The past is
meeting the future in music with a reemergence of older formats such as vinyl
and newer threats such as illegal downloading.
One of the best things going for
music right now is how the new media for the industry is cooperating with both
the older media and the new media in other industries. An example of the newer
media not displacing the older ones can be seen with the vinyl format gaining a
“second life.”
Before the days of cassettes, CDs
and MP3 players, vinyl was the format in which all people bought and listened
to their music. This was most popular during the 1970s but faded during the
1980s when the cassette took over.
Now, there is a niche audience that
has brought vinyl back into style, and record labels are releasing music for
vinyl again.
But, of course, we’re now in the 21st
century — a time where practically everything has gone digital, a time of “I
want it and I want it now” and a time where social media seems to have
overtaken the human race.
From the once popular MySpace to the
extremely popular YouTube, music has been able to be shared and sent easier
than ever. This does not just have to be friends sharing new songs with each
other; there have been a number of artists, including Drake and Justin Bieber,
who have gotten their start on YouTube.
But just as there are positives with
new media, there are also negative impacts. Most sharing of music nowadays is
done through illegal means, such as downloading from YouTube or places like
BitTorrent. Illegal downloading has cost the music industry billions of
dollars. While it may not hurt the artists who are making tons of money through
concerts, sponsorship deals and the like, it’s the people behind the scenes,
such as the people at the record labels and the audio producers that this is hurting.
In music, the past is meeting the future,
and while we have to look ahead, we must do so ethically and with caution.
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