Musical taste can be a controversial topic, almost to the point of tribalism. It is contentious in that musical taste often defines and signifies personality and lifestyle. Musical taste influences the way you dress, speak and sometimes act. You can usually tell someone’s musical taste by their appearance, this is very common with those aged fourteen to twenty-one, for example you could probably list at least five bands that any group of ‘skaters’ would be fans of. There is commonly a strong loyalty to ones ‘music group’. Examples of cultures rooted in ‘music groups’ include; ‘Goths’, ‘Indie’, ‘Mods’ and ‘Grunge’. It has been said by experts, that music, and its trends are at the epicentre of popular culture
There is a strain that exists between the artists and the industry ‘machine’, they are often trying to pull each other in opposite directions, but it is this dynamic tension between the creative and commercial, that underpins the success of this vast media business. The Music Industry can be divided into the ‘organic’ and the ‘synthetic’, and there is a tension that exists between the two.
The ‘Organic’ is used to describe bands where the music comes first, they make the kind of music they want to make and then the record labels (if signed) try and sell this music to the correct market segment. ‘Organic’ music often appeals to a niche, but can appeal to a mass audience too. ‘The Toy Hearts’ are an example of an organic band.
The ‘Synthetic’ refers to the ‘Xfactor’ methodology, and it is the record labels that sit in the driving seat. A gap in the market is identified, and then it is exploited by the development of music, and often the artist, to suit this gap. Money is the ultimate goal in this operation. Acts such as; The Spice Girls, McFly and JLS are examples of such. 
Another important feature of the music industry to consider is the ‘synergetic connections’ with other media forms that exists. For example, music magazines (NME, Kerrang, Mojo) exist to give artists publicity, but also to make money. Music channels (MTV, KISS, Flaunt), TV shows (Later Live with Jools Holland), Radio Stations and websites (MySpace) operate in a similar way. This is common with other industries as well such as with ‘News Corporation’ founded by Rupert Merdoch, which owns Book Publishers, Film Studios, Magazines, News Stations, digital TV (Sky), Minor Record Labels, Sports Leagues, and more. The different operations within News Corp are integrated, to compliment the sale of each other and ultimately the profitability. This co-dependency within the music industry can be productive but also risky. If we were actually responsible for The Toy Hearts, we would try to get them appearances across carefully selected media such as in NME, Later Live with Jools Holland, The One Show and Radio 4.
The music industry is dominated by four multi national corporations;
• Universal
• Sony Music
• Warner Brothers
• EMI
These are referred to as the major record labels, or ‘The Majors’. The majority of these are backed by conglomerates with stakes in other industries such as; Film, TV and Electronics. They are so powerful because they are driven by huge sums of money, and there are only four because they are so difficult to compete with in today’s global market.
Most of these ‘Majors’ own, or license, a series of smaller subsidiary companies in order to reach different kinds of audiences in different kinds of genre. These companies are known as ‘major-independents’. Epic, Columbia, Island, Syco, RCA and Virgin, are examples of Major-Independents.
The industry as a whole has a complex relationship with a number of different media and purposes; Radio, TV, Print media, Film, New Media. There are both synergetic and symbiotic relationships between them and the music (songs and artists). Often the artist is sold as a brand and the songs act as products of the brand, in the hope that people buy into the brand – this is when the ‘image’ of the artist is so important and often immense thought has gone into this ‘image’ by marketing teams (The Spice Girls are a good example with this, as the girls were portrayed characteristically differently to each other in order to appeal to different people eg. Sporty Spice, Posh Spice, etc). Other times it is the song and the meaning of the song that is sold, and the artists ‘image’ has little to do with the sale of the song.
The Pop Video exists as only one strand of a multimedia campaign, and is just one way in which a song is promoted.
• Promotes a specific single and, normally, an album
• Promotes a specific artist or band
• Creates, adapts or fees into a ‘star image’
• Entertains as a product in its own right
• Reinforces, adapts or undermines the ‘meanings’ of a song. 
There is a strain that exists between the artists and the industry ‘machine’, they are often trying to pull each other in opposite directions, but it is this dynamic tension between the creative and commercial, that underpins the success of this vast media business. The Music Industry can be divided into the ‘organic’ and the ‘synthetic’, and there is a tension that exists between the two.
The ‘Organic’ is used to describe bands where the music comes first, they make the kind of music they want to make and then the record labels (if signed) try and sell this music to the correct market segment. ‘Organic’ music often appeals to a niche, but can appeal to a mass audience too. ‘The Toy Hearts’ are an example of an organic band.
The ‘Synthetic’ refers to the ‘Xfactor’ methodology, and it is the record labels that sit in the driving seat. A gap in the market is identified, and then it is exploited by the development of music, and often the artist, to suit this gap. Money is the ultimate goal in this operation. Acts such as; The Spice Girls, McFly and JLS are examples of such.
Another important feature of the music industry to consider is the ‘synergetic connections’ with other media forms that exists. For example, music magazines (NME, Kerrang, Mojo) exist to give artists publicity, but also to make money. Music channels (MTV, KISS, Flaunt), TV shows (Later Live with Jools Holland), Radio Stations and websites (MySpace) operate in a similar way. This is common with other industries as well such as with ‘News Corporation’ founded by Rupert Merdoch, which owns Book Publishers, Film Studios, Magazines, News Stations, digital TV (Sky), Minor Record Labels, Sports Leagues, and more. The different operations within News Corp are integrated, to compliment the sale of each other and ultimately the profitability. This co-dependency within the music industry can be productive but also risky. If we were actually responsible for The Toy Hearts, we would try to get them appearances across carefully selected media such as in NME, Later Live with Jools Holland, The One Show and Radio 4.
The music industry is dominated by four multi national corporations;
• Universal
• Sony Music
• Warner Brothers
• EMI
These are referred to as the major record labels, or ‘The Majors’. The majority of these are backed by conglomerates with stakes in other industries such as; Film, TV and Electronics. They are so powerful because they are driven by huge sums of money, and there are only four because they are so difficult to compete with in today’s global market.
Most of these ‘Majors’ own, or license, a series of smaller subsidiary companies in order to reach different kinds of audiences in different kinds of genre. These companies are known as ‘major-independents’. Epic, Columbia, Island, Syco, RCA and Virgin, are examples of Major-Independents.
Finally, there are a huge number of small companies with little or no financial connection to the majors. These companies often concentrate on a small number of acts, within specialised niches in the industry. These are called ‘Independents’. An example of a highly successful independent is ‘Domino Records’. It is often that record labels begin as independents, but are then financially subdued by a major and then become a major-independent.
http://www.dominorecordco.com/artists/ A link to Domino's list of Artists.
The industry as a whole has a complex relationship with a number of different media and purposes; Radio, TV, Print media, Film, New Media. There are both synergetic and symbiotic relationships between them and the music (songs and artists). Often the artist is sold as a brand and the songs act as products of the brand, in the hope that people buy into the brand – this is when the ‘image’ of the artist is so important and often immense thought has gone into this ‘image’ by marketing teams (The Spice Girls are a good example with this, as the girls were portrayed characteristically differently to each other in order to appeal to different people eg. Sporty Spice, Posh Spice, etc). Other times it is the song and the meaning of the song that is sold, and the artists ‘image’ has little to do with the sale of the song.
The Pop Video exists as only one strand of a multimedia campaign, and is just one way in which a song is promoted.
• Promotes a specific single and, normally, an album
• Promotes a specific artist or band
• Creates, adapts or fees into a ‘star image’
• Entertains as a product in its own right
• Reinforces, adapts or undermines the ‘meanings’ of a song.
I am aware of the current threat to the music video, it is not a strong money making tool like it used to be, with music channels struggling to survive against competition such as, YouTube and other internet and downloading platforms. Manufactured programmes with live feeds, such as the streaming of live performances also pose a threat. A pop video usually only serves now as a promotional device. In many ways the pop video is becoming defunct and irrelevant, often with artists opting not to bother making one and focus the time and money into other forms of promotion.
