BY LIZZY MULDERRIG
Music’s future is a difficult one to predict.
If the music industry wants to grow and expand, new artists and sounds should not be the only concern. Keeping up with changing technologies is another huge factor in music’s success. In an article written in 2000 by Steve Jones called, “Music and the Internet,” Jones highlights the concern of “keeping up with the machine,” (Jones, 217). He mentions the reality that people had the ability to record high-quality digital audio and press CDs at home. Another article, “Trends in Media Use,” examines a 2003 study about personal media trends. 80 percent of 8-18-year-olds said they owned a radio and their own CD or tape player. In 2004, 61 percent had their own portable CD or tape player. Now, in 2017, people consider CD’s outdated and rarely even purchase/use them!
As technology advances, media convergence occurs. Over time, technology has combined functions of several different media tools into one device. Music can be played on radios, television channels, internet radio, iPods, smartphones, and more. No longer is music a separate entity when it comes to media. It is engrained in all different forms, and the music industry has to keep up in order to survive.
With the advancement of technology comes the strategy of demassification. Demassification is the process of media narrowing focus to audience niches (Vivian, 82). For example, musicians are narrowing genres to target more specified audiences (think: pop-country and electronic genres). In doing this, musical artists are filtering out the massive audience of music listeners to find a more centralized fan base. Music media platforms are also doing the same thing.
Take Pandora, for example. Users specify their music tastes even more specific than genre – they select a specific artist to base their radio station off of. Pandora plays songs that are similar to the artist chosen, introducing new songs but focusing on a very specific sound for a smaller audience. It also has a feature to like and dislike a song, so the radio station is even further catered to your musical interests.
So, what could possibly become of music’s future? I’m not so sure, but in the words of Michael Lipsey, “The next chapter of my life is always more interesting than the last one.”
Sources:
Jones, Steve. “Music and the Internet.” Popular Music, vol. 19, no. 2, 2000, pp. 217–230. JSTOR, JSTOR,
Roberts, Donald F., and Ulla G. Foehr. “Trends in Media Use.” The Future of Children, vol. 18, no. 1, 2008, pp. 11–37. JSTOR, JSTOR
Vivian, John. The Media of Mass Communication. 12th ed., Pearson, 2017
Media and Entertainment 
Great post again! I was just discussing the other day with a friend whether or not more genres exist today than before. I have never thought about it in relation to demassification and media convergence, but this would make a lot of sense. Artists have the ability to cater to niche audiences now. Interesting stuff! I would suggest hyperlinking your sources at the end, but I loved the post. Thanks (:
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