Benn- Mock

To a large extent digital distribution benefits independent and DIY artists as it allows them to promote and share there music to a larger world wide audience for free, on the other hand it would affect the major labels as they would loose out on profits due to illegal downloads. It has now lead to Major record labels focusing less on the main meaning of songs and relying on the visuals to make them sell.

 Someone who this would affect in a positive way is Beck who is an example of a DIY artist. He created many different songs but just in the form of sheet music, Beck then relied on a niche audience of prosumers to make the music using there own personal interpretation and if they wanted to create a music video. Beck then allowed them to share there music on YouTube and his website for anyone to listen to and take inspiration. This hasn't devalued music in any way, if anything it us adding more purpose and creating better relationships with audiences getting them more engaged with it. A similar thing goes on with the Independent Labels with places like YouTube, Soundcloud, ITunes, Spotify and MySpace it becomes very easy for absolutely any to create and share music to a world wide audience in some cases for free. People can listen to there music on there phones, laptop, computers and tablets whenever and wherever they want you can download or stream music to absolutely anything. This makes it very easy for the audience to listen to it and also find new music which they might be interested in with suggestion box's on music sites.

 On to a company which this would effect in both positive and negative ways. Major labels like Sony would loose out on a lot of profits through digital distribution as it means that people can easily download there music illegally, sometimes for there own personal use but also for something that could benefit the huge conglomerates in the long run. With many people using the web there are many 'prosumers' with is an audience that create there own music. If done well mash-ups, created by prosumers, can benefit the a major label such as Sony as it will include music that they have released and when people listen to the mash-up they could hear bits of many songs that they liked or use to like but forgot about and re-visit them and download them which can help boost sales and also promotes music for free. Although that helps it is not enough alone to Major labels, so they look at what music is popular; for example they may take into consideration what is being downloaded a lot on ITunes or what is most watched on YouTube and create more of the same type of music. It also means that they focus less on producing new acts and constantly re model and make new bands similar to another one, constantly relying on visuals to make people buy the songs. They take out the meaning of songs ad catchy lyrics and a good beat then make high budget music videos for people to watch, so in a way they are adapting to the idea of being able to listening music online, but adding something for them to watch too. This is usually viewed by a very mainstream audience. Sony (a major label) relies on many ways to promote their bands, for example One Direction have a online video game, TV programmes and are currently shooting there first film with Syco (connected to Sony) which is a type of Synergy.

 Overall I believe that digital distribution benefits the much smaller Independent and DIY as it makes it easier to distribute and market there music to a world wide audience, although it is forcing these larger Major labels to constantly produce mainstream non original acts, these independent and DIY names are becoming recognised and shared adding new value to the industry and creating better relationships with a niche audience of dedicated fans, a community of people that would follow them from start to finish and feel a part of the band.