Mock Exam - Rosie Rattray

To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied?

The digital distribution affects the marketing and consumption of music to a significant extent. For example the use of social networking sites to help promote new artists and music has appeared to increase. For example XFactor; the show itself has it's own Twitter account, website, Facebook and YouTube, all these means of communication are open to the public worldwide. Consumers are likely to use these sites to enable themselves to become up to date on the newest contestants or tracks, for example XFactor tend to release the artists cover of Sony's back-catalogue on iTunes for viewers and fans to access almost immediately. The process could not be possible without the digital aspect of distribution and marketing. 
However, digital means of communication means that the consumption of music is now becoming less and less traditional. Members of the public are choosing to download their music illegally from YouTube converter sites etc. 
Aswell as the downsides that digital distribution brings, there are also the positives regarding some minority artists such as Beck; Beck uses social networking, mostly his YouTube channel to create his music. Beck writes sheet music which is left open to the public for a small price, from which they can interpret his music in their own way, perhaps in feedback or response videos on their YouTube channel. This means of communication through community enables Beck to target a niche audience that is far more dedicated to his work. The sheet music only being legible and consumed by musically talented individuals enables Beck to interact with other musicians creating yet another community. This shows the positive side to digital distribution as it is bringing fans together not as individuals but as a community of people therefore creating his audience.  
The contrast between XFactor and Beck outlines both the positive and negative affects of digital distribution upon the consumption and marketing within the music industry. The points given demonstrate how the music industry has changed as the digital distribution continues to develop. This then illustrates to which extent both negative and positive they effect eachother.