Napster was a revolution. In fact, forget that, Napster was like opening your eyes for the first time to the possibilities of what owning a record store of unlimited size might be like. And when i say unlimited, i mean unlimited.
Whilst distribution, digital rights management software and mp3 vs. AAC format wars might seem to have nothing to do with the changing face of rock, the ramifications of these new developments in music are far reaching: Rock is a substantive share of the Popular Music Industry, arguably an umbrella term for many styles, especially in light of the influx and incorporation of new and old popular music styles into the rock format and the form and function of the industry itself is changing in concert with this, as we will see.
"It's Just Not Rock 'n' Roll" follows the evolution of musical distribution, from the inception of Napster and its dissolution in 2002, through to the present, discussing the iTunes Music Store, Musical Piracy, Digital Rights Management Software (DRM), changing formats and methods of musical distribution (mp3, FLAC, AAC) and how this has affected patterns of consumption.
Napster it seems, inspired a knee jerk reaction in the major record companies, who were cautious, even of iTunes and its vast menagerie of digital tunes to choose from. Since then many industry giants have insisted on DRM software on songs they sell over iTunes in order to maintain a control over the spread of music after it is purchased. Honestly, this is where i believe this debate connects with Rock 'n' Roll. Rock emerged as a deviant and fringe sub-culture in the 1950's out of the shadows of the Cold War and played an integral role in many movements for greater social and environmental justice. However, the invovelement and subsequent power lent to large record companies in exclusive rights over distribution and creative property has led to both an alienation of consumer and artist, both of whom have since sought to carve out their own niche in the world of digital music: "There is (also) a thriving download culture beyond iTunes, frequently offering greater freedom and better quality".
Consumers therefore it seems are willing not only to change formats, they may also be willing to look outside of the realm of established popular music distributors online, instead opting for an engagement with digital music reflective of their relationship with music; contrasting with previous trends which placed decisions regarding the consumption of music, especially in regards to format, quality and accessability in the hands of the distributor rather than the customer. And a similar trend is now emerging with artists. Artists as far ranging in musical taste and background as Radiohead, Weird Al Yankovic and Kid Rock have begun to release music digitally, either in concert with musical companies such as iTunes and Rhapsody (Yankovic and Kid Rock respectively) or completely independent of music labels and site owners, instead managing the consumption of their music entirely by themselves.
The message is clear, people want music and they want it their way, on their terms. And who could blame them? The same industry they gave their support to has been left behind with the times and technology, stubbornly refusing to change its ways in favour of the devil it knows. What happens when a format becomes invalid, left behind by an increasingly techno savvy community of music lovers worldwide?We'll just have to wait and see what comes next.
References:
1. Wilson, J. (2009), 'It's Just Not Rock 'n' Roll', Engineering and Technology, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 32-33
2. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, (2007), Radiohed Online Release On Track, CBC, Canada, viewed 2 June, 2009, http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2007/10/10/radiohead-download.html?ref=rss
3. Lardinois, F. (2008), Digital Music Distribution: Weird Al and Kid Rock take Different Paths, Read Write Web, viewed 2 June, 2008, http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/digital_music_weird_al_and_kid.php
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