What was previously only extended to professionals is now in the hands of the everyday person. What possibilities and problems does the democratis...

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The extensive development and democratization of media means that everyone has access to the creativity they need to be an artist. Recording studios are no longer a requirement for the production of music, anyone with a laptop is able to put out an album. The democratisation also means a boom in Prosumers which can only mean massive changes in the industry. Before the democratisation of media, only artists with money and connections could create and distribute their art. Now, the equipment needed to record and mix music is available to be purchased by anyone. The technology is simple to use and does not require musical talent, only the ability to use the programs. University’s and schools offer courses in music production, the information is available to the world. Through the use of platforms such as Soundcloud and Triple J unearthed people can upload and share their music with the world. These platforms give the public access to listen to the music for free, and in most cases with new artists, download the music for free. CD’s are quickly becoming irrelevant as people would much sooner listen to music for free on the internet. This means that established artists who rely upon sales of EP’s and Albums for their success will now fall victim to music piracy. Lady Gaga’s “Artpop” only sold 310,000 copies in the first two weeks, this is a substantially low amount compared to its predecessor “Born this way” which sold more than a million in its first week. “Born This Way” was released before the boom of Spotify, a program which allows users to listen to music for free from their computers or app capable portable technology; this meant that people had to buy the album to listen to it. Music is more approachable in both creation and ... ... middle of paper ... ... to post their music and listen to others with similar sounds to them. Soundcloud, 8tracks and YouTube have all been developed to fulfil the need of prosumers to share their music with the world. I think that these platforms are an excellent source for music consumers to promote themselves. In my experience there are so many prosumers I have come across that have more talent than people who have been in highly publicized media for years. Its fair that everyone should have equal opportunity to distribute their creations regardless of their connections with the industry. The democratisation of media has given everyone access to the utilities they need to be an artist. Music production technology has developed into a state so accessible that it has become a normal skill for people to develop. Media democratisation is the future and the possibilities are endless.

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