01 mbt with audio

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Music, Business and TechnologyAlejandro Sánchez-Samper

Associate Professor

Florida Atlantic University

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What is music? An art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in

significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.

What is Business? The purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make profit.

What is technology? A scientific or industrial process, invention, method, or the like The sum of the ways in which social groups provide themselves with

the material objects of their civilization.

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CULTURECULTURE

BusinessBusiness Technology

Technology MusicMusic

Developments in music, business and technology draw from the culture from which they originate, and reflect back onto it.

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THE ABC’s of the music Industry

Artist Provides music (content) to a listening audience in the form of:

Goods

Services

Business Provides a framework and structure for the sale of goods and

services.

Consumer Demands and “consumes” music.

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Basic chronology of “commercial” music in western civilization

Art as entertainment (paying audience) - business

“Professional” performer - music

Development of the amphitheater, and music instruments – technology

Ancient Times: 550 BC – 476 AD

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The Middle Ages (5th -15th century) The Sacred

Music and ritual Business. no commerce

involved in liturgical music

Technology - Development of music notation (music could now be transmitted via written document

rather than orally) –

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The Middle Ages (5th -15th century) The Secular and Profane

Music - Amateur. Business – musicians

employed for the service of feudal lords and kings.

Technology – instrument development.

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The Renaissance (14th -17th century)

Music – development of the professional musician

Business – development of commerce = more $

Technology – instrument development. More instruments in every ensemble

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The baroque (17th-18th century)

Music – professional musicianBusiness – Patronage of nobilityTechnology – Printing press. Dissemination of music

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The classical period (18th – early 19th century)

Joseph Haydn - Rich

Ludwig Van Beethoven - Middle class

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Poor

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The Birth of Change

Music - The rise of popular music in the 19th century P.T. Barnum – entertainment

mogul

Business. Power and culture belonged

to a larger middle class rather than to nobility

Technology – transportation and the industrial revolution

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Late 1800’s: music publishing as a lucrative business

Music is now both service and PRODUCT

1892: After the Ball by Stephen Foster sold 1,000,000 copies in 12 months in the U.S.

Technology: trains and player pianos.

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1885-1930: Tin Pan Alley

Golden era of music publishing

ASCAP- 1914

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1920-1940: Radio and the birth of mass media culture

First radio stations in US licensed in 1920

Radio begins paying ASCAP in 1923 (Radio is still ASCAP’s main revenue source)

By 1930 NBC had radio stations on both coasts = big business

1940’s sees the expansion of radio worldwide and the birth of global music markets

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The phonograph

Invented in 1890 Music as product The phonograph

becomes a household commodity in the 1950’s.

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1950’s: The american dream

Affluent middle class Radio, TV and record

player in every household Business – radio sells

records

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1960’s: New markets

New markets/new demographics

The LP RECORD (music as product) and 45’ single

Technology – amplified sound allows for greater sized venues.

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1970’s: Golden age of the LP

Record is king Dark Side of the Moon = $50

million records sold to date

Business - Record companies go global

Technological threat – cassette

Portable Re-recordable Piracy

Multi-million dollar studio and recording budgets

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1980: Golden age of the CD

CD = profit making monster of the 80’s

Portability and non-recordability

Cheaper to produce than vinyl and cassette yet sold for more

Digital domain No generation loss

MTV 24/7 video delivery service

Golden age of mass media, payola and big business

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1990’s: Doing business cheaper

Digital brings costs down Studio costs Digital piracy

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2000 -2010: Lo-fi in the WI-FI world

Napster vs. $18.98 CD A computer company

brings the record labels to their knees

iTunes and the death of the album Resurgence of singles

Death of the record labels?

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2010-2020…

CULTURECULTURE

BusinessBusiness TechnologyTechnology MusicMusic