Music Industry

Yesterday, there was an article in the Journal Sentinel Cue section that was actually somewhat relevant. The author wrote about the growing popularity and importance of converging music with video games. A big example used is the Tony Hawk games, which for the new game coming out will have more than 50 artists featured to provide a soundtrack to the user's skateboarding adventures. Looking back on when I played that game when I was in junior high, the music was almost as important to me as the actual game was. By placing songs from a particular genre that happens to be popular with the game's target audience, the repeated play of the songs could stimulate enormous sales for the artists featured. The genius thing about the Tony Hawk game is that the songs used are played over and over and over again. Although I haven't played Tony Hawk in years, I still remember my favorite songs from the game very well! I think I probably bought a couple records as a result as well.

I think this is a great example of how the music industry is continuing to adopt to the internet and changing technologies. Although illegal downloading and digital files have damaged the industry's profit and affected the overall structure of the industry even, just like other technologies in the past, the music industry is going to learn to adapt. Radio and film overcame the rise of television with redefining their marketing strategies and use in a consumer's life, and for the music industry to survive, it has to do the same.

Also similar to the other entertainment industries listed above, by placing songs on particular video games, the music industry has found a sort of niche marketing. Instead of appealing to a national audience, the artists' songs that go on different video games will best be popular among the targeted audience. Hopefully, the music industry will continue to be creative about staying alive in such a p2p culture.