Case study research tasks

The basics

Your chosen industry: music

Your chosen case study (i.e. text/institution etc.): Beyonce/lilly Allen

Have you received approval for this case study from your teacher? Yes


Research and answer the following tasks on your MEST3 exam blog:

Audience

1) How has new and digital media changed the audience experience in your chosen industry?

The digital revolution has enabled audiences to move from passive to active, leading to a participatory culture as audiences get more of a say in what music is produced and which music 

By embracing social network media platforms, musicians and record labels are able to utilise an interactive relationship with fans that is beneficial to both producers and audiences. 

The growth and popularity of the internet has challenged the power of conglomerate control within the industry in a number of ways. The music industry has had to respond to the advent of the digital revolution due to its impact on production, distribution, artists and audiences.

 VIRAL MARKETING

Contemporary ‘DIY’ culture within the music industry, shaped by artists such as Lily Allen and The Arctic Monkeys, has led to the role of the conglomerate becoming less pivotal. 

2) Has new and digital media changed the way the audience consume your chosen product?

• Decline in CD's 
• However, this has the potential to increase music piracy and illegal downloading of music which in turn can contribute to massive financial losses for record labels as users are able to download or stream music for free rather than purchase a physical copy.

3) Has the size of the audience changed as a result of new and digital media?

yes it has grown

4) What are the positive changes new and digital media have brought to the audience of your case study? (E.g. greater choice, easier access etc.)

easy access
larger variety of genres 

5) What are the negative changes new and digital media have had on your chosen audience? (E.g. quality of product etc.)

cant access newly released songs as quick 

6) What about audience pleasures - have these changed as a result of new and digital media?


7) What is the target audience for your chosen case study? Write a demographic/psychographic profile.

teenagers/early twnties
in  full time education or part time working


Institution

1) How has new and digital media had an impact on ownership or control in your chosen industry?

• The growth and popularity of the internet has challenged the power of conglomerate control within the industry in a number of ways. The music industry has had to respond to the advent of the digital revolution due to its impact on production, distribution, artists and audiences.

2) What impact has new and digital media had on ownership in your chosen case study?

• Gaga exists across numerous media platforms, combining art, fashion, music, film and technology through her creative brand ‘Haus of Gaga’. This refers to the collaborative team who work with Gaga on her videos, stage shows and creative vision. The Gaga ‘brand’ is further promoted through her business activity off stage. She has her own high street fashion range in shops such as River Island and Topshop, a make-up range for MAC and is the face of many product endorsements including Polaroid.

3) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions produce texts?

4) How has new and digital media changed the way institutions distribute their product?

• Lady Gaga offers a new business model by successfully combining traditional industry practices (being signed to and financed by a major record label) with new media forms. She utilises the power of a major conglomerate whilst embracing the development of digital technology. Since the Gaga phenomenon began, her music has been available to access for free via streaming on her many online profiles, including those on Vevo and Myspace. Rather than reduce record sales, this move has proved financially beneficial for the institution as fans are also paying to download the music via iTunes.

5) How might new and digital media threaten your chosen industry?

• The rapidly increasing trend of internet file-sharing has resulted in both positive and negative outcomes for both artists and fans. Artists are rewarded with free ‘viral marketing’ where word of mouth spreads ‘like a virus’ amongst users, generating free publicity and ‘buzz’ around an artist, video, album or single. 
• However, this has the potential to increase music piracy and illegal downloading of music which in turn can contribute to massive financial losses for record labels as users are able to download or stream music for free rather than purchase a physical copy. 

6) How has new and digital media changed the way your chosen industry is regulated? 

• Contemporary ‘DIY’ culture within the music industry, shaped by artists such as Lily Allen and The Arctic Monkeys, has led to the role of the conglomerate becoming less pivotal. Artists have taken ownership of key industry processes such as marketing and distribution, processes usually carried out by the record labels themselves. Artists are now able to take ownership of their own marketing and distribution online using sites such as MySpace, working independently of conglomerate support. 
• As conglomerates becomes less dominant, audiences gain more choice over the types of music they want to hear and access, rather than being restricted by the type of music distributed by record labels. If high levels of interest for an artist are established online, indicated by the number of ‘adds’ or ‘friends’ an artist has acquired, then a record deal may be offered to an artist, putting them under conglomerate control. 
• The digital revolution has enabled audiences to move from passive to active, leading to a participatory culture as audiences get more of a say in what music is produced and which music succeeds. The fan-run ‘Rage Against the X Factor’ Campaign is an example of how consumer power won in the battle to challenge conglomerate control.

UGC

1) What examples of user-generated content can you find in your case study?

• Contemporary ‘DIY’ culture within the music industry, shaped by artists such as Lily Allen and The Arctic Monkeys, has led to the role of the conglomerate becoming less pivotal. Artists have taken ownership of key industry processes such as marketing and distribution, processes usually carried out by the record labels themselves. Artists are now able to take ownership of their own marketing and distribution online using sites such as MySpace, working independently of conglomerate support. 

people can comment and give feed back to music artists via social media and comments

and can aslo produce their own music without a company backing them up

2) How has UGC changed things for audiences or institutions in your chosen case study?

audineces are more interactvie with the music artsists follwing them on insta twitter and snap chat, follow up there daily activites and give a closer insight to thier fans supporters 

• Para-social relationships – Psychologists use the term “parasocial relationship” to describe the connection people get from celebrities and other famous people but which an illusion is.

Marxism, Pluralism and Hegemony

1) What would be a Marxist perspective of the impact of new and digital media on your chosen case study?

2) How would a pluralist view the impact of new and digital media in your chosen industry?

3) Are there any examples of hegemony in your chosen industry or case study?


Globalisation

1) How has globalisation impacted on your chosen industry or case study?

Available on youtube variety of music from diff cultures gangnam style global

“In 2015, we have continued to expand our artist ticketing business, with more than three times growth across Europe. We are now ticketing one out of every three concerts in London and have helped artists sell tickets across 48 countries in 2015,” wrote co-chief executives Ian Hogarth and Matt Jones in a blogpost. (Globalisation)

• According to the Institute for Policy Innovation global music piracy causes $12.5 billion of economic losses every year. In order to combat this music streaming services such as Spotify have worked in conjunction with the industry to try offer audiences the opportunity to listen to music but not actually download it, which means it is not being shared YouTube has also placed ID content censorship on videos to stop music being downloaded. However, these are only temporary measures and the industry has had to find more ways to prevent this.

Pandora is a streaming-radio service with the vast majority of its listeners in the US, but it has ambitions to expand globally, with Spotify-style fully on-demand streaming.

2) In your opinion, has globalisation had a positive or negative impact on your chosen industry and case study? Why?

Positive, 

3) Can you find examples of cultural imperialism in your case study or industry? (The 'Americanisation' of the world)




Social media

1) How has your industry or case study used social media to promote its products?

2) Provide examples of how your case study has used social media and explain the impact this would have on audiences.

3) Is social media an opportunity or a threat to your industry and case study?


Statistics

1) What statistics can you find to illustrate the impact new and digital media has had on your industry or case study? For example, in news, the UK newspaper industry sold more than 12m copies a day in 2001 but in 2014 it was below 7m.

2) Looking at these statistics, what impact has new/digital media had on institutions in your chosen industry? 

3) What has the impact been for audiences? These may be positive and negative.


Theories

1) What media theories can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media theories and explain how they are relevant to your case study. Note: these can be ANY of the theories we have learned over the whole of Year 12 and 13.

feminism 
gate keeping
global village 
empowering dis-empowering Andrew keen
gramsci hegemonic
butler-gender performance
mc robbie challanges tradish feminism
4th wave




Issues/debates

1) What media issues and debates can you apply to your chosen industry and case study? Select THREE media issues/debates and explain how they are relevant to your case study.

representation of women
adgendas
UGC
liberation/exploitation




Wider examples and secondary texts

1) What other texts or institutions are also relevant to your case study? What would be good secondary texts or examples to use to support the findings of your independent case study?