for clothes, to keeping in touch with relatives and friends, from checking the weather forecast to paying the telephone bill - the internet has affected the way we live our lives in almost every area. The impact it has had on how we listen to and consume music has been huge, and it seems impossible now to imagine life without it. The music industry has often been a step behind in exploiting the uses of the internet.
In 1999 Napster was founded, which allowed uses to share music files over the internet. While it eventually ceased working because of legal issues, other ways of downloading music for free quickly flourished on the internet. While the appeal of 'free' music was responsible for the popularity of the sites, the fact that there were barely any legal alternatives certainly helped.
Online stores like Amazon and iTunes give people a massive selection of songs to purchase instantly at reasonable prices. While some stores used digital rights management in the early days to prevent file sharing, they also stopped legitimate uses which seemed to punish people for paying for music. The decision of these stores to end DRM with support from the music industry can be seen as a sign that the industry respects its customers.
Another way the internet has changed the music industry is the way it promotes its artists. While websites and email newsletters are one way of promoting artists, sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow fans of artists to feel closer to their favourite acts. It also gives people a way of sharing new music that they find. YouTube is another website that the music industry could capitalize on, but rather than see it as a potential marketing tool, able to broadcast music videos to users anywhere, many have seen it as a threat to potential revenue.
The music industry has been sceptical of the internet, fearing the worst rather than trying to utilise its advantages. But the internet has forever changed the way that music is accessed and bought and the music industry needs to react quickly but fairly.
In 1999 Napster was founded, which allowed uses to share music files over the internet. While it eventually ceased working because of legal issues, other ways of downloading music for free quickly flourished on the internet. While the appeal of 'free' music was responsible for the popularity of the sites, the fact that there were barely any legal alternatives certainly helped.
Online stores like Amazon and iTunes give people a massive selection of songs to purchase instantly at reasonable prices. While some stores used digital rights management in the early days to prevent file sharing, they also stopped legitimate uses which seemed to punish people for paying for music. The decision of these stores to end DRM with support from the music industry can be seen as a sign that the industry respects its customers.
Another way the internet has changed the music industry is the way it promotes its artists. While websites and email newsletters are one way of promoting artists, sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow fans of artists to feel closer to their favourite acts. It also gives people a way of sharing new music that they find. YouTube is another website that the music industry could capitalize on, but rather than see it as a potential marketing tool, able to broadcast music videos to users anywhere, many have seen it as a threat to potential revenue.
The music industry has been sceptical of the internet, fearing the worst rather than trying to utilise its advantages. But the internet has forever changed the way that music is accessed and bought and the music industry needs to react quickly but fairly.
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