Beats Music is a dazzling update on the practices of Adorno and Horkheimer’s music industry. As we have seen, they argue that distinctions between types of music under capitalism do not reflect real differences as much as they function to slot consumers into demographic categories. As music technologies have become ever more sensitive to consumer input, these demographic categories are ever more refined. As is increasingly common with digital products, consumers pay with both money and personal data for the Beats Music service. Beats Music appeals to emotion, which appears to trump its profit motive—“We’re in awe of the power of music. We don’t want anything to ever interrupt it. That’s why you’ll never hear an ad on Beats Music”—but in truth …show more content…
None of contradictions between Beats Music’s advertising rhetoric and its profit motive is particularly hidden, nor are those contradictions very different from hundreds of other sales pitches. No one is surprised when what is sold as a completely new way to experience music turns out to be nothing but a variation on the completely old ways of consumer capitalism, which instrumentalizes the commodity and makes its living selling novelties under the banner of the new. No one is surprised by appeals to unalloyed pleasure and narcissism. Nor should we be surprised when advertising turns the idea of sharing into just another solipsistic and individualistic pleasure. While Beats Music touts the ability to “Share your music and talk about it too,” the description of how sharing works makes an unexpected appeal: “Get a following—share your favorites on Beats Music, Facebook and Twitter.” Sharing music turns out to be little more than an occasion for displaying one’s musical taste before an audience of followers. While Beats Music is a technology that could allow for an unprecedented degree of sharing music, it yet remains tethered to capitalist models that undermine the very idea of what it is to share. One definition of “to share”—to “have a portion of (something) with another or others”— gives way to another: to “tell someone about (something), especially something personal” (New Oxford American
Toward the end of the legislative session, fear rises as bills line up at the Texas governor’s desk. With the governor’s power of vetoes, it seems that lawmakers in Texas are losing their power. In Texas, the governor, Greg Abbott has the power to veto any bill that is present to him with no limit. During the recent session, 6,968 bills were sent to the governor’s desk for approval. Abbott will not make a decision until the legislative period is over to avoid challenges and to make his decision permanent. During these last few weeks of the legislative period, the governor holds a tremendous power over the lawmakers. Lawmakers are inclined to “curry favors” with the governor in order to get their bills passed. Greg Abbott, for example, has
Majerol, Ueronica. “How the Web Changed Music Forever.” New York Times Upfront 145.11 (2013):21. MasterFILE Complete, Web 24 Feb. 2014
Earlier this year (DATE???) alt-rockers Cake topped the Billboard 200 chart with their first album in seven (???) years, Showroom of Compassion. The album sold 44,000 copies the first week of its release, a record low for the number one hit. At the same time, Britney Spears' single “Hold It Against Me” scaled the digital song chart with 411,000 copies sold. The two charts illustrate the change in the way we listen to music. The Internet—as it did for almost everything—has radically affected the way people get music.
On September 2, 2014, after three decades of waiting for their death row, Henry Lee McCollum, 50, and his half-brother, Leon Brown, 46, were declared innocent and ordered released with $750,000 in compensation from the state (Brothers Henry McCollum). After thirty years of isolation, the brothers are both mentally and physically affected. McCollum and Brown, who are now middle-aged men, have no education, job, or family, have to reorganize their lives in which they could have done 30 years ago. The two brothers, who were only scared, mentally challenged teenagers, while under pressure, confessed to committing a capital murder. Moreover, the question, whether race played a role in the two brothers’ sentence remain unjustified.
Pop culture and mainstream media is a world of constant evolution, and throughout the ages music has been a factor in that said evolution. From the Jazz Movement of the 20’s to the Hip-Hop Revolution of the 90’s and everything in between, trends today and the basis of most Pop Culture revolved around what some would call “the sound of the decade”. Electronic Music has significantly changed the course of mainstream culture, had a remarkable rise in finance and business, all while making it today’s biggest music movement since the decade of Hip-Hop.
Have you ever felt stuck? Wherever you are, it’s the absolute last place you want to be. In the book Into the Wild, Chris McCandless feels stuck just like the average everyday person may feel. Chris finds his escape plan to the situation and feels he will free himself by going off to the wild. I agree with the author that Chris McCandless wasn’t a crazy person, a sociopath, or an outcast because he got along with many people very well, but he did seem somewhat incompetent, even though he survived for quite some time.
Music is universally known as an expression of emotion, rebellion against the man, a way of life, a random collection of sounds, an annoying thing kids listen to, or even a vacation from everything, but in reality music is free of all definition. The industry involved in buying, selling and recording of music has grown so old, treacherous, and ignorant that it can not figure out the steps it needs to evolve with the rapidly expanding music industry. Musicians and fans alike are screaming about the dire need of some modern day innovation in the market. Sadly the monstrous corporations that dominate the market have put a lid on the competitive edge, stopped the innovative changes any smaller companies can make.
Spotify’s Time. (n.d.). Music Business Journal Berklee College of Music RSS. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://www.thembj.org/2014/05/spotifys-time/
CEO Sean Peace believes his website can help the music industry get back on its feet since the physical amount of print music has drastically decreased over the last several years. “Over time, he expects laws to change to allow non-accredited investors to participate, and a secondary market for royalty shares to form” (Baverman). While Peace’s predictions might prove to be too revolutionary for this time, he is on the right track to keeping up with the ever-changing music industry and how royalties
Development in computer technology has also made a big impression on music. Many things within these fields have enabled artists to connect with their fans in ways they couldn’t before, and on a lower budget. In this paper, the discussion will be about all of these topics, and about the factors that help transform the music industry into something altogether easier for new people to contribute to. History: Back in the early 1980’s, record labels controlled what people could hear through airplay, record distribution and manufacturing, and selective promotion of music based on their judgement of their audience.
When it comes to the music industry, an artist makes a song, the label sells the song and then the listener buys it? In the world today, the music industry is knowledgeable of digital downloads, music videos, file sharing, and now social media. Social media is the voice of an individual and captures joy, emotions or thoughts in pictures, tweets or status updates. It is a reachable space that is used to keep in touch and to reach out. Social media allows listeners to shares their favorite artists, post their favorite songs and really created a genuine connection with the artists. The music industry has changed because social media is a tool needed to connecting with the listeners. Social media is necessary to maintain a career in the music business.
To conclude, the accuracy of Adorno’s criticisms of contemporary music is arguable as there are some of his claims that can be applied to today’s music culture. His arguments have strengths and weaknesses of popular music production to the masses. However, the writers note the change of ‘popular’ music and with the evidence of the music records sale figures from Frith, the culture industry is not as manipulative as Adorno makes it to be. Although, the several writers highlights the flaws of Adorno’s claims, it does shows with contemporary music today that the culture industry follows pseudo-individualism in order to create music for what the consumer needs.
"The mass production of free, high-quality re-recorded music became a serious threat to the music industry" ("Music Industry"). This mass production is costing artists and producers money that they would have made from people buying their music. Listeners have turned to streaming services as a cheaper alternative to purchasing to songs they love. Streaming services have increased the availability of music, which one may think is a good thing but is in fact a fulmination to the music industry because artists are not making as much money as they would have if songs were being purchased individually. People who worked in the music industry had showered praise on to streaming services, considering them a savior that would help the music industry and increase revenue, but they instead had an adverse effect on music sales and artist salary (O’Brien). Streaming services have led to protests from artists on many different levels due to the amount of payment that artists are receiving. "Prince, Neil Young and Ms. Swift have withdrawn their music from some streaming outlets, and various musicians have called for greater transparency in how the music industry operates (Sisario).” While the protests have been successful, it is only when famous high-level artists bring attention to the issues. This controversy is one of the negatives of streaming services because
In today’s evolving and changing society, many people do not appreciate how extraordinary music truly is. Since the birth of the vinyl record, there are less people who own and are interested in them. Even though vinyl records have recently been making a comeback, they are still not as popular as they once were. People take for granted how easily accessible music is today though in the past it was not as simple. Even though vinyl records may be costly and may not have a large quantity of songs, as time progresses and technology continues to develop, the way that people listen to music degrades their appreciation for music due to easier accessibility, weaker sound in terms of quality, and decaying genres.
...40 radio, one can easily hear a drum sampling or melody from one popular song sampled directly onto another, an horrific development. Here is music offered to the public, involving virtually no effort by the artist, with massive monetary reimbursement not just expected, but demanded, by today's arrogant performers. The public sucks up image over ability, style over substance.