The internet for Music

The internet has various best and worst aspects in the case of music and other entertainments such as movies. Those entertainments can no longer be protected on the internet, but at the same time, due to the convenience of the internet and fastness, new prospective indie bands have more chances to be popular than the past. In the case of Japanese indie bands, Youtube (of course) and Natalie (New Japanese subculture site) are important starting pints to sell their names. In the past, indie bands had to sell their names by having lives on the street or trying to take their demo tapes to label companies in order to contract. The best aspect of the internet for music is any new indie bands have chances to get attention, on the other hand, the worst aspect of the internet for music is songs are downloaded so easily by free. This blog will explore how indie bands can sell their names on the internet and how songs are downloaded by free.

Nowadays, there are many ways to be popular for indie bands such as uploading their music on Youtube, Mixi (or facebook), and Natalie. Youtube allows them to upload their songs, especially Youtube had an event for indies to get a chance youtube looking for indie bands. Since youtube is the biggest video sharing page in the world, it is a big chance for indie bands to get attention by music labels and viewers.

natalie (the above image) is the popular music information site which allows subculture fans to get new information quickly. This site interviews not only popular bands but also indie bands. This music information site does focus on indie bands so that people who are tired of listening to popular bands go on natalie to get some new indie bands.
Unlike youtube, natalie shows how the band gets to write the song, why the band decided to write the song and other reasons of them so that viewers can not only see their songs but also their "life styles". which viewers feel more close to them rather than just looking at their songs.

An example of how the internet can connect to the real world is this. These two little girls liked pretending as if Nicki Minaj and they kept singing. Their dreams came true by posting their videos on youtube.

In the case of how Japanese indie bands get their names popular is not only Youtube or Natalie but also NikoNiko douga.
Niko Niko douga is like Youtube but NIkoNIko duoga allows viewers to type anything on the video so that viewers can say anything of the video.
The famous case of the Japanese indie band which gets to be famous is shinsei kamattechan. Shinsei kamattechan sings songs of boring days (the singer used to do nothing and lived home with family without a job and school). The songs get popular within those people who think the same way(boring days), Shinsei Kamattechan became pouplar on Niko Niko douga. Natalie also reports about Shinsei kaamttechan here.
From their popularity on the internet, the bands' movie was released according to white screen.

The internet not only allows indie bands to be popular on only the internet but also to be popular in other fields.

Although the internet allowed indie bands to get attention easier, the internet did not allow popular bands to get sold easier. Digital Music News reports the difficuly of selling CDs here.
Due to the convenience of the internet, any music on youtube or any music on the internet has been downloaded free on the internet. It has been a serious problem in the world so that the Limewire (which was invented on 2004/ 12) was accused of stealing music by many music labels on 2006/08.
In another case, Youtube fire was also accused of stealing music in this summer. In order to prevent music, MIAU was found to protect being stolen illegally.
According to the survey on internet watch, the number of people who use the illegal music downloading site is 37.1% (among 1054 cellphone users). In addition, 82.5% users acknowledged the existence of freedownloading music site. It is also surprising that the number of users who use the freedownloading music site is increasing rapidly.
By looking at the number of CDs which was sold on the year has been decreasing rapidly. As we can see here, the CD which was sold over millions ("Million seller" in japanese) do not appear as the 2000s but as the 1990s or before. It is because of course, due to the internet freedownload music site has appeared.



             Advantage points                                                               Disadvanatge points

good place to appeal to viewers (indies)                       less number of sold CDs (popular bands)
less cost and more convenient attention                      no meaning to maintain copyright
more activity in another field

The solution:
So, the question is, how can music labels sell their CDs a lot??
This is not the solution but an example of selling a lot of CDs.
AKB48 (not band though), 's number of sold CDs reaches the highest of each annual year.
Why? because there is a ticke to the event to get to see the AKB48 members in each CD.
The fans are not aiming to buy CDs, but aiming to see members many times and shake hands.
It was reported that ONE fan bought 5500 copies of one AKB48 CD. kawaii kakkoii sugoi.
This is called AKB business method, which has been discussed whether this method is good or bad.
It is obvious that it is a smart way to sell CDs a lot but the good music CDs are not sold but just their CDs are sold with fans hopes to see them.

This is how the internet works in either good way or bad way. The best aspect of the internet for music is to spread any indie bands names to the world and more attention they can get.
The worst aspcet of the internet for music is that the copyright cannot work and no music is protected. = everything is downloaded free.

Will there be a future which good music CDs will be sold equally?