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Consumers are becoming less influenced by the major record labels with the help from the internet as consumers have more freedom to discover new genres and styles which are delivered in new ways. Record labels will always have a certain level of influence to its popular markets but now its the customer who decides on what they really like and want to listen to without feeling outside of the ‘popular music’ category.

“I think there are many benefits for a musician not being signed to a label. I’ve seen first hand, from my experience at major labels, where they will sign up and coming artists but when an instant hit doesn’t happen, they’re tossed aside and ultimately dropped. That used to be the kiss of death for a band or artist because the thought was if they can't make it on a major, they can't make it (I certainly don't agree with that). The labels missed the key element which is artist development – having a long term commitment to work them and build their fan base”.

The benefits of not being signed to a particular record label means the artist/band have significant control over their career, image, style and perceptions interpreted by the media and the public as well as the financial implications, as huge costs are axed due to the major cuts which would mainly benefit the record label. With the developments of digital music and the internet this offers the artist a bigger chance of their music being accessed by a wider audience and once the album is recorded, the packaging, duplication and distribution of a digital file costs very little reproduce.

I think, inevitably consumer’s tastes will be affected in a positive way as we have the freedom to determine what styles of music we like and want to buy ourselves without our influences and opinions being shaped by the image of an artist or group designed and marketed by a major label. Particular performers and song contribute to forging a relationship between politics, cultural change and popular music and popular music has often acted as the as a powerful means of raising concerns about political issues. For example U2, whose music and lyrics are very much focused on political aspects. However, at the same time there is a tendency for such popular music forms to be marketed and watered down by the music industry.

The term ‘influential’ can almost take on the same historical meaning as ‘popular’. As popular is considered to be something which is liked by a certain scale of people, the term ‘influential’ can be decided by the listener who has the right to independently determine whether a style or genre of music is influential to that person or not, as music effects and touches everyone in different ways. If record labels ever fail to churn out new artists who are marketed to be aspired to, or influential to its market, then I believe the consumer audience will simply find their own influential music via internet music sites and popular addresses such as: ‘Myspace’ or ‘You-tube’ and most of all ‘Pandora’.

The use of the internet has opened the minds of people who may be socially unaware of other styles and genres from different cultural backgrounds which have merged wit本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。