Music is a highly competitive industry that is forever evolving. The different mediums of music, as well as how they are presented to listeners, have came and went throughout it’s history. The presence of digital music has been the hottest trend in music in the past decade; the medium of choice: music streaming services. The rise of streaming services has changed the “typical” framework of how music is accessed/presented to the listeners.

Before the age of digital music, the availability of music was only present in the physical form. These physical mediums include cd’s, lp records, etc. This system benefits the artists/songwriters financially, and gives listeners the satisfaction of physically owning a product put out by the artist. While it has it’s benefits, the physical mediums do have their negative elements. Some of the issues of physical mediums of music include only having access to a certain amount of music at a given, production costs, transportation issues, and being restricted to only one music player.

The dawn of digital music and music streaming services were the answer to most of the issues that were present in the past mediums of music. Digital music changed the rules of the music industry; breaking down the barriers that once existed before. This system allows listeners to have instant and unlimited access to a vast catalog of songs at any given moment on any handheld device. Instead of having to go out and physically purchase the music, it is delivered straight to your device at the click of a button. Any and all content of music can be accessed much easier through digital media than it would be to go out and collect all of it physically. Digital music is a concept that a couple of decades ago was only a dream. It’s vast popularity goes to show that the idea of physically owning music is that of the past.

The music industry has changed platforms of distribution over the years the way music is shared distributed and purchased has evolved with advancements in technology. With music streaming technology changing and improving rapidly, this has allowed for more access to music, like many other forms of media distribution services, and streaming services.

Music streaming is faster and more efficient. As of late there has been a revolution and war of streaming services that is fueled by profit. Music streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, Apple music and Tidal are available apps for computers and mobile devices. Both Pandora and Spotify are available for free because they force users to watch and listen to advertisements were paid streaming options are advertisement free for subscribers.

Apple bought Beats for 3 billion in September 2014. Beats is very popular for their headphones, speakers and audio hardware, but Apple purchased beats because the company was most interested in acquiring Beat’s music catalogue. Beats were also a music marketplace similar to iTunes before merging with Apple. I believe music streaming services have a lot of work to do legally, to ensure reasonable pay to songwriters and composers, but it does lower the rate of online music pirating, since free streaming allows instant access to high quality audio music, rather than risky file sharing. The platforms for distribution will continue to evolve in the music industry and all media platforms as we have seen throughout the years, but music is a creative art form and will always be molded and shaped different through the years as well.

Digital media is changed the music industry by changing the way people listen and buy music.

The music industry had not been the same since digital media became popular. I believe the takeover began when Napster allowed users download music online. Instead of embracing a new way to sell music, the music industry battled and lost the war. With advancements in technology with the iPhone, Galaxy, Tablets and Smartwatches listening to music has become more convenient for users.

Digital Media has changed the way we listen to music. Consumers now want technology that allows users to access an unlimited amount of music at anytime Streaming music is popular on Pandora because it allows users to stream music of their favorite artist and artist who are similar for free. Users can create a playlist based on what they like. I learned about Pandora when a co-worker was listening to music at her desk. At the time I did not have a device that could hold a lot of music and she encouraged me to sign-up for Pandora. Pandora used to help me get my work done. When I felt like I was getting tired and another song that I like would play.

Digital media is changing the way people buy music. CD’s and cassettes take-up too much space and are out dated. The innovation of the Apple iTunes store allows users to download music at once to all their devices. I remember I needed a Stevie Wonder instrumental and the only place I was able to find and buy it was on iTunes. Other top competitors like Spotify allows users to pay $10 dollars monthly for a subscription to stream from their catalog of over 30 million songs.

The music industry has changed because digital media has changed the way we buy and listen to music.

Throughout time, Electronic Media has transended all over the world. It has set platforms for people to access information in the most quickest way. Electronic Media has advanced so much that print media such as books, magazines and newspapers are losing ground. Print Media is slowly going out of style because society has adapted more to electronic devices. from personal experience as a New York Public Library Employee, Libraries are mainly used for wi-fi, purchase eBooks and for internet access. There were brief instances where myself and a few workers had to dust off a few shelves due to lack of use. Newspapers are looked at mainly depending on the images. Finally, Magazines are now slowly becoming websites. You can literally walk through Manhattan and see piles of magazines gone to waste.

In the first passage, Libraries ‘have had their day’ Author Terry Deary states that he attacks the concept of libraries. Basically stating that they are ‘no longer relevant’. Due to Digital Media’s expansion, I can personally agree with this statement because books are no longer read through physical copies and libraries are losing lots of touch and wasting thousands of dollars on books that aren’t even being touched. He also states that he only makes $6,000 when he should be getting $180,000 and feels that libraries are damaging the book industry. These statements are very strong because all booksellers have to make a living and if bookstores are going out of business and libraries are allowing these books to be free, how will the author be recognized for his work if he is making no profit off of his product?

The second passage, The End of Books attacks sort of the same points the first passage does. But this passage gets more into Hypertext. Basically, published articles are now typed instead of written. This statement is true because technology has come up with ways for work to be saved and is believed to be with us for centuries to come.

In reading Alison Flood the Guardian article ”Libraries have had their day “he describes libraries to be irrelevant. Flood claims that libraries have been around too long and peoples attitude around libraries have to change. Before reading this article I was unaware how much libraries affect authors profits. Flood demonstrates how authors only make a 20 percent profit from their books being borrowed from the library. He states, “The libraries are doing nothing for the book industry. They give nothing back, whereas bookshops selling the book, authors and publishers get paid”(Flood)

From my very own experience at college the most profitable way to acquire a textbook is by borrowing it from the library. Students prefer the used and convenient textbook to the brand new pricey addition. As local bookshops go out of business revenue for authors and illustrates declines as well. Flood believes books are part of the entertainment industry.

One cannot only blame libraries for the decline in profits in the book industry. Instead, authors should blame the Internet as well. The Internet has now become a source where any piece of content can be accessed for free. It’s as simple as searching for PDF versions and downloading torrents just off the connection of Wi-Fi. In our current society people are constantly find ways to illegally consume different sources of content from movies to music, applications to even books. Heading into the future I’m very curious to see how will authors battle against this major issue that slowly destroys their industry.

Books are considered Intellectual property it is much different than the comparison to the car industry. “Giving out cars for free, will cause the car industry to collapse” is a terrible comparison to the services public libraries provide. Books are not considered to be a part of the entertainment industry, although there is literature that has been written for entertainment purposes, books are intellectual property and in most cases can be used as curriculum. The guardian article was very bias it spoke only from the perspective of a money hungry author. I am an avid reader; my books of choice are self-help books, and entrepreneurship books. I have notice many authors who write books in these two genres release their first published book for free electronically to allow consumers to appreciate the product and shared information causing readers and consumers to invest into the author by purchasing more recent books, or subscribing to their success academies. These website subscriptions are where writers connect directly with their audience through live webinars and building success and entrepreneur strategies for the consumers to follow.

If the author Terry Deary in the Guardian article wants to compare books to the entertainment industry he must realize that successful entertainers reach wealth and remain wealthy by partaking in multiple business ventures that allow multiple sources of income. This goes for screenwriters, executive producers, actors, directors, and musicians. They create a large media platform through social media and building websites, to advertise and attract people to the product they are selling. If authors and bookstores are struggling it is time they adapt to the times and improve with more modern business strategies. If we want to believe books are a part of the entertainment business authors must understand that with almost all forms of entertainment and media some products must be given out for free. Free content allows people to sample and consume products to see if they actually want to spend their money on this product. This happens with music and televisions shows today. A music single and album is released on streaming services a week before official release and this allows consumers to try the product and make up their mind before investing in the product or producer. The same goes for television shows and pilots today, many sitcoms release a pilot online long before it airs on television to see how their television build a buzz and get mentioned on social media, or trending on Facebook and twitter. I believe books should be free and in a country where an education is your American right. Books should be accessed for free through public libraries.

Author Terry Deary as of February 2016 is 70 years old “he is a British children’s author of over 200 books, selling over 25 million copies in over 40 languages best known as the writer of the Horrible Histories series, which he began published during the early 1990’s nearly 20 years ago” according to terry-deary.com. He is obviously very successful. His age worries me and makes me believe he may have had a difficulty adapting to modern marketing strategies many modern successful authors use. Weather libraries are closed or not people will still be taxed, this will not lower taxes, what evidence does he show to support where the library tax money can benefit other areas. After shutting down public libraries what’s next, public schools, and public colleges?

In today’s generation, internet has become very accessible and convenient to many people. Books are being stored electronically on mobile devices which, makes it easier for people to grab and go, rather than having to make a pit stop at the local library. Library visits has decreased tremendously over the upcoming years as technology has accelerated quickly into a booming business, but there are still many people that do enjoy the feel of have having a book in their hands and making trips to the library.
Author Terry Deary, argues that libraries should start to close their doors to the public because, the amount of money that is being withheld to many authors, as their books are being freely borrowed without purchase. As I know that money is very important to people because it is a form of survival, I do not believe libraries should be closed for many reasons; as for a starter think about the many people who can’t afford to purchase books or have access to internet. The library solves those issues.
Think about the many college students, who are on a budget or can’t afford to purchase books. Reading is a part of education and I think education should be freely available and not for a purchase sticker. Dreary, should also think about the many of kids who come from poorer communities and is striving to gain a good education. The library is the only place they have. Books can also be made freely available on the internet also, as there are many ways to read a book for free, as people will post the book online for others to view. So why is Dreary not basing the use of the internet? I disagree with Dreary, when he speaks on his reasons for why many bookshops are closing because they’re from libraries. In actuality, I think the main reason for the closing of the bookshops is because of the use of e-reading and its convenience.