1. Sound Recording & Popular Music
Chapter 4
Sound Recording & Popular Music

2. A Brief History of Recording
Early Recording Technology
Thomas Edison made the first recording in 1877, with a Phonograph
A cylinder with grooves cut into it, a horn, and a hand crank.
Victrola discs were introduced in 1906 by the Victor Company.
They were easier to produce and less expensive than cylinders.

3. A Brief History of Recording
Early Recording Technology
Ragtime and Tin Pan Alley made hits that sold well
like Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” favorites like “Alexander’s Ragtime Band
In 1914, music publishers joined together and formed ASCAP to fight for strong copyright laws.
How ASCAP works

4. A Brief History of Recording
Enter Radio
Commercial radio in the 1920s
Caused major changes in the recording industry.
Radio spurred sales
People wanted higher fidelity recordings of what was on the radio.
Jazz recordings became hot, then big bands, then country music.
Dance crazes would sell records.
What are some dances that have been big over the years?

5. A Brief History of Recording
Rock and Roll
By 1947, six large record companies controlled the popular music industry:
Columbia, Victor, Decca, Capitol, MGM, and Mercury.
Big labels pushed a mainstream music style epitomized by
Bing Crosby’s crooning, Perry Como and Doris Day.

6. A Brief History of Recording
1954, Memphis DJ / label owner Sam Phillips released
“That’s All Right Mama”
Elvis Presley
Presley moved to RCA & recorded hits including
“Don’t Be Cruel” & “Hound Dog.”
Defined rock music until the 60s
Beatles & other British groups like Rolling Stones entered the picture.

7. A Brief History of Recording
Presley borrowed songs from the African American artists
Proved how successful black music could be by performing existing songs, a practice known as covering.
He added a hillbilly sound to rhythm and blues and gospel,

8. A Brief History of Recording
Rap and Hip-Hop
Rap is speaking in rhythm over drum beats.
Hip-hop, is the backing music for rap,
Often composed of a collage of ‘samples’ from other songs. Hip-hop also refers to the culture of rap.
Rap originated in the early 1970s in the boroughs of New York City, especially the Bronx.

9. A Brief History of Recording
Rap and Hip-Hop
The 1st commercial rap record “Rapper’s Delight” was recorded in 1979 by The Sugar Hill Gang.
In the 90s, rivalries between east & west coast rappers culminated in the murders of Tupac Shakur & Notorious B.I.G.

10. A Brief History of Recording
The Format Wars Intensify
Sony’s Walkman portable audio cassette player
Introduced in 1979
Became successful as joggers & commuters listened while moving about
Did any in here ever have a Walkman?

11. A Brief History of Recording
CDs were introduced in 1983.
Format revitalized the industry
Music lovers replaced collections of analog vinyl & cassettes
CD’s had better sound quality & greater durability
Minidiscs, a smaller version of the CD, appeared in the late 1990s.
Anyone ever have minidiscs?
Why didn’t the public embrace them?

12. A Brief History of Recording
Music Downloading
In the 90s, listeners began copying CDs onto computers.
1999 college student Shawn Fanning developed Napster,
The 1st successful free file-sharing program
Music industry shut down the free version of Napster
But soon several competitors were developed.
What methods exist for music downloading today Free and/or paid

13. Convergence: Sound Recording in the Internet Age
MP3s and file sharing
MP3 format developed in 1992.
Supreme Court declared free music file-swapping illegal in 2001.
iTunes is the model for legal music downloading.
Music in the cloud
No physical ownership of music
Subscription and cloud services

14. A Brief History of Recording
Music Downloading
By 2001, file-sharing & cheap CD recorders/burners
Were seriously cutting into music industry profits
Napster returned in 2004 as a legal, low cost music downloading service.

15. A Brief History of Recording
Music Downloading
In 2006 the head of the Recording Industry Association of America declared
Unauthorized song swapping had been “contained.”
Do you think this is true today?
The industry cannot sue every single infringer, but reasoned
“If the industry makes enough waves in enough countries through legal actions, court cases could have a serious deterrent effect.”

16. Understanding Today’s Recording Industry
The Major Labels: Global Goliaths
Three major corporations, Warner, Sony & Universal
Collect around 80 percent of recording industry revenues each year.
Until the 80s, major label’s developed new talent.
Artists today who don’t sell are dropped or not given adequate promotion.
In the 90s, majors signed multi-million dollar deals with superstars
Including Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Motley Crue & Prince.
Most projects were artistic & financial flops
Drained support from developing acts.

17. Understanding Today’s Recording Industry
Top Selling Albums of All Time

18. Understanding Today’s Recording Industry
Independents: Developing Talent
Independent labels are not owned by one of the three majors.
Industry practice is for the majors to acquire successful independents
What are some independent labels that are now under major labels
Indies become successful by handling specialized material
Such as jazz, classical, religious, or rap.
Priority Records became the largest U.S. independent
Distributing records such as Ice-T’s “Cop Killer”
Which was too controversial for Warner Brothers.

19. Understanding Today’s Recording Industry
The Players
A&R (artist and repertoire)
Executives discover and develop the groups and performers.
Producers
Oversee the making of a master tape from start to finish, including mixing and editing.
Most artists spend years performing but never get to record for a label.
TV programs like “American Idol” are sensational exceptions.
Some artists become wealthy but other
Chuck Berry, Mary Wells, TLC
Were exploited or robbed by managers, promoters & record companies.

20. Understanding Today’s Recording Industry
Royalties & Performance Rights Organizations
There are two types of royalties:
Recording-artist royalties
Songwriter/publisher royalties
Recording artists
Earn royalties from the sale of their recording
Don’t earn royalties when recordings are played on radio or TV.
Songwriters and publishers
Do earn royalties on radio play & other public performances
And on recording sales.

21. Understanding Today’s Recording Industry
Promotion / Promoters
Concentrate on getting a cut from the album played on radio stations.
Focus on reporting stations whose playlists determine placement on the Billboard charts.
In Soundscan,
A point-of-sale computer system records sales to Billboard.
Promoters arrange
Press coverage,
Lobby for awards,
Feed tidbits to gossip-hungry Web sites,
Try to place music videos on MTV, BET, CMT and VH1,
Try to get songs on movie & TV soundtracks & TV Ads.

22. Understanding Today’s Recording Industry
Distribution and Sales
Recordings are distributed & sold through a variety of methods,
Online retailers & outlets
Online distribution
Labels
Save the cost of packaging,
Don’t have to worry about losing sales because a title is sold out,
Do not have to absorb the costs of unsold overstock.

23. Understanding Today’s Recording Industry
The Audience
Consumers are less loyal to artists than in the past.
Critics say labels encourage the fickleness of young audiences
They can sign young artists to cheap contracts
Make big profits with a single album.
What are some of your favorite artists
Why

24. Controversies The Effects Through the 90s
Sadomasochistic lyrics, gansta rap & shock rock
Were linked to youthful crime & decadence.
Cases where teens committed suicide after listening to recordings
Ozzy Osbourne’s & Judas Priest’s
Although no court of law has ever found an artist responsible.

25. Changes in music sales Censorship
In 1990, the music industry adopted parental warning labels
After pressure by The Parent’s Music Resource Center (PMRC).
Digital sales have reduced retail CD sales leading iTunes to be the top music retailer in country

26. Where the Money Goes

27. Where the Money Goes

28. Alternative Voices Indie labels continue to thrive.
More viable by using the Internet as low-cost distribution and promotional outlet
Some artists self-publish.
Signed and unsigned artists can reach fans through social networking and video sites.