Seth

Locklear 1

Seth Locklear Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 February 4, 2013

Topic Proposal: "How has the internet affected the business side of the music industry? As being a part generation who lives most of their lives on the Internet, one can assume that most users of the World Wide Web have found a way to nourish their musical appetites via the Internet. While the Internet is an excellent place to find music, how does it affect the music industry, more specifically, the business aspect of it. Ever since Napster came out with file sharing as a way to discover new music in 1999, people have found ways to obtain music without permission or purchasing it. This is where the struggle between the musicians, the record labels, and the listeners began. I will be researching how the internet has evolved our perception of music access, how the music industry responds to the internets access to music, and how it approaches the problems at hand. As stated above, Napster created quite a stir with the record labels. Because this website was allowing people to share songs, companies accused the Internet of killing music, and stealing from the artists. Companies were not the only ones upset with file sharing, bands protested as well. Metallica, an American rock band from America, claimed that they were going to sue each individual user of Napster, and take the company to court. In an interview with Lars Ulrich, the drummer from Metallica, he says, If we have to go knocking on peoples doors and
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confiscate hard drives, so be it! This happened in 2000. Because of the amount of file sharing done on the Internet, record companies are on a downward slope due to the lack of money being generated by sales, and portray the internet as the thief that stole it from them. Though record companies started losing money from file sharing, it is also true that they had a tight grip on how the music industry was run. The records companies are trying to control the industry: the distribution, the media, and the artists, says Chris Crouch, ex-founder of Polyester Records. According to Chris, the record companies have owned the music industry for a solid forty years. Now that people are getting music from another source, they dont know how to respond. Record companies are now finding new ways to generate revenue (iTunes). Though these methods are helping a little to keep them in business, these companies are still struggling. Though it sounds like all hope is lost, Domenic Carosa, founder of Destra, says otherwise. People say the record industry is dying, but the music industry is growing, stated Domenic in his interview with ABC. He went on to say that because of the Internet, people now have more access to their favorite bands. Bands can now become more involved with their online fan base; selling them music, merchandise, and tickets via the click of a button. In addition, bands that might have never been heard of now have a way to advertise themselves. Chris Crouch claims, We are selling more vinyl than ever, more imports than ever, and more local and indie bands than ever. What this tells me is that people still want this great music; they just arent being catered for. Youre always hearing these companies talking about downloading and sales, but you never hear them talk about music.
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Initial Inquiry Question(s) Realizing that there is a conflict at hand, one can only ask: Is the internet benefiting or destroying the future of my favorite bands? It is clear that CD sales are down, but is the Internet the only thing responsible? And if so, what can we do to stop it? One must also keep in mind that the Internet has benefitted bands as far as advertising and getting their names out to the public. Should file sharing be banned if it is helping new bands reach new audiences? It is clear that there seems to be a shift between the record companies, the musicians, and the fans; so who should have the final say? My Interest in this Topic I am interested in this topic for the mere reason that I am a musician. Though I am not recording music, nor trying to make a living by my talent; I am interested to see how this field of artistic expression is changing. I am part of a generation that consumes more music than any other, and I ask myself, Why are we so different? I am interested in seeing the different points of view that people have. There is war between the companies, bands, and fans. Each of these parties have well-educated representatives, each with a different idea of how the industry should progress. It is my job to find out whom the industry should truly belong to. Next Steps In order to discover more on this topic, I will take my research online and offline. Via the Internet, I plan on watching interviews with musicians and members of record companies. In
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order to find the best representatives in these fields, I will seek out a librarian for advice. In addition, I hope to interview and talk to everyday people about their views on the subject.

Seth, I really enjoyed your topic proposal. I think you have a great topic and I know it is a highly debated idea. I am very interested to see all sides of the story, and hear what each one has to say. I think all the questions you proposed in the initial inquiry questions section are all great, but remember you need to narrow it down to one. Also in the next steps section, were there any specific websites you visited or plan to visit? In your paper, I did find some grammatical errors I thought needed to be changed, but you dont have to accept them of course. I also found a few areas that needed some clarification, especially