EB102 Media Industry Landscape - MIDTERM REVIEW

*The Recording Industry

-Intellectual Property (IP)
-Licensing: Leasing Intellectual Property
-3 Remaining Major Label: Warner Music Group (WMG); Sony BMG; Universal Music Group
*Streaming Audio and Video
-Streaming Music/Audio: Biggest market share belongs to Spotify (by far)
-Spotify created in Europe (Sweden) – predicted consumption of music via a portable
device (otherwise known as a cell phone)
-Spotify legally “bribed” 3 remaining labels in order to attain licensing
-Steaming Video: Biggest market share belongs to YouTube
-Threat Disney+ has put on Netflix and other streaming services (they own so much content)
*Net Neutrality
-Current state of the internet; No disruption with content speed; Has been partly (for now) left
up to each state in the U.S. to decide their own Net Neutrality laws
Net Neutrality Threat – Currently safe, under repeal but FCC has voted to overturn Net
Neutrality, allowing larger communication companies such as Verizon, Comcast, etc. to charge
consumers more for certain content and to practice throttling (slowing down particular sites)
*Content and Access
-Content is King- While Quality of Content remains important, Quantity is what’s
keeping Consumers going back (and engaged)
-Access = Distribution (How do consumers attain their media?)
-Without Access, there’s no Availability to the Consumer
-Access/Distribution/Availability is increasing more and more as Media evolves,
making it easier for Consumers to get content and therefore making it more competitive for
Content Creators to gain attention from Consumers
Content Creators vs. Consumers of Media
-Media Gatekeepers- Those that control what media is available to consumer (i.e.
Newspaper Editors, Television Execs, Program Directors in Radio, etc.)
 -Media Gatekeepers are NOT Music Producers, Television Producers, etc. – these are
Content Creators
-3 Methods of Audio and Video Distribution: Physical, Digital and Streaming
-Peer to Peer – otherwise known as File Sharing and Pirating (Illegal Downloading) –
Sharing Content in Audio and Video
-This phenomenon has led to Legal Consumption by Consumers in the form of
Streaming
-Downfall of Music Sales is a result of:
-Technology – in particular the Internet
-Peer to Peer/File Sharing
-Major labels stubbornness in releasing licensed content as a slow response to
file sharing
-Content options less limited due to the Internet (i.e. the Single returns as a stronger
force than the full album)
-Streaming Music has certainly taken a huge dent in Record Sales and therefore the
livelihoods of the Content Creators (Musicians- BOTH Writers and Performers)
-Streaming Video has certainly taken a huge dent in DVD and other Video Sales
*Who is David Geffen? – What makes Geffen Iconic?
*Democratization of Media (without Content and Access, you can’t have a Democratization of
Media)
-As Media (and Technology) evolve, Consumers are taking more and more control and
are able to act BOTH as Content Creator AND Consumer (this isn’t new, but it’s getting more
common)
-Examples of:
-Spotify- Consumers have much control over what they consume and how they share
what they consume with peers AND are able to be Distributors (via creating content)
-YouTube – again, Consumers have much control as do Content Creators (i.e. Bands are
using YouTube to replace MTV as a promotional tool for their music)
-Social Media- all about the Consumer deciding on Content and Access (Distribution)
*Media Timelines
-Live Theater – Silent Film – Talkies (film with dialogue) – Television
-Live Music – The Phonograph (Record Player) - Radio – Internet – Podcasts
-Podcasts – based on three media: Magazines, Radio and The Internet
General Media Timeline: Birds delivering messages-Gutenberg Press-Live Theater-Live Concerts-
Radio used in Wartime-Silent Film-Radio used by consumers-Talkies (film)-Television-Video
Games-The Internet-Internet Radio-Podcasts-Virtual Reality-Augmented Reality
*Social Media
-Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Spotify, etc. (Others?)
-Current Trends in Social Media
-Inherent Problems with Social Media – The Echo Chamber
-How does Social Media fit into the theory of the Democratization of Media?
-Social Media for Consumer Use (how are consumers getting their opinions across?)
-Social Media for Content Creators (YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitter, etc.)

**NO CLASS NEXT MONDY (MEMORIAL DAY) – OUR CLASS ZOOM MTG WILL BE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27)**