FINAL

Non-traditional media has completely changed the way that society looks at music. Before the mid nineties, there was radio, television, and CDs. The internet and computers have given a whole new meaning to the word "media", and will continue to do so in the years to come. Speed and portability will continue to be stressed. The music industry may be denying this huge change in the media world right now, but they will, however, have to embrace these non-traditional means of media eventually, or they will forever be lost in past.

1) Online Music Stores:
In the few years that online have come to the surface, it is safe to say that they are quite a success. The iTunes music store especially has taken it to a new level by not only adding different forms of media, such as games and movies, but it has also been the first online music seller to attempt to sell music without DRM. The problem with the online music store model is that there are always ways in which people can find out how to get the music for free. Once it’s on the internet it is potentially there for everyone to take. Over the next few years, records labels will possibly follow suit with EMI and allow DRM free downloads. However, after a while, this model could get complicated: no DRM means anyone can take it once it’s been downloaded and paid for once. It seems that the only solution for the music industry to come up with is a model where people are eventually paying a flat fee per month or year. However, DRM will most likely disappear within the next few years. Torgeir Waterhouse, a senior adviser in Norway’s Consumer Council, commented in a New York Times article, “[It is] an era where the entertainment industry works with the customer and not against them”. It has been way too long since the industry realized what the consumer wants. When the record labels realize this, they will be ready to let go of DRM, and move on.


2) Portable MP3 Players:
The iPod has become a staple in the music world. It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t own an iPod or some sort of MP3 player. But what will become of iPods in the future? Since the iPod has become such a popular item, it is only natural that it will become (even though it has already) a launch pad for more mobile devices with more features. An article from Billboard states, “As much adoration as the iPod gets, Apple understands that it's no longer about just one device. The name of the game is convergence, and Apple is making a broader play for the future of the digital entertainment ecosystem-portable media device, mobile phone, TV and computer. And this is where the music industry should take note.” Success will only come if the music industry realizes that they need to get involved with devices such as the iPod. The release of the iPhone, will prove this point, since the iPhone is taking a huge step towards the future of portable mobile devices. In conjunction with online music stores, portable MP# players will become more that just MP3 players. There will be more opportunities (possibly with phone plans) for the music industry to dip in and bring in success.

3) Video On Demand:
Videos on demand have also caused a stir in society. It is now easier than it ever was to type in a few keywords and find a video relevant to your search. YouTube has taken over. Instead of watching MTV to see the video you want, all someone has to do is find it on YouTube. This is why MTV is building a program where users can get involved more, and choose what they watch. Their ideas are explained in this article from Marketing Weekly. With the expanse of different interests among the generations, and also just the current generation, one channel is not enough to satisfy people’s tastes. In the next five years, YouTube may not survive, but in its place there will have to be some sort of site where videos can be seen. Eventually, someone will figure out what kind of advertising will not annoy the viewer, but still get his or her attention. Videos on demand will also get involved with mobile devices, since mobility is something that will become more important in the future.

4) Video Games:
Again, the video game industry is booming in today’s society. Adults are even embracing video games, while college students are majoring in video game design. In an article from 2002, written in Electronic Media it is explained that Sony and Microsoft’s new gaming systems will surpass all others by making the systems into an all-entertainment machine. This idea from five years ago gives us a hint at the next five years. Video game’s will continue to implement more media, especially music. Since video games are so big, the music industry will eventually develop a tight hold on music in games. Certain games now have soundtracks, just like movies. This theatrical way of presenting a video game will develop over the next five years, and become a huge factor into introducing music and certain songs to the generation.

5) Social Networking:
Social Networking will tie all the media for the music industry together. A lot of the music out today would not have been brought to the surface without the help of social networks. These websites have the ability to open up new types of music, which explains the broad interest in so many different genres today. If the music industry does not get involved in social networking, they will completely miss the current generation. Another article in the Los Angeles Times,
about how MTV will give the viewers more choice, states, “MTV will now put viewers in the driver's seat by serving teens the entertainment they crave most: the kind they create”. The current generation is out to do it themselves, whether it be making their own videos and posting them on YouTube, or starting their own band and promoting themselves on MySpace. The mainstream is no longer the biggest factor in getting an artist acknowledgement. When the music industry gets involved in social networking, and actually helps out the consumer and gives them what they want, they will definitely bring in success.

The music industry will have to get involved with these five aspects of media if they want to catch the current generation. So far, they have failed in their attempt, but when they finally realize what the consumer wants, and how to give it to them, their failure will be reversed.

Are Social Networks Becoming the New RIAA?

Not yet. But there are a few instances that show how social networks have proven to disappoint the user.

MySpace recently has been taking away the ability to use a few outside sources. For example, Tila Tequila was recently contacted by Tom Anderson in regard to her music player and webstore called “Hoooka”, which apparently violated MySpace’s terms of service. Justin Goldberg, the chief executive of Indie911, the company the created Hoooka was quoted in a New York Times article saying, “We find it incredibly ironic and frustrating that a company that has built its assets on the back of its users is turning around and telling people they can’t do anything that violates terms of service”.

The article also YouTube. Michael Barrett, chief revenue officer for Fox Interactive Media, a part of the News Corporation, said “We probably should have stopped YouTube…[It] wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for MySpace. We’ve created companies on our back”. Stopping YouTube early on might have made MySpace Video more successful.

The story is similar to what the RIAA has done with DRM. You are given something to use, but your rights dictating what you can do with it, are minimal or they are being taken away. Hopefully, social networks will see their error before it’s too late. If the look at the RIAA as an example of what not to do, maybe they will re-think their decisions, and give people the freedom that they want.

Social Networking your way into College

Not exactly into college, but social networking will at least help you with the task of making friends.

Monique Yin (who is mentioned in a New York Times Article found here), was accepted into NYU for the fall of next year. She has already made countless acquaintances and friends on the count of her making a Facebook group for admitted students to the class of 2011. Groups have met up in various places around the country, all spawning from Monique’s group.

Facebook and other social networking websites have almost redefined a student’s transition from college to high school. All of sudden there is a world of new people to meet with similar interests, all easy to find at the click of a few links. It gives more stability to students who might worry about being friendless the first few weeks of college.

This is just another example of how social networking communities have taken over, and drastically changed something. Facebook has given students a whole new social view on college. Social networks are causing people to re-think the way the originally had made friends, just like social networks give people new ways to discover music. The internet has truly merged into the lives of Generation Y.

Internet Radio Taking Steps in the Right Direction

Two days ago, an article in the New York Times, titled “A Radio Station Just for You”, explained the growing popularity of “radio” (such as Pandora and Last.fm) on the internet among today’s generation.

New, up and coming websites were also mentioned in the article, including, Soundflavor.com, Goombah.com, and Mog.com.

These new websites are not only giving people new music to listen, but they are also connecting people to others with similar taste: Social networking and music (that you want to listen to) combined. Mog.com is even offering a video service: “Imagine if YouTube knew what songs were in your music collection”, a quotation from Mog’s chief executive, David Hyman.

Websites like these are exactly what people in Generation Y are looking for. They want to discover new music, and meet people with similar music tastes. However, will music based social networking communities be able to stay afloat in today’s heavily regulated copyright world? Recently, the Library of Congress announced a Web-radio royalty payment plan. Something like this poses a threat to the “fragile business models” of internet-radio companies.

One of these websites, Slacker.com, made licensing deals directly with the four big major labels in order to try and mediate the royalty issues. Slacker seems like a promising idea at first, but the one catch is that it is heavily supported by advertisements.

Online radio could be the next big thing. However, it won’t blossom into a success until deals with the major labels and advertising are worked out. There is still a long way to go, but companies are almost there in finding the key to Generation Y.