The importance of technological convergence for institutions and audience

The Basics

Please remember that you will have 45 minutes in the exam to respond to the one question that will be set for you for my part of the exam (remember that TV Drama will be the focus for your other question.) We’re examining the music industry as the focus for our study and you will be marked in three different ways. You will get 20 marks for your explanation, argument and analysis of the set question and then 20 marks for your use of examples/case studies and a final 10 marks for your accurate use of media terminology. There are seven set bullet points, which are used for the basis of the one exam question you will face, and we will be doing practice essays in all seven of these areas.

Starting Point, I don’t get it?

This question is asking you to discuss the impact of new technology on the music industry, through the term ‘technological convergence.’ I will explain this term in a moment.

Ok, what knowledge do I need to know to get a decent grade then?

  • An explanation of what the term ‘technological convergence’ means linked to the terms production, distribution/exchange and marketing and how this convergence has affected the music industry for you the consumer, the bands and artists and the record companies (both conglomerate based and small independents.)
  • Case Studies of how technological convergence has changed the face of the music. Examples of these case studies can be found throughout this plan.

Sounds hard, have you got an essay plan?

I do actually, lucky you, please turn to the next page for a summary of the plan

Part 1

Start your essay with an explanation of what the term technological convergence means (for revision purposes imagine waving a smartphone in the air)

Here’s a long winded version of what this term means:

In the past you had to buy a physical CD/cassette/vinyl product which would then have to be played on another piece of technology: walkman, record player, CD player etc. Over the last 15 years technological convergence has resulted in devices that not only interact with the media they are primarily designed to handle, but also with a number of other formats. For example, the PS4 video game console has as its primary purpose the playing of console games, but it is also able to play back video and music and to connect to the Internet where you can download games, films and play on-line with people from around the world. Technological convergence also leads to devices that are designed specifically to replace a number of different devices. The Apple iphone, for example, while originally conceived of as a mobile phone, is now touted equally a camera, a personal music player, a device to make film and a device where you can interact socially with your friends using various apps such as Snapchat.

The Internet is perhaps the most widespread example of technological convergence. Virtually all entertainment technologies – from radio to television to video to books to games – can be viewed and played online, often with greater functionality than they have in their primary technology. Communications technologies, as well, can be used, with the Internet replacing fax machines, telephones, video phones, and the postal service.

Please note that the above explanation is detailed because of your need to revise for the exam. In the essay itself you should spend no more than one paragraph explaining what technological convergence is, before moving onto explain the effects that this term has had on the music industry. The focus for this explanation should be on how the term blurs traditional forms of the media so new links between different media platforms have been made and the consumer no longer perceives media platforms as separate, due to technological convergence. For example, the internet is TV and music to an increasingly number of young people.

Part 2

After writing about the term can be seen in terms of the key terminology of production, marketing and distribution you now move on to write about case studies of how artists and bands have used this form of technological convergence to their benefit. The case studies I have chosen are Tyler Ward and Beyonce and I have used these case studies to also illustrate how we as individual consumers can also use the term

Part 3

I have then written about how this term can be used by Sony, the case studies I have chosen are The X Factor and Katy Perry’s website

Part 4

I have then compared and contrasted the large conglomerate of Sony with the small independent company ‘A Wolf at Your Door’

Part 5

Conclusion – Quite simply a summary of what technological convergence means for the record industry, here’s some examples of what you could write about in your conclusion:

  • narrows the gap between producer and audience in terms of equipment
  • allows instant access to music for the audience
  • opens up opportunities for any artist to promote their work
  • offers free distribution - digital music does not need to be physically copied, packaged or transportedallows audiences to steal music

Sample Essay

On the next page is an example of an essay which follows the structure of this plan. When you tackle a question like this please feel free to use your own case studies (we have discussed many) to the structure

How has technological convergence changed the music industry for both the consumer and producers of music?

Technological convergence is quite simply the ability of one product ( a smartphone for example) having the capibility to do multiple functions (text, play and download music, skype, video call, watch video, take photos, book concert tickets, surf the web and even make phone calls.) This convergence, the coming together of once separate media forms, means that for the consumer the ability to access or own music is now easier than it has ever been and this means huge changes for the music industry in general (especially in the form of combating piracy (95% of all music is now downloaded illegally) and reaching a fragmented target audience who now use their smartphones for various media entertainment.

In terms of the key words production, distribution and marketing; technological convergence - the invention of the internet, increased usage of popular software such as Garageband, which comes bundled with a MacBook and the rise of popular tablet computers such as the iPad, with their associated apps which can also be downloaded onto smart phones means the actual process of producing music is now relatively straightforward (the established band The Gorillaz for example recorded, distributed and made all their marketing materials for their album The Fall on two ipads whilst on an American tour in 2010) and this has meant that the concept of technological convergence has created a new wave of pop stars who have bypassed the mainstream media and even record companies to achieve success, all from their living rooms. The argument here is that the concept of convergence, the introduction of technology, has allowed fans and consumers of music to become far more active within the industry, a concept called prosumers.

One example of this ‘new’ pop prosumer star is Tyler Ward, a 21 year old male solo singer who tours the world, has millions subscribers to his YouTube channel and has grand plans to launch his own entertainment network. After posting a video of himself and other unknown artists singing We are the World in order to benefit victims of the Haiti earthquake, Tyler quickly gathered fans through his YouTube channel, who then became fans of his original songs. He now has 1.5 million subscribers to his channel and is able to tour the world as part of ‘Digitour’ ‘the world’s first YouTube tour and music festival,’ with other YouTube artists such as Tiffany Alvord and Dave Days, artists who have no connection to the mainstream media or record companies because they have a direct relationship with their fans over the internet, an achievement only possible through the process of technological convergence (they record songs on their own software, upload songs to their account on the same piece of technology and can interact with their fans on the very same piece of technology equipment.)

This direct relationship with fans can also be seen with more well known stars like Beyonce, who in 2013 bypassed the industry’s traditional promotional tactics (talk shows, the release of a single to support an album release, a tour) in favour of using no marketing at all as a means to release her album, thus in the process demonstrating social media’s power to hype and promote news when her fifth album was dropped with no warning and through the medium of a message on Instagram. The release was “designed to highlight that it’s about her and her fan relationships,” said Alice Enders, a media analyst with the firm Enders Analysis in London and the resulting success worked. The album sold 365,000 copies in the United States in its first day and within three days Beyonce sold 828,773 copies worldwide on iTunes, making it the fastest selling record ever on the Apple service. It also topped the iTunes singles chart in 104 countries.

Again this huge success can be seen in part to be down to the immediacy of technological convergence; a Beyonce fan would receive news of the latest album through their Instagram account, share this news with their friends who then would tweet and re-tweet (1.2 million tweets were recorded in three hours after news broke of the release) the news to their friends, this spreads to other social networking sites like Facebook and using the same piece of technology that fans spread the news on these fans can then download the album and enjoy the songs and videos all on the same piece of technological equipment, an achievement only possible through the process of technological convergence.For me as a consumer, I can also use this technological convergence for different reasons. I can use Spotify to listen to new music recommended by my friends through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and then go onto iTunes to download the recommended album or individual song. The ease through which I can do this on one product means I am no longer hampered by the hassle of going to a physical store like HMV to purchase music because I can now use one product to do all of this from the comfort of my own home.

Technological convergence is not just important for a band or singer however, a large conglomerate like Sony can use this new form of technology to their advantage. Take for example their programme The X Factor. When watching the show at home, fans are encouraged to download the contestant’s song as soon as it is aired through the use of on screen captions. Using their smartphone they can access the music without delay and in the process Sony can profit from this form of convergence where a television show can be used as a new means to generate revenue and profit. This use of apps can also be seen with the deal they struck with Mobile Roadie, an app developer who will create highly customized, immersive apps for Sony artists that reflect the artist’s attitude and offer fans on-the-go access to the latest news, streaming music and videos, photo galleries, tour schedules, ticketing options, chat and more.; the first of this was an app that was designed for Pink which did all the above.

Sony can also use an artist’s website in a manner that is conducive to the principle of technological convergence. For example Katy Perry’s website reflects the multiple functionality of technological convergence with links to all of her social networking sites at the top of the website page. This cements the increasing connection that fans have with their idols today strengthened by the fact that Perry’s website also has the option whereby visitors can stream her music, including any new single and songs from her album on the site itself. In an age where record companies are trying to make money from declining physical sales, the website also features focused heavy promotion for Perry’s tours and latest dvd release. Concert going is an area of music where profits are still going up, so the website emphasises this by the amount of space dedicated to promoting the dates, alongside the option to buy tickets and other various VIP packages, all of this again being made simple by the fact that you only need to do this on one device. With every new single/album release the look of the website also changes to reflect the perception that Katy Perry is still relevant in a fast changing music world.

A Wolf at Your Door, a small independent record company, also uses the principle of technological convergence to cater to a fragmented audience by mainly distributing digital through their own website and by having links with distribution platforms such as iTunes and Spotify. In doing this, they can cater for a global audience which was near impossible for independent companies decades ago who would have to pay physical distribution fees for CDs, tapes and vinyl. The readily available and more affordable digital software and technologies have been most beneficial to independent labels and have changed the way the audience consumes music. This is evident through the $16.8 million rise in digital download sales in 2010 alone.

In conclusion, the process of technological convergence has created a radical revolution in the music industry. It allows instant access to a wide variety of music and as Beyonce has demonstrated it allows new opportunities for an artist to promote their work but the important thing about this process is the fact that you do not have to be Beyonce to succeed. The success of Tyler Ward means that anyone can be a someone today, if they use the principle of technological convergence in the correct manner, the reason for this is because convergence narrows the gap between producer and audience in terms of equipment, allows instant access to music for the audience, opens up opportunities for any artist to promote their work and offers free distribution because digital music does not need to be physically copied, packaged or transported (this was dramatically seen when U2 released their latest album for free to all 600 million iTunes customers in September 2014, a release only possible through the process of technological convergence.)

Who needs a studio when you've got an iPad?

Gorillaz is the hip-pop brainchild of Blur front man Damon Albarn. A band of cartoon characters inked by Tank Girl artist Jamie Hewlett and logged in Guinness World Records as the world’s most successful virtual band, they dance to a different beat. When T3 heard they’d shunned the studio to make their fourth album on the iPad, even before GarageBand’s arrival, we had to find out how – and why.

“I fell in love with my iPad as soon as I got it,”

Damon Albarn tells T3. This is day one of a 32-day North American tour. By the time Gorillaz return to English soil, their two iPads will have created their fourth studio album, The Fall. Everything from the tracks and artwork to the distribution will have been created, mixed and recorded using the tablet.

“We’ve never done anything like this before, so it’s a bit of an experiment,”

continues Albarn. “A test, to see what we can record while living out of a bus. There’s a lot of common sense involved in recording like this. We’re going across America, trapped in a tiny space for hours on end, and we’re all together, doing nothing. It’s the perfect time to try and make something really new and see where it takes us.”

“Recording town to town has a real pre-rock ’n’ roll feel about it. It’s also kind of what hip-hop culture is all about.”

On the part of the tour we’re tagging along with, tracks one and two of The Fall – Phoner To Arizona and Revolving Doors – are penned and recorded without a studio or a dusty four-track in sight. Real instruments and voices are used as well, but the bulk of the sounds come from using one iPad as a synthesiser plugged into another one working as a recording device.

“Nothing we ever do is with the budget in mind,”

understates Gorillaz co-founder Hewlett, who, along with Albarn, once took a stage musical based on a Chinese folk talenon the road with a 25-member orchestra. But creating an album with iPads is a definite cost-cutter. According to music biz association IFPI (the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), the average chart album costs upwards of £250,000 to produce, yet once you’ve downloaded the apps (see box below), an iPad album will get you change from £1,000. “Recording while we’re out makes financial sense, yes, but that’s not the motivation,” reiterates Hewlett. “It’s just keeping busy; trying to do something new.”