Music already a long time ago became one of the most significant and most profitable business fields that serve not only to entertain the public but also to be a platform for commercial and appearing trends. Major record labels determine what kind of music they will continue to promote and focus on the preferences of the majority of the population. Technology as well contributed to how listeners embrace the songs and interpret the lyrics. Thus, the essay aims to analyze the role of the music industry on the variety of choices for the consumers and the impact of the technologies on musical comprehension.
The music industry, like any other, has its tendencies, and it dictates what genre is going to be popular and what types of songs listeners will hear the most often on the radio. Although there are a great diversity of musical compositions and mixes of different styles, only a significantly smaller number of music types have become and remain popular among the masses. Record labels have a tendency to keep producing and promoting music which is similar to what has already proven itself as public favorites (Rosenthal and Flacks 69). Rarely do labels agree to implement the atypical sound which is unfamiliar to the population. Moreover, musicians assigned to any record company have to follow its requirements and write songs that are approved by the management (Rosenthal and Flacks 68). Since they are in charge of the image and the final product, they use the latest technological innovations for promotion and marketing purposes.
Technologies undoubtedly influence how music is perceived and interpreted by the audience nowadays. When there were no music videos, performances translated on television, or massive shows holding the stadium, people had more freedom of interpreting lyrics. Due to the fact that there were no additional factors that could suggest or demonstrate the message, the listeners had an endless possibility of adapting the music lyrics to their own feelings (Rosenthal and Flacks 63). Especially when the singer does not claim any sense of the song, it leaves the audience with the possibility of explaining it in numerous ways.
However, music videos may add some additional context to the song that, in other cases, probably would not appear in people’s minds. Depending on the scenario that is happening in the music video, the viewer can start perceiving the lyrics precisely based on the image they saw on the screen or accepting the proposed context (Rosenthal and Flacks 63). Live performances and those translated on the television also play a role in presenting the song. The performer’s attitude, style, and manner can shift the perception of the song in an entirely diverse direction than the audience’s initial reaction. Moreover, with the developing technologies and access to the internet, people gained a chance to participate in the discussions and share their opinion about the musicians and their art on online platforms (Rosenthal and Flacks 64). Admirers of someone’s art can express their opinions on the lyrics, music video, and the whole concept creating new theories and meanings about the message that one or another song might contain.
Overall, considering the music industry from a commercial perspective, the labels aim to maintain the audience’s attention without implementing radical and unusual innovations. They rather stick to the familiar products that have already proved their applicability to the audience and have greater access to music that applies to more people. Additionally, through the technological promotion by music videos and commercials public forms different perceptions of the music and lyrics. Still, the meaning can often come to the listeners from their personal experiences, feelings, and memories that may be somehow associated with the songs.
Works Cited
Rosenthal, Rob and Flacks, Richard. “Chapter 2: Aretha Franklin Sings to Charlie Manson.” Playing for Change: Music and Musicians in the Service of Social Movements. Routledge, 2016. pp. 39-66.
Rosenthal, Rob and Flacks, Richard. “Chapter 3: Context.” Playing for Change: Music and Musicians in the Service of Social Movements. Routledge, 2016. pp. 67- 89.