Institutions and Audiences Exam Question Feedback

Past exam questions – MUSIC INDUSTRY

 

Jan 2009: Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and distributed to audiences within a media area you have studied.

 

June 2009: How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area you have studied?

Examiners’ comments: The candidates displayed good contemporary knowledge and understanding of the music industry. There was a focus on how the major and independent record companies relied on media technology, the use of the internet and how music download sites operated. There were also some very good discussions of ‘independent’ or subsidiary companies, such as Finders Keepers and Domino records. The candidates showed some excellent knowledge and understanding of technological convergence, synergistic practices and cross media ownership that record companies use in targeting British audiences.

More able candidates attempted to evaluate the importance of technological convergence in relation to record companies and how audiences consumed the music through the use of iPods, iTunes and My Space. There were a range of arguments which included an evaluation of the benefits for music institutions of convergent technology, in relation to the distribution of music via a website: for example AOL Time Warner as a wall garden and how a music artist/product could be marketed at global and niche audiences. More able candidates could also offer detail to specific case studies, the most popular included EMI and Sony as conglomerates and Domino and Ghost records as independent record companies and wider music debates/issues such as Pirate Bay, in relation to illegal music digital downloads. Lesser able candidates would offer a profile of the institution and the types of artist that they had signed. Often a discussion of technological convergence would be slightly misconstrued in terms of distribution and marketing only. Frequently, a sense of audience would be omitted from any discussion and at times some quite simplistic versions of downloading music as an illegal act and that this would have an enormous impact on the music industry itself. However on the whole candidates with a wide range of responses answered this area of study of institution and audience.

 

Jan 2010: “Media production is dominated by global institutions which sell their products and services to national audiences.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

This was another area that was handled well by candidates where most were able to engage with the issues in the question. Sony and Universal were popular case studies of major labels that have dominance of the music market and the best answers were well supported with contemporary evidence. Again discussions of synergy, horizontal integration and vertical integration were popular and the cross platform nature of music promotion was well referred to. Independent labels and the rise in choice and diversity was also well explored with labels such as Ghost Box, Domino Records and Aardvark popular choices. The role of audiences and web 2.0 as breaking the dominant hold of the majors was also explored by more able candidates as well as the rise in production software and distribution methods via My Space and YouTube. Good use of contemporary evidence in stronger candidate responses considered the recent Rage Against the Machine/ Facebook campaign to break the dominance of the X Factor Christmas number one. Some considered this as an example of active/ empowered audiences whilst more able candidates acknowledged that this was an illusion of power and shrewd marketing to support a band signed to a subsidiary of the Sony Label.

Weaker candidate responses were unable to respond to the question set and merely recited pre prepared case studies. Many candidates made reference to Apple as an institution that is dominant in the industry, but failed to explore a record label that targets a British/global audience which is required for the question. One centre had provided a case study of the rise on N'Dubz from the underground grime scene to mainstream recording artists, although many candidates failed to link the material closely enough to institutional contexts to answer the question, despite a good understanding of the music style/youth culture. Candidate responses to the music industry were well done overall, with the obvious advantages of the Majors being contrasted with the success of ‘indie’ acts like the Arctic Monkeys.

 

 

June 2010: What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences?

This was the most popular subject area and generally the most successful. Most Candidates concentrated on the role of technology in the distribution, marketing and consumption of music, looking at issues of audience behaviour and record companies' attempts to renegotiate the relationship with consumers. Many answers looked at major corporations and compared their approaches with examples of independent companies (EMI, Sony, Warner as examples of majors, Domino, Rough Trade, Hungry Audio, Finders Keepers as examples of independents worked well).

The Candidates examined a good contrast of case studies with the majority analysing a major label, like Universal, and comparing this to a more niche independent company to highlight the differences and challenges that exist for musicians and the record companies themselves. Questions of synergy, and vertical and horizontal integration were examined in detail and the differences between a major and minor company offered a very clear hinge upon which Candidates could hang their answers.

There was a sound understanding of the effect of Web 2.0 on the majors and the rise in the use of YouTube and My Space as both promotional outlets for established artists and also stages for new talent. Candidates were able to discuss the advantages/disadvantages of pirating music and many had a clear understanding of the repercussions on artistes etc. There were some very interesting case studies of how particular bands and artists had used the web to their advantage and the arguments that exist on the whole issue of ‘free’ music, for example Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ web release.

Candidates do need to clarify their knowledge of third party companies such as Apple and their relationship with music institutions. Less able Candidates often detracted from the question by focusing on the features of a record company or even at times focusing on the X-Factor as a sole case study, which is inadvisable.

 

 

Jan 2011: Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production and exchange of media texts in your chosen media area.

This was another area that was handled well by candidates where most were able to engage with the issues in the question. Sony and Universal were popular case studies of major labels that have dominance of the music market and the best answers were well supported with contemporary evidence. Again discussions of synergy, horizontal integration and vertical integration were popular and the cross platform nature of music promotion was well referred to. Independent labels and the rise in choice and diversity were also well explored with labels such as Ghost Box and Domino Records being popular choices. The role of audiences and web 2.0 in breaking the dominant hold of the majors was also explored by more able candidates; as was the rise in production software and distribution methods via MySpace and YouTube. These were important areas of discussion given the context of the set question. A case study of EMI worked well where candidates had a clear focus on ownership and were able to write more broadly on exchange in the music industry, for example, with the rise of peer-to peer file sharing. Candidates then argued that that they were the hardest hit of the four major record labels as the company was not part of a larger conglomerate and lacked the benefits of diversified interests which in larger conglomerates can help to absorb any losses made by record labels by using their other arms as support, for example, through synergy and cross media interest. It was also noted that the issue of piracy emerged in plenty of candidate answers, discussing a new 360-degree business model with record companies identifying alternative revenue streams such as tours and merchandising.

Weaker candidate responses were unable to respond to the question set and merely recited pre prepared case studies. But on the whole, responses on the music industry were done well.

 

May 2011: “Successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do on good production practices.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

This area was handled well by candidates as most were able to engage with the issues in the question. The question was designed to provide opportunities for candidates to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of music institutions and audiences. Most candidates approached the area by contrasting one of the 'big 4' labels – (Sony, EMI and Universal were popular) with a smaller, independent label, such as Ghostbox, Domino or Finders Keepers records. This was good practice as candidates could contrast production and distribution practices of major and indie labels. Candidates also explored the use of synergy by the majors (especially Sony and UMG), distribution methods transformed by convergence and digital initiatives and the labels’ attempts to combat piracy. Indie labels included XL, Rough Trade, Domino – all of which were used to contrast the approach of the majors well by picking up on the part of the question related to the targeting of specific audiences by identifying the niche audience targeted and then the ways in which they were marketed to. Candidates also discussed the role of technology in enabling artists to attain relatively high production values relatively cheaply and then distribute the music digitally via My Space and iTunes. It was encouraging to see some candidates also discussed contemporary developments such as ‘VEVO’ and the recent changes to the business model of the streaming site Spotify. The candidates’ responses that needed developing the most were applying key concepts to examples and case studies. An absence of exemplification and a reliance on generalised examples held back candidates understanding of the task demanded. Likewise, where candidates discussed YouTube, Spotify, iTunes they would benefit more from discussing specific examples and the features of these online technologies, such as interactivity, the ability for audience responses etc.