How Music Streaming Has Impacted My Life

In my previous two blog posts, I discussed my timeline with music streaming services and the growth the services within the industry have enjoyed. I first emphasized my transition from platform to platform, listing the pros and cons of each service, and then highlighted how successful music streaming has become. For blog number three, my final post, I want to share how significant the role music streaming has played on my own personal life.

My first internship in the music industry, which occurred in the summer of 2014, following my freshman year of college, was at a small record label based in New York City. While the company primarily focused on licensing old music for sampling purposes, the team had just formulated a new group that was tasked with a specific emphasis on EDM (Electronic Dance Music). My role was to discover new up-and-coming talent that the label could work with. As an A&R (Artists and Repertoire) Intern, my job was truly to act as a music scout. I would listen to music and attend concerts, all in an attempt to discover the next hottest sound. My main technology source that I utilized to find new dance music artists was SoundCloud. As I mentioned in my first blog, SoundCloud was the first streaming service that I used (junior year of high school), and therefore I had a strong understanding and confidence in the platform. Leveraging my previous knowledge, and putting the information to good use, I excelled in my internship. Knowing how to analyze the data, and understanding the ins and outs of the platform, as well as creating my own organization system that could be used going forward, allowed me to produce efficient and sustainable research which made a lasting impact on my supervisor.

Upon the completion of my first internship in the music space, I knew that this was the field I wanted to work in. Following my role in A&R, and in an effort to expand my knowledge base, I spent the next summer working at NBCUniversal within Integrated Marketing. Although the role was not exclusively music driven, I made it my mission to integrate my background and skill set in music to succeed throughout my internship. At the end of the summer, I was tasked with pitching a new concept to my team at the USA Network. My assignment was open-ended but it had to incorporate USA Network programming. Wanting to combine my passion for music, with the project, I focused on branding opportunities with streaming platforms. The crux of my presentation highlighted the benefits USA Network could gain by working with Beats Music (which merged with Apple Music in 2015). Ultimately the network is constantly looking for ways to expand the connectivity with its audience. I explained that the consumer engagement could be achieved if the network incorporated a streaming platform, as well as working with a music electronics company. It could allow for product placement featuring Beats headphones or speakers, and have fans and characters from the shows create playlists together.

This past summer, I worked at a booking agency in Los Angeles. My goal was to learn what it takes to be an agent. The knowledge I acquired was immediately put to use as the Talent Buyer for Big Ticket Productions at the University of Michigan, where I am responsible for putting on concerts for students in Ann Arbor. Besides learning the booking process in my summer job, I also was required to analyze trends in the current music space. Understanding that each streaming platform has its own unique offering, each differentiating and solving customers’ problems (Angell, 2016), I utilized several services to provide an overview on different artists, genres, and songs. Below please find a picture of something similar (not identical) to what I presented during my internship.

Overall, music streaming has had a major impact on my life. It has allowed me to succeed throughout my diverse internships and understand the industry in-depth. Not only has it affected me through work experience, but as an overall consumer, the immediate access has helped me digest music on a deeper and more fluid level. As an avid music listener, streaming has really made me appreciate the benefits of new technology. I believe music streaming services have deepened my appreciation and connectivity to music. Additionally, many leading experts, including Daniel EK, CEO of Spotify, think the music industry would be dead without his creation and the growth of streaming (Hassan, 2016). A very scary thought. 

Citations:

Angell, A. (2016, January 18). CB Chapter 2 Value. Lecture presented at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. 

Hassan, C. (2016, February 17). Spotify CEO Claims the Music Industry Would Be Dead Without Spotify. Retrieved from http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/02/17/71963/