Pros and Cons of music downloading.

We live in a society where culture is defined by the media and technology. The music industry is constantly using the media to help cater to the demand and needs of the consumer market. The media helps to elevate the profile of a musician and their material, whether it be on a local or global scale. The music industry use the media in all its forms to help create a worldwide interest for their artists, such as music television series (S Club 7), music videos (MTV), franchise and of course the internet. They (music industry) relies on the power of the media, in hope that the accessibility and constant mediation of the artist will help generate a greater profit.

The Big Five corporations (Universal, EMI, BMG, Sony and Warner) have become increasingly relient on the media, and in particular new technologies. Sony have constructed MP3 players into the samsung cellphones - that way the domestic can access music where ever and when ever, giving them that extra personal gateway to their own personal favourite music. The downloading of music, whether it be through ringtones or through direct music files, raises a host of issues. Most importantly is that the downloading of music has become a huge phenonmena amongst consumers in that they download music without having to physically pay for it, therefore the music lables loose out of profit. The intergrity of the artist is violated and their music is exploited. The major music corporations have therefore turn hostile towards internet companies. In New Zealand, the act of illegal consumption of music has been hammered from many of our local musicians. Artists such as Che Fu have become advocates against burning of music online. It raises the issue that, we should not do something remotely bad to one of our own. Supporting our local musicians is something we must value.

However, while there are many downsides to the illegal consumption of music, there are SOME benefits. Benefits, not so much as in profit, but as in worldwide awareness of the artist. Downloading music allows the domestic consumer, local and global, have access to any music they want and for an emerging artist this is a bonus, in that the struggle to tackle the consumer market and radio listerner demographic is made easier. Furthermore, an artist can propell to a larger audience through the internet that initially would seem impossible to target, when the challenges of consumer markets and radio air play can hinder a artist.

Nevertheless, while the pros and cons of music downloading hold both benefitial and threating qualities, at the end of the day we must support our local artist! Go Fat Freddy's Drop.