Recording industry

UGH

Rough decade of shift

About 300k years BP, the human larynx lowered to make singing and speech possible.

First instruments

The “divje babe flute” (50,000 years old, slovenia)

“Aurignacian flute” (35-45,000 years, germany)

When was music well integrated into most human civilizations

about 5,000 years ago

Characteristic of the Blues

• Call and response

• 8 or 12 bar structure

• major keys with additions of flattened thirds, fifths, and seventh chords

• shuffle beat

• direct depiction of daily struggles

• combo of christian and yoruba imagery

• possible influence of native american rythyms

Stephen Foster

• born/ raised in pittsburgh, began writing songs in cinci

• widely performed and published, but made like no money

• “the father of American Music”

Tin Pan Alley

• Area where during the late 19th and 20th century, scattereed music publishers began to converge in NYC

• Known as Tin Pan Alley due to the tinny sounds of dozens of upright pianos echoing in the halls of buildings into the streets

• became a generic term to describe all publishers of american sheet music

• promoted formulaic pop of the period rather than classical music

• placing a song with the a popular performer ensured sales of the sheet music 

• publishers had “stables” of writers under contract who wrote in the popular formats of the day

• very successful

John Philip Sousa

• pressured for a revision to the US copyright laws (1909)

• argued for royalty of 2 cents for each manufactured cylinder, record, or piano roll, in addition to revenues derived from live performances and sheet music 

• New fees came to be known as “mechanicals”

The Brill Building

• Aldon Music founded by don kirschner and al nevins

• Teenagers

• became a hit making powerhouse for many rock n roll acts, and later teen idols of the 60s

• Aldon Music retained publishing, writers received a share of proceeds

Lou Reed

The first blues musicians in popular culture

• robert johnson

• charley patton 

• howlin wolf

The Monkees

• last gasp of The Brill Building

• “I’m A Believer” written by Neil Diamond and produced by Jeff Barry

• pioneered the concept of music videos

What is a music publisher?

• link songs with performers

• placement of songs in movie or tv sound tracks or commercials

• supervise the collection and payment of publishing royalties

• handle copyright

Listhosphones

• “rock that rings”

• basically banging on a rock and making music

caves and rock shelters

• first “music studios”

Megalithic structures: temples of sound

• lots of reverb

Caverns at Luray Virginia

• home to the worlds largest musical instrument: the great stalagpipe organ

• modern version of prehistoric “ringing rocks”

Edison’s Phonograph

• cylinder format

Sonic differences between cylinder and disc format

Cylinder

• lower audio volume

• sound quality was not as good

Disc

• quality would worsen as the stylus moved to the center of the disc

• louder

• better sound quality

• replaced hand crank with electric motor

• more expensive and brittle

Disc format: why was it better

• better for mass production

• longer playing times

• easier to store

Thomas edison

• invented the phonograph and wax cylinder

• edison speaking phonograph company

"Pianola”

• Brand name for the popular “player piano” (piano that played itself)

Folk origins of popular music

• British Islands

• West Africa

• Eastern Europe

robert Johnson

• african american blues singer

• blended delta blues with his own fingerpicking and songwriting style

The Carter Familty

• pioneers of country music

• popularized appalachian and folk tradition

• Maybelle Carter’s “carter scratch” guitar technique playing melody and rhythm simultaneously 

Bessie Smith

• “empress of the blues”

• downhearted blues”

• highest paid black performer of her time

Ralph Peer and influence in popular music

• founded the modern country music publishing business

• produced or discovered many notable country and blues artists

• Recorded the first “hillbilly” hit, “little log cabin in the lane”

• innovated music publishing

Richard M. Jones

helped shape early jazz by performing, composing, and producing some of the genre’s most important recordings, bridging the gap between New Orleans jazz and the national music scene.

Jazz Music

• originates from new orleans

• Latin American Music (Carribean basin)

• european and american orchestral and band music

• 1920s: the jazz age

  • prohibition creates underground performance circuits at speakeasies

Key features of radio that made it disruptive

• negative impact on record sales

• instant access to music and news

• commerical broadcasts to ships at sea

Grand ole opry

• an hour long radio program featuring “hillbilly” music 

• thanks to 50,000 watt reach of the station, brings national recognition to this Nashville-based radio station

• moved from radio station to larger venues 

• heart of country musics rise to national prominence

• longest continuously running radio show

Who invented the electric guitar?

Adolph Rickenbacher (1931)

Lead Belly

• legendary folk-blues artist

• shaped american folk music

Sol Ho’opi’i

• hawaiian guitarist who popularized “slack key” tuning and bottleneck playing techniques

• western swing music appropriated the sound and electrified the instrument

Pedal Steel Guitar

• Popular instrument in country music

Jimmy Rodgers 

• the first “superstar” of hillbilly music 

Mechanical Royalties

a payment to the owners of the copyright of the song. usually ¾ of the statutory rate (about 9 cents/ song) with 10 song maximum based on CD and download sales. 

performance royalties

(includes background music) Usually, venue owners obtains “blanket” license for live performance of copyrighted material. Venues can be shut down for not paying these fees. 

Synchronization royalties

 (film/video/tv shows): usually a buyout. Big money from this one. 

Sheet music royalties

Includes both physical and digital sheet music

NARAS

National Academy of the Recording Arts and Sciences: known for presenting the Grammy awards and supporting music education and charity work

NAMM

National Association of Music Merchants: not-for-profit organization for the music industry. 

The NAMM show is a major trade show held in anaheim california and is a gathering for manufacturers, retailers, musicians, and others in the industry to showcase new products. 

RIAA

Recording Industry Association of America:

a trade organization for the U.S. music industry that advocates for record labels and distributors. Its responsibilities include protecting artists' intellectual property rights, monitoring and reviewing laws, and issuing sales certifications like Gold and Platinum for hit songs and albums.

AES

Audio Engineering Society: a professional organization for audio engineers, scientists, and students dedicated to advancing audio technology and knowledge. It is an international, non-profit organization that provides a platform for professionals to share research, collaborate, and network through events like its flagship AES Show, publications like the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society (JAES), and its online e-library.