TOPIC 1.2 MUSIC

1. On balance, what are the biggest challenges and benefits to the music industries that come from digital communication and distribution?
2. Do current laws adequately address the affordances of digital media (ie do they account for what web media can actually do compared to analog media forms 20 years ago)?
3. Is radio a dying form in the face of iPods, iPhones and a million other devices capable of playing personalised musical playlists?

The biggest challenges to the music industry from digital communication and distribution lie in the protection of its IP from piracy as a result of digital networking tools such as P2P. The culture of file sharing can solved this issue. 

Another challenge could be the reducing cost of music creation and distribution. The lowering cost of entry could enable creators to produce and distribute. The lowering cost of entry enables creators to produce and distribute their music without the support of a label enabling increased creative control and financial returns to the creators. The social networking sites bringing a mass audience to those music industries like file sharing sites where millions of music are being downloaded. The online updates of music industries. 

Current laws do adequately address digital media if they are being commissioned in comparison to the analog era music.

The Radio is still surviving in this digitized world where iPods and other technological gadgets are coming into use. News make radios to still live in people daily lives since along with news they do listen to the music being broadcast. Podcasting is making it more easier for listeners in maintaining their loyalty to radio. That is users can listen to their content anytime which best suits them.