Chapter 6: Recorded Music

(T/F) New digital technologies seem to allow many more new entrants in music recording, music production, and distribution.

t

(T/F) The record industry was very quick to create a system for letting people get music online for a charge.

t

(T/F) Widespread "sharing" or "piracy" of MP3s online led to the development of the music industry's secure digital music initiative.

t

After you have submitted the quiz, click the to view feedback next to any incorrect response. In the early 20th century, many record companies were threatened by the rise of the radio industry in the United States. What specifically were these companies concerned about? a. Being played on the radio would dampen the audio quality of vinyl records. b. Radio stations would start record production companies to make records for their stations. c. Radio stations would offer listeners an alternative to vinyl records and thus hurt sales. d. Radio stations would ask for bribes or monetary compensation for playing records on the air.

a

The first music recordings were _______. a. purely analog b. a mix of digital and analog c. mostly digital d. recorded on a machine designed by Benjamin Franklin

a

Although CDs seemed revolutionary at first, what really reshaped music in the past decade or two? a. analog music b. computer-based technologies c. the radio d. the introduction of the phonograph

b

More and more singers and musical groups are _______. a. switching labels with larger name-recognition b. trying to make it on their own c. accepting online piracy as an unfortunate reality d. hiring expensive management and production teams

b

Which of the following was NOT a result of the unleashing of the true potential of digital recording? a. Users began playing music on personal computers. b. Users' investment costs in their music choices skyrocketed. c. Users began recording music on personal computers. d. Users began sending and receiving music over the Internet.

b

Within the 20th century radio industry, the commonly used practice of payola refers to ________. a. the massive amount of profit that recording companies gain from concert ticket sales b. a situation where record companies give bribes to Disc Jockeys (DJs) to play their records more often c. a form of credit used to buy records or download digital songs d. the act of offering radio stations free promotional materials in exchange for playing certain artists more often

b

You bump into your friend at the coffee shop while he is downloading Mp3 files using the Limewire program. You warn him that downloading using this service is illegal. He responds by telling you that he is safe because he isn't logged in under his real name. Do you agree with him or not? a. No, because Limewire, Napster, and other services often report the IP addresses of users to the FCC. b. No, because the RIAA is able to track the digital footprint of MP3 files in order to determine where they go regardless of what kind of personal information he has provided Limewire. c. Yes, because he is using the coffee shop's network not his own. d. Yes, because by using a pseudonym on Limewire he is masking his IP address.

b

How can the music industry's responses to technological innovations be characterized? a. They were very forward thinking in their research on digital recording technology. b. They are often responsible for funding research into new innovations. c. They almost always initially oppose or fight against new recording or distribution technologies. d. They are generally more interested in recording technology than distribution channels.

c

How does the music industry trade association RIAA hope their digital fingerprints will ultimately help with online music piracy? a. by changing the way musicians charge for their music b. by eliminating the need for online security c. by blocking the transmission of pirated recordings d. by fostering new attitudes toward the purchase of music

c

In the mid-20th century, predominantly African-American musical genres like blues and gospel were very influential on the development of what would become rock and roll music. While many historians and music critics celebrate this process as one of ever-evolving hybridization, others have been very critical. What is the main issue these critiques might raise regarding the development of rock music? a. White musicians were able to make a significantly larger sum of money on record sales than African-American musicians. b. Most radio stations were not willing to play music recorded by African-American artists or bands. c. African-American musicians generally did not receive any sort of financial compensation or sometimes even acknowledgement from white musicians who used their material. d. African-American musicians were not able to copyright their material as easily as white musicians making plagiarism a common occurrence.

c

Why did the music industry's role as gatekeepers over who gets to record diminish greatly? a. because the public of listeners has taken over the gatekeeper role for itself b. because records and phonographs are no longer popular choices for musicians c. because low-cost digital recording equipment has allowed virtually anyone to record d. because people are now able to share music via various social media sites

c

As radio first took off in the late 1920s, what effect did it have on records and phonographs? a. A major change occurred in the types of music sold on records. b. Record and phonograph sales went international. c. The popularity of records and phonographs was greatly increased. d. Sales of records and phonographs dropped by almost half.

d

How does the music industry feel about YouTube? a. They see YouTube as an equal "partner" in the music distribution business. b. They believe YouTube and all other music sites should cease to exist. c. They feel YouTube ultimately makes them more money through subscriptions. d. They claim to be losing a great deal of licensing revenue to services like YouTube.

d

Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the music industry has been consistently moving toward _________. a. a heavily segmented market where more than 10 companies have shares of 5% or more b. a monopoly system where one company (RCA) produces all of the recorded content c. a monopoly system where Apple Computers has purchased the rights to most popular rock music songs d. an oligopoly where Universal, EMI, and a few other companies control the vast share of the recorded music market

d

Which of these statements represents a current economic trend in the contemporary music industry? a. Digital music sales have begun to decrease due to lack of international sales. b. MP3s are beginning to lose ground to other types of digital media files. c. The sale of CDs has boomed in the early 21st century because of cheaper manufacturing costs. d. Subscription services where users pay a fee to receive certain channels has grown in the last few years.

d

Within the history of recorded music in the United States in the 20th and 21st centuries, one of the main tendencies has been __________. a. the segmentation of the listening audience into specific socio-economic and ethnic groups b. the importance of corporations like Apple in spreading music across the United States and internationally c. the appropriation of rock music by later genres d. the merging of pre-existing genres like blues and gospel to create new hybrid genres

d

(T/F) Recording music in digital form has become less and less popular over the past two decades.

f