Music Industry Test

12 mins
Definitions for
1.Majors
2.Independents
3. synergy
4.back catalogue
5.conglomerate
6.Oligopoly
7.Synchronization
8.Long tail
Give an example of
9. take-overs
10. joint ventures
11. sell-offs
12. spin-offs

Horizontal & Vertical integration

13. Having several labels is an example of?
14. What is the name of the type of integration that is often
due to a take over?

15. A music company that owns companies or facilities at

different stages is said to be ?
What advantages are there for a music company to
be/use
16. Horizontally integrated (2 positive/ 2 Negative)
17. Vertically integrated (2 positive/ 2 Negative)

 It is the number of companies within a

conglomerate (their subsidiary companies)
and the range of sectors that they work in,
that give conglomerates such power!
18. Give an example of a music industry
conglomerate?

Synergy
19. Example?

Stages of the music business?

What is missing?
production
recording, engineering, mixing
CD manufacture, download preparation
20. ?
marketing
advertising
promoting
exchange
retail purchasing
consumption

21. What stages are threatened in the age of downloading?

The music industry can maximize

profits it what 4 ways?
22.

Music Companies
23. What are the 3 types of music
companies?

24. Pick 1 - How has new technology helped or

hindered them?

Answers/ refer to Prezi and handbooks

Majors - 3 massive global music companies

Independents - independent from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may
include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing (music).
synergy - a strategy of synchronising and actively forging connections between directly related areas of
entertainment. To make maximum impact, a film release can be synchronised with other media activities
(releases of games, soundtracks etc). Obviously this sort of synchronicity is easier within a large media
conglomerate which has interests in a range of different media.
back catalogue - All the works previously produced by a recording artist or record company:
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/aug/11/paul-mccartney-beatles-back-catalogue/print
take-overs - mid November 2011 (the only British music company of this size) was sold by its owners to
Universal Music Group - A deal like this is an example of consolidation of media ownership.
joint ventures - For a few years, Sony Music worked in partnership with BMG music.
BMG music was part of the giant German global media corporation Bertelsmann Group.
In 2006 the European regulators withdrew approval for the partnership.
sell-offs - Bertelsmann later decided to drop its music interests and sold them to Sony Music
Entertainment
spin-offs - Warner Music Group was spun off from the giant global media group Time Warner in 2003
Conglomerate - is a large business organisation made up of a number of different companies,
often linked by the area of interest that they work in.
Oligopoly - An oligopoly is when a few firms dominate a market.[9] When the larger scale media
companies buy out the more smaller-scaled or local companies they become more powerful within the
market. As they continue to eliminate their business competition through buyouts or forcing them out
(because they lack the resources or finances) the companies left dominate the media industry and create
a media oligopoly.The big 3 have control over approximately 75% of the global market.
synchronization Selling to other media companies your right to use music in films, TV, gaming etc.
Long tailthe concept that music in lower demand will collectively comprise a better market share than
music released by top-selling major label artists http://musicmachinery.com/2013/11/23/revisiting-thelong-tail/
http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/jan/08/long-tail-myth-download

13. Horizontal integration

14. Horizontal integration
15. Vertical integration
16. See Prezi
17. See Prezi
18. Sony, Warner, Universal
19. Using a film or a game or a game of a film or a film of a game to
help sell music is synergy
or synergistic marketing.
20. distribution
physically or online
21. exchange
retail purchasing
22. Vertical & Horizontal integration, synergy, having a huge back
catalogue.
23. Majors, independents & Newer ones
24. See Prezi

Money
https://www.flickr.com/photos/floorsixtyfour/
4889667148/

The Music Industry

Learning Objectives:
- To examine how the music industry categorises different styles
of music.

Task One
1. Try to list as many styles of music as you can.
2. Look at your list. Which styles of music are most popular
today?
3. Give an example of a popular band or singer for each
style.

How do record companies promote

their artistes?
Live
performances

The music
press

Television/
radio/web
appearances

Internet:
MySpace,
official/unofficial
web pages
Music
Promotion
Tie-ins: film, TV
soundtracks,
adverts

Posters

Radio
airplay

Music
video

Television/
radio/web
appearances
The music
press

Internet:
MySpace,
official/unofficial
web pages

Posters

Radio
airplay

Tie-ins: film, TV
soundtracks,
adverts
Music
video

Live
performances
1. Which methods do you think are the most effective for
promoting an artiste?
2. Which methods do you think are the most expensive?
3. Which methods are small independent record labels
more likely to use?

How important is the image of an

artiste?
The visual image of a band or singer
communicates important messages to the
audience.
Audiences often associate the look of an
artiste to a style of music.
Some audiences idolise bands and singers and
see them as sex symbols and fashion icons.