Recordings By: Amanda, Stephanie, and Tim
History of the Recording Industry
• 1877 – Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, an invention that could playback recorded material.
• 1887 - Emile Beruiner introduced the Gramophone, a machine which could copy discs and record them simultaneously.
• 1920 - Joseph Maxwell introduces electrical microphones to amplify sound.
• 1945 – Creative editing became possible with the developing of magnetic tape.
• 1948 – Peter Goldmark introduced long playing microgroove records which played up to 25 min. of music.
History of the Recording Industry
• 1950’s – Rock’N’Roll came to the record industry.
• 1960 – Stereo recordings and playback equipment were introduced along with FM Stereo Radio.
• 1978 – Digital recording was developed.
• 1983 – Digital recordings became available to consumers in the form of CD’s.
• 1990’s – Sound and animation moved to the web with compression software, streaming technology, and MP3’s.
• Downloading audio and video content from the web became possible with software such as Napster.
David Geffen
• Built Geffen Records from scratch into an independent label.
• Went out scouting for talent on his own.
• In 1970, he created Asylum Records.
• In 1975, left Asylum to become Vice Chair of Warner Brothers Pictures.
• In 1980, He created Geffen Records.
• Sold Geffen Records to MCA in 1990.
David Geffen
• Now part of DreamWorks Movie Studios with partners Jerry Katzenburg and Steven Spielberg. – DreamWorks was founded in 1994, and is the first major movie
studio in Hollywood in 60 years.
• Is famous for signing such artists as The Eagles,
Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan.
Barry Gordy
• Built Motown Records from scratch in 1959.
• By 1988, Motown was the largest black owned business in the United States.
• Wrote much of the early Motown music and found all of its artists.
• Motown was sold to MCA in 1988 for $61 million.
• Motown was sold once again in 1992 to Polygram for $300 million.
Alan Freed
• Host of a late night radio show called “Moon Dog Night.”
• Helped lay the groundwork for Rock’N’Roll in the 1950’s and later became one of the top DJ’s in New York City.
• Critics charged him with the corruption of teenagers nationwide.
• Freed rose to the top fast and died young like many in the recording business. In 1965, he passed away at the age of 43.
• Is touted with coining the phrase Rock’N’Roll.
Equations of Recording
CD Singles + Radio Stations + Airtime = $$
Music Videos + MTV, VH-1, BET, etc. = $$
BASICALLY,
EXSPOSURE =
The Big 5 Recording Companies
• Paramount – the largest @ 26.4 % market shareIncludes: Decca, Geffen, Kap, MCA, UNI
• Time Warner – 17.9 % market shareIncludes: Afco, Atlantic, East West, Elektra, Giant,
Interscope, Nonesuch, Reprise, Sire, and Warner.• Sony – 16.3 % market share
Includes: Columbia, Epic, WTG, and Sony Records• BMG – 16.1 % market share
Includes: RCA and Arista• EMI – 13.3 % market share
Includes: Polygram, Motown, Mercury, Island, Deutsche Grammarphone, and ATM
Record Album Sales
• Michael Jackson – Thriller 25 million
• The Eagles – Greatest Hits 24 million
• Pink Floyd – The Wall 22 million
• Fleetwood Mac – Rumors 18 million
• Billy Joel – Greatest Hits 18 million
Heisting Recorded Music
• File Sharing Programs Like Napster
• Home Dubbing
* record companies lose 1/5 of sales
* 1992 – 1 % “taping tax on blank CD’s/tapes
Heisting Recorded Music
• Piracy – selling recorded music illegally
* $5 billion music revenue lost
* $4 billion movie revenue lost
• Pirate sources include Asia, US, Africa, India.
Censorship
• Censored because of lyrics
• Parents Music Resource Center initiated Parental Advisory warnings
• Cal State U study shows 3 % of high schooler’s comprehend meaning of song lyrics
• Subliminal effect through repetition