Annotated Bibliography for Impact of Digital Music and File-Sharing on Traditional Music Industry

With more and more power on the Internet being placed directly in the hands of the people, digital music and peer-to-peer file-sharing has never been more prevalent. This common practice raises serious ethical, technological, and legal concerns regarding the rampant circulation of almost any type of music, and questions arise as to its primary methods of operation and its effects on business. Where new technology appears to open the door to more freedom and personal choice, however, the sound and recording industry is constantly deteriorating, perpetually losing money as the amount of illegal downloading skyrockets.

Many news outlets and journalists describe the current dilemma as the “war on file sharing” for good reason; the increasing amount of illegally downloaded digital music translates into direct profit losses for the modern music industry as a whole. While laws do exist in the United States that attempt to regulate illegal file-sharing, they are often inadequate or unclear. Furthermore, countries such as Canada have not yet even passed laws regarding the legality of digital music and file-sharing. In an increasingly technological world, the distance between countries is becoming smaller and smaller, and in this Internet-dominated society, legal boundaries are often blurred together or even crossed. Because new technology and advancements in the digital age are constantly being tweaked with and developed for average users, it is difficult to pass concrete laws regarding the regulation of online music sharing.

While it may be true that major record labels who once boasted of astronomical profits and sales are becoming increasingly irrelevant as the Internet takes its hold in more and more existing industries, the music business is not going down without a fight. Music industry professionals are venturing out into new territory, such as focusing much more emphasis on booking live shows and selling tickets to said evens, attempting to pinpoint the next untapped resource with regards to the worldwide music scene. Major labels such as EMI are relinquishing methods of digital music encryption, allowing people to listen to digital music in even greater numbers. Some believe that this shift in power from record companies to the people is causing an even greater dissemination of American culture, ideas, and values due to their greater prevalence on the World Wide Web. Others feel that the time has come for the true music artists to come forth, regardless of big corporation backing, and to spread their art throughout the world for all to hear. Regardless of philosophy, the facts cannot be denied: digital music is a major factor in the worldwide music scene, and it is here to stay.

Bibliography:

Bowrey, K. (2005). Law and internet cultures. Cambridge, UK; New York, N.Y.: Cambridge University Press.
Dr. Kathy Bowrey is a legal scholar with background in history, technology, and art. She is also an associate professor at the School of Law at the University of New South Wales, so she has authority in the legal and technical communication fields. This particular work analyzes general law surrounding the Internet, and scrutinizes in particular methods of communication and networking across the World Wide Web. The book is targeted towards legal professionals and those wishing to learn more about the laws surrounding the Internet as a whole, including intellectual property theft and cases involving information technology. This specific resource is valuable for the topic at hand due to its objective analysis of the dispersion of American culture through its domination of information on the Internet. While very general in presentation, Bowrey’s book can be applied to many different circumstances regarding peer-to-peer file-sharing and digital music downloading as a whole.

Brabec, J., & Brabec, T. (1994). Music, money, and success : The insider's guide to the music industry. New York; Toronto; New York: Schirmer Books ; Maxwell Macmillan Canada ; Maxwell Macmillan International.
Jeffrey Brabec projects a strong authority on all issues relating to the inner workings of the music industry. His book, which outlines a large number of specific details and methods of operation within music companies, comes from a large amount of knowledge only obtained through direct experience in the field. The book is written for those dealing with the creative aspect of the music business, as well as those looking to score significant economic gain. Brabec’s work details all facets of the industry that aspiring musicians should be informed about, and covers this in addition to economic notes on buying, selling, and managing entities within the recording market. This resource is relevant due to its slightly dated nature (1994.) The relative recentness of the publication, as well as the fact that the book was published before the large influx of digital music downloaders, makes this resource invaluable in studying the immediate effects (both before and after) of the internet on the music and recording industry.

Correspondent,Martin Hickman Consumer Affairs. (2007, April 3). EMI concedes defeat in war on internet pirates. The Independent (London), pp. 6.
Martin Hickman is a writer for The Independent, a relatively new London-based newspaper that covers stories relating to all genres of news. Hickman has covered significant changes and updates regarding the record label EMI, which is also based in London, and can be considered as having authority when it comes to matters related to EMI. The intended audience for this particular article includes those following the evolution of EMI as a staunch critic of digital music to lifting its restrictions in hopes of reaching a level of popularity that has long since passed. This article is valuable and relevant to the topic being discussed because it details the proceedings of one of the largest record labels in the world succumb to the digital music phenomenon. The article focuses on EMI’s lifting of digital restrictions that previously only allowed digital songs to be played through an EMI-approved music player. This is significant because it represents the first major label to support open-access digital downloading.

From major to minor.(2008). Economist, 386(8562), 55-56.
The Economist is a popular weekly publication for English-speaking recipients and subscribers. Due to the fact that this periodical is edited in London, England, a perspective from people outside of the United States is presented. The magazine specializes in economic issues, and commands a powerful voice in the business community. The article does indeed focus purely on the economic strains being placed on the music industry. The article is intended for economy-minded individuals and those looking to understand the economic factors that led to the current deteriorating state of the music and recording business. This article is relevant because it introduces specifics on why smaller business are having a negative impact on the larger, more general music industry as a whole. The article outlines how a recursive downward cycle of events is leading to greater and more rapid losses in revenue for record labels and all business involved with them.
Illegal downloads outnumber bought music 20 to 1.(2008, January 25). The New Zealand Herald.
The New Zealand Herald is a newspaper publication that circulates primarily Auckland, New Zealand. The author of the article writes for this publication in which more than 200,000 copies are circulated daily. The intended audience for this particular article appears to be those interested in the specific economic failings (and their respective causes) aspects of the worldwide recording industry. Additionally, the article caters to information regarding the role of Internet Service Providers (ISP) in regulating the amount of illegal file-sharing that takes place worldwide. The article is relevant to the issue at hand due to its exploration of the responsibilities of ISPs in the emerging digital age of open-access and rampant file-sharing across nations without regard to borders or laws. The article also explores the impact of legal digital downloads, but not in as much depth as the aforementioned topics. It concludes that legal downloads on a massive scale fails when compared to the volume of users downloading music illegally.

The internet is changing the music industry.(2001). Commun.ACM, 44(8), 62-68.
Lam and Tan’s article is given credibility due to the extensive list of documented and referenced sources that appear at the end of the article. Additionally, the article was published by the ACM (Academy of Contemporary Music), an organization widely respected throughout various genres and spheres of music. Since the article documents much of the history and legal ramifications that led to the current state of the music industry as a whole, the intended audience for this publication are those people who are interested in understanding how past lawsuits and changing social generations led to a shift in companies’ policies and practices regarding the distribution of popular music throughout the world. The article is valid because it examines the technical and historical aspect of how various methods, technologies, and improvements have led to the present state of music circulation - a main point that the topic at hand intends to analyze.

LaGesse, D. (2007). Labels lose their luster. U.S.News & World Report, 143(15), 27-28.
David LaGesse wrote this particular article for U.S. News & World Report, a popular weekly publication dealing with current issues and significant events with impacts and relevance to the layperson’s life. Not targeting any particular subgenre or category of issues, this periodical relays aspects of subjects that are relevant to the masses. The author, by virtue of the popularity and prominence of the publisher, has credibility by association. This specific article deals with the various ways in which modern music labels are beginning to deteriorate and find alternate means of sustaining their business. The concepts presented are significant to the topic at hand because they directly asses and evaluate the apparent futile attempts of the industry to save itself from emerging digitalization. The author paints a bleak picture surrounding the future of the music industry, but the ways in which labels are opposing this shift allows for interesting possibilities in the future and evolution of the worldwide music scene.

Liebowitz, S. J. (2005). Pitfalls in measuring the impact of file-sharing on the sound recording market. CESifo Economic Studies, 51(2/3), 435.
Stan J. Liebowitz’s article from CESifo Economic Studies presents on a general overview of the entirety of literature and information that is available regarding the impact of widespread file-sharing on the faltering record label and music industries. The author projects authority on the subject due to the extensive catalogue of referenced sources. The author analyzes in particular the impact of copyrighted sampling of selected music and its impact on the entire industry as a whole. The audience for this article is interested researchers wishing to learn more about the state of the sound recording markets by information presented in an objective case study. The article is significant for the topic at hand because it takes an objective approach and presents conclusions regarding the positive and negative effects file-sharing has on the recording industry as a whole. The author concludes the article by confirming that file-sharing is detrimental, and not beneficial, to the worldwide industry of music and sound.

Pfanner, E. (2006, March 13). A british invasion for the digital age. The International Herald Tribune, pp. 9.
Eric Pfanner is a writer for the International Herald Tribune, a very popular publication that is available in more than 180 countries worldwide. The International Herald Tribune is part of the New York Times Company. Both of these institutions are recognized as leaders in news publication, and carry significant weight among journalists of all backgrounds. The intended audience for this article includes young people interested in how a band can survive in the harsh environment of the age of digital music. Additionally, investors and those wishing to understand the rapidly changing nature of the industry will have light shed on their particular areas of interest. The article is relevant because it examines one particular case study of one successful band that rose to prominence by primarily utilizing digital means. By examining how one band achieves success by manipulating the changing means of music distribution, trends and successful methods become more apparent as the distributing methods of the past begin to fade away.

Schmidt, A. H. J., Dolfsma, W., & Keuvelaar, W. (2007). Fighting the war on file sharing. The Hague; Cambridge: T.M.C Asser ; Distributed by Cambridge University Press.
A.H.J. Schmidt’s Fighting the War on File Sharing retains an essence of authority due to its legal nature of the subjects and concepts that it discusses. The book also cites several other sources and authors to further advance the argument of the author. The intended audience for this publication is the body of legal professionals who have either business or interest in the realm of the sound and music recording industries. The book’s analysis focuses on the sharing of digital music, and is broken down into three significant divisions and categorization of content: moral and ethical implications, economics, and the role that intellectual property rights plays in the legality of music file-sharing. This publication is significant and very relevant to the topic at hand due to its largely legal nature and content - the book lists and classifies all existing laws regarding the internet and digital file-sharing in the modern age.

Sikora, N. T. (2008, March 3). Teenage music pirates rock oz. Herald Sun (Australia), pp. 11.
Natalie Tkaczuk Sikora is a writer for the Australia-based Herald Sun. Aside from being a part of the professional writing staff for the previously mentioned newspaper, little else is known about the author. However, since the topic at hand relates to entertainment and popular culture, a daily writer for a newspaper almost certainly stays up-to-date about current issues and can be accredited with some authority when dealing with issues that effect society as a whole. The intended audience for this particular article are Australian citizens interested in how the phenomenon of file-sharing, with rates of incidence reaching all-time highs, is adversely affecting the music and recording industry. Although primarily for entertainment and informative purposes, the article goes on to outline and detail exactly how music artists are suffering from the digital music scene. The article is subjective, but provides a good case as to why file-sharing is an intensely negative activity that is furthering the deterioration of the entire music scene (not simply the recording industry.)

Sloan, P. (2007). Keep on rocking in the free world. Fortune, 156(12), 82-86.
Paul Sloan is a writer for Fortune magazine, a widely respected periodical detailing current business and economic changes and partnerships. Fortune’s reputation as a leading source of business news lends great credibility to this specific article regarding the music industry. The article detailsand follows an emerging company, Live Nation, that is thriving in the wake of the digital music boom. Sloan’s article is intended for business professionals looking for the next big investment, as well as common readers who are interested in the declining record industry. This source focuses on how a particular new company is capitalizing on the live performance aspect of music to counteract the ailing CD sales. Additionally, this economic article projects a bleak future for existing record labels (based on economic reports and extrapolation.) This details exactly how the music scene is shifting from being dominated by corporations to being influenced and run by the consumers.

Special report: Digital music live! (2008, January 12). Billboard.
This particular resource is an online headline found at Billboard.com which announced plans and schedules for the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, which took place in Las Vegas. Although a specific writer is undefined, Billboard is widely respected throughout the music scene for objective, unbiased reports and rankings of modern popular music. Additionally, Billboard’s success is tied closely with that of the music and recording industry. The intended audience for the article includes those planning on attending the Consumer Electronics Show as well as those interested in the modern music industry’s willingness to compromise on the complex issue of music downloading rights and the ethics behind peer-to-peer file-sharing. This resource is very important because it documents some of the first attempts of record executives and label managers to reach out to the large file-sharing population in an attempt to come together for the good of American business as well as for music worldwide.

Sterdan, D. (2007, November 26). Is it legal or not?!; the great white north is viewed as the wild west of downloading. The Toronto Sun, pp. 54.
Darryl Sterdan is a writer for The Toronto Sun, a newspaper publication based in Canada. Due to the nature of the topic being researched, Sterdan (as a writer in the entertainment section) covers many stories relating to popular culture and modern society as a whole, and can be accredited with authority on entertainment issues. The intended audience for this newspaper article is intended for readers wishing to learn more about the differences between file-sharing laws in Canada versus those found in the United States. Sterdan analyzes why the digital music laws in Canada are so different from those in the rest of the world, including Europe. This resource is significant because it explains how the ethical dilemma regarding file-sharing is quickly becoming an important issue in Canadian politics and entertainment. Additionally, this newspaper article provides a perspective from someone outside of the United States, which is useful in obtaining a general, worldwide picture of the current state of digital music file-sharing and how it relates to the current music recording industry.

Travers, E. (2007). Digital music: Changing the game. PC Magazine, 26(25), 20-20.
Eileen Travers is a professional writer for PC Magazine, a publication which holds significant weight in the digital and computer-related fields. Since PC Magazine is considered a definitive source on emerging computer technology, this source is reliable for the information it provides regarding digital music downloads. The audience for this particular article appears to be average readers wishing to gain more knowledge about how exactly digital music is altering the music industry, and what the industry is doing to fight back or slow the mounting losses in revenue. This article provides a brief overview of the exact topic being researched, providing several ways in which record labels are reacting back to the digital music phenomenon. Additionally, the methods in which record labels are opposing the oncoming wave of digital music and peer-to-peer file-sharing is important in projecting a possible future compromise between major labels and users of such file-sharing programs.

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