How the Internet Has Changed Music

The question of how the Internet has changed music has become one of the most widely discussed subjects in our present media age.  The Internet’s effects on media in general make it easy to cast the web as sort of a “death star,” to other media.

The printed news media for instance, has taken serious damage because of the free flow of news and information on the web.  And the debate over illegally downloaded music is practically as old as the Internet itself.

While it’s true that the wide availability of music through illegal download services has caused some people to stop buying music, dismissing the Internet’s effect on music as completely negative would be extremely short sighted.

The people in control of the music business have always been threatened by new media.  When the phonograph record originally emerged it was feared that it would kill off live music.  In the early ‘80s the music industry campaigned against the cassette tapes, claiming that, “home taping is killing music.” Retrospectively, in both cases, quite the opposite proved true.

Just as owning a record inspired people to go and see an artist live, having a cassette of an album inspired people to buy more albums by the same artist.  Nowadays being able to hear an artist online for free more often than not leads one to go and purchase their song or album for download.

The Internet has largely brought music back down to earth again.  It has de-centralized the business and also put it back in the hands of the artists to a major degree.

Not too long ago music biz was virtually controlled by three or four multi-national entertainment corporations.  Another four or five radio conglomerates decided what went out over the airwaves.

How the Internet has changed music certainly remains an evolving question.  But perhaps it’s possible to see the Internet as more “Robin Hood” than “death star” where the music industry is concerned. 

Big multi-national music/entertainment conglomerates will tell you the web is a dirty thief that steals the livelihood of wealthy pop stars and record executives.  However for struggling independent artists, the Internet is their greatest ally in the struggle against their most terrible enemy: anonymity.

The Internet allows anyone who has recorded anything to upload it, broadcast it, and make it available for downloading.  Conceivably then this means anyone can become a breakout Internet sensation.

Whether or not record companies will become rich because of it, or if it will lead anyone to giant U2-level success of course remains to be seen.