Comm chapter 5

Recording Industries

Major entities like Universal, Sony, and Warner that control 80% of sales with only 34% of titles.

Phonograph

An early recording device developed by Edison, using a tinfoil cylinder.

AM Radio

Amplitude modulation

Graphophone

An early recording device developed by Tainter, using a wax cylinder.

Gramophone

An early recording device by Berliner that played flat discs.

History of Recorded Music

Developed in the 1870s, it is the first mass medium not based on print.

Popular Music Genres

Rock dominates sales post-1950s, with hip-hop and rap competing for most streamed.

Recording Label Structure

In 1998 there were six major labels, with three remaining as Universal, Sony, and Warner in 2024.

Digital Rights Management

Concerns related to protecting digital content from illegal file sharing.

FM Radio

Frequency modulation radio system invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong in 1934.

Distinctive Functions of Radio

Serves as a medium for news and entertainment, especially in isolated areas.

Podcasting

Episodic or related series of content that is easily accessible and inexpensive to produce.

Satellite Radio

Digital radio broadcasting via satellite covering a wider territory.

Concerns for the Recording Industry

Issues related to digital rights management and illegal file sharing.

Broadcasting

Technology essentially the same in both radio and television. Transmitter sends messages over electromagnetic spectrum to receiver. Receiving device then decodes audio or visual electromagnetic waves so they can be heard or seen 

Revenue Growth in Radio

Radio industry saw $10 billion in revenues in 2020, with growing online revenues.

History of Recorded Music

Developed in 1870’s; first mass medium not based on print

Rise of Radio Networks

Facilitated by the Radio Act of 1927 and the establishment of the Federal Radio Commission.