Music truly can make the world go round. Music has the ability to unify people in a single thought, may it be peace, harmony, joy, or a specific cause, and it has changed the word one song at a time. But music used to be limited and under appreciated by many. Not because music then was of poor quality but because it was not as accessible as it is today. We have a freedom today to gain access to all kinds of music through the help of technology therefore awareness and appreciation of the music industry has grown significantly in such a short span of time.
Long before the internet had its glory, music was confined to a smaller audience. Some of the most powerful songs written were sung and played underground in fear of other bigger issues like communism, capitalism and war. With the emergence of ecommerce, the world became a giant playground for music of different ages, stages, and styles. Ecommerce has opened a new way for music to be heard in other places where it can be appreciated to the fullest. Online music purchase has become so easy and fast that it has broken the barriers of not only geography but perhaps culture as well. When music started its way online, there became a new profit making industry.
Little did we know then that the music industry would be as big as it is now? Today, song sales on iTunes, eBay and Amazon total to billions of dollars daily and that is only counting the United States. Through ecommerce, stars have been born like Coldplay and Beyonce. These artists could have been famous only in their countries but the internet has created them into international super stars because ecommerce has enabled their songs to be purchased by anyone all over the world. Even smaller indie artists and underground bands can now showcase their talent online through ecommerce giving each artist a chance to make it big where the music field is a little more leveled.
Buying songs online has also allowed the consumer more liberty to choose what songs they want to spend on. During the older days, songs had to be bought with the whole album but today, you can buy the song as an individual. This has increased sales more than ever. Not only are the songs available but they too are available as soon as the album hits the market. This makes them available online to anyone around the world as soon as the song is out. This feature of ecommerce helps make music more globally competitive and effective. There is no more discrimination as to who and when these song can only be heard.
Some negative effects though have also hurt the music industry. Because the internet is so accessible and easy to use, the exchange of illegal downloads have also flourished. This development slows down the profits of ecommerce because now, the music can be taken for free. Current ways are being tried to control this phenomenon.