Music Industry Terminology

Convergence of technology-

The coming together of multimedia digital date technologies

Convergence of industrial activity-

The coming together of new media technologies to produce, distribute and share

Synergy-

The coming together of two separate media texts in such a way as to benefit both


Institution- 
Refers to the companies and organisation that provide media content and involves an understanding of media as business.

Production-
Recording music


Audience- 
This refers to the way in which people engage with the media

Conglomerate-

An international company with a wide and varied range of commercial interests

Globalisation-

The shift in media distribution from local or national to international and the whole world at once.

Analogue music-

In media technology, a method of recording visual and sound images. Analogue technology represents the shape or appearance of an object in an unbroken form (physical)

Digitalisation-

Conversion of analogue information into digital information

Vertical integration-

Where a media company profits from all aspects of production, distribution and consumption

Horizontal integration-

The merger of competing companies from the same line of business and involved at the same level of activity

Major record label-

Major labels are large corporations often owned by a parent company

Subsidiary label-

 

Independent label-

A record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.

Niche audience-

the targeting of a small but significant group of consumers with a media product directed specifically at their interest

Mainstream audience-

the uncontroversial, generally accepted attitudes, beliefs and values of the majority population.

Fans-

A person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art or entertainment form, or famous person.

Active audiences-

Any of various theories of audience behaviour that see the audience as active participants in the process of decoding and making sense of media texts

Audiophiles-

A person who has a great interest in high-fidelity sound reproduction

Early adopters-

An early adopter is a person who embraces new technology before most other people do

Consumption-

The using up of goods and services by consumer purchasing or in the production of other goods

Web 2.0-

The second phase of the internet, where the focus shifts from people receiving information and services to people creating and sharing material

Meta-tags/personalisation-
Are HTML codes that are inserted into the header on a web page, after the title tag

Download-

Copy (data) from one computer system to another or to a disk. The act or process of copying data.

Streaming-

Data streaming, commonly seen in the forms of audio and video streaming, is when a multimedia file can be played back without being completely downloaded first. 

Peer to peer-

Peer to peer is a way to store and share files on a network without using a file server.

Piracy-

The term of piracy is generally used to describe the deliberate infringement of copyright on a commercial scale

Portability/miniaturisation-

the creation of making things smaller and smaller such as; scales for mechanical, optical, and electronic products and devices

Multi-track-

A method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole

Sampling-

The technique of digitally encoding music or sound and reusing it as part of a composition or recording

Digitcal audio workstation (DAW)-
An electronic system designed solely or primarily for recording, editing and playing back digital audio

Artists and Repertoire (A&R)-

Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists

Record deal, contract, royalties-

A legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist, where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote

Distribution-

Promoting music and getting it into shops, on the radio and download for payment.

Plugging/marketing-
The action or business of promoting and selling products or services