Diana Bang's ETEC 531 e-portfolio

Two of the major pervasive concerns that musicians may have with digital media include:1) Copyright issues with digital media resulting in changes to how revenue is generated and distributed in the music industryPerhaps one of the most well-known and contentious issues facing musicians and the music industry as a whole is the challenge of piracy and unauthorized file-sharing of digital media (including music, movies, etc). Ultimately as the music industry is itself a business, the effects of piracy and illegal downloading off the Internet has affected their potential revenues. Due to the increase in peer-to-peer file sharing networks individuals can easily download, copy, and share files more than ever before. Although Napster was one of the original peer-to-peer file sharing service on the Internet it faced multiple legal challenges namely for copyright infringement. Now it has become a pay-based service similar to iTunes. However, the availability of fee-based music services have not deterred individuals from continuing to freely distribute files over the Internet. This is probably one of the major areas of concern musicians face and one that may lead to continued legal disputes.2) An overall shift in the music industry’s traditional business model- increased presence in social media outlets

Due to the ongoing technological advancements it seems like musicians now either have to embrace technology and social media wholeheartedly or face the risk of getting left behind. Due to the shift from consumers purchasing vinyl records to cassettes to CDs to now more than ever digital media in mp3/wma formats many musicians have opted to stay afloat by becoming more engaged through YouTube, Facebook, and other social media outlets. This shift has nearly levelled the playing field in a way where individuals such as Justin Bieber can become overnight sensations due to the explosion of instant uploading and self-promotion on the Internet. Thus, another challenge that musicians face is how to creatively utilize the onslaught of digital media to their advantage to market themselves to a growing online fan base.