Social networking and computerised products keeps developing prosumers are easily able to make mashups of existing music, how is this effecting the record labels and audience?

The developing music industry is affecting the record labels and audiences in a major way. The development in social networking and computer software is changing the way the audience perceive music. Record labels are having to change with the audience.

Social networking is revolutionising the way companies market their products, social networking is producing a free and easy way of marketing products. The audience can market products themsleves by simply sharing there favourite songs with their friends online. Not only is this free but also very effective, teenagers often follow the crowd so if their friends liked and shared a song they would most probably listen to and decide to also download that song. Social networking can also get your music advertised universal.

The prosumer culture is continuing to develop, prosumers relates to the audience making there own music at home. With new technology like garageband and logic pro making music at home on your computer is becoming increasingly easy and to a higher standard. They can also share there music online for free without needing any interaction from record labels. Prosumers are also effecting the marketing industry as a lot of mashups made by prosumers reintroduce old music to the market, this means that when people hear this and start redownloading it the record label which own this artists back   catalogue will be benefiting.

The audience are becoming more interactive with there music. The development of computer consoles is helping the audience do this through games such as guitar hero, this involves the audience feeling as though they are part of the music even without being musically skilled. Audiences nowdays crave the interaction which is shown majorly in the increase in tours and concert ticket sales as concerts help the audience feel connected with the artist.