Games and Music!!!

In my opinion the most creative industries ever!. Music is an industry that has lived practically since the beginning of times and has evolved in some many different ways and so many different styles and is still going.The game industry is really a new industry, if compared to the music industry or any other industry. Since computers and console were invented and available to the public, technological games were born and since then this 2 industries had been linked together. who can't remember the Mario bros. soundtrack!! and now we can actually play an instruments in games like Guitar Hero .

This fields are mostly based, on technological advances, this is why I think convergence will affect them in a positive way, making them even bigger then already are and even more accessible and more interactive with the public.

Sources:

youtube

Major and Independent record labels, The Same?

Well yes. the fact is that most or probably all "independent" record labels in the UK belong to a larger or better known as "major" record label. in the UK are Four Major and highly internationally known "major" labels. which are:

EMI Records: Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol, Capitol Latin, Capitol Nashville, EMI Classics, EMI CMG, EMI Records, EMI Records Nashville, Manhattan, Mute, Parlophone and Virgin

Warner: Asylum, Atlantic, Bad Boy, Cordless, East West, Elektra, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word.

SONY Music Entertainment UK: Jive, Zomba, J Records, 1965 Recordings, Syco Entertainment and Phonogenic.

Universal Music Group: Universal Music UK, , Geffens records, Island Def Jam Music Group,Mercury Records, Decca music group, Island records, Interscope Records,

Convergence

Which traditional media are bound to disappear or transform due to convergence? why?

media convergence is the technology that puts together different media channels. For a long time different media were distributed separately : broadcast TV, broadcast radio, newspapers, magazines, video and film, recorded music etc.. The internet and other digital methods of distribution have changed this. Nowadays, a digital connection can carry any type of content. making it more accessible from where ever you are.

Will the convergence make London an even more multicultural and creative city?

For so many years the Big city of London has been a multicultural and creative city and always will be. so many people from different cultures with some many great ideas come here that is practically impossible not to think about it as a creative industry. the best part of this is that even if London gets more multicultural, in my opinion, it will not loose its identity. Bottom line is that Convergence makes the city even more accessible than already is.

Will convergence make the creative and the cultural industry more diverse or will it encourage segregation?

Convergence makes more easy to accessed any information from wherever you are,and in my opinion it will definitely not encourage segregation. in any case it will encourage the creative and the cultural industry making it even more versatile.

Source:

Wikipedia

The Beatles

The Beatles were, and still are, the most highly recognized music band in the history of pop music in the UK. formed in Liverpool, England in 1957. at the beginning the group was formed by John Lennon with some of his friends from high school and they called themselves "The Quarrymen". later on Paul McCartney join the band as one of the guitarist, McCartney invited George Harrison to see the band preform, and then he join the band as the lead guitar. in 1960 all Lennon's high school friends were gone. At this point the group had 3 guitarist, one bass player (Stuart Sutcliffe Lennon's classmate) and temporary drummers and they changed the name of the band several times till they decided for The Beatles.

Allan Williams was the unofficial manager of the band, he organized a performance in Hamburg, so before this trip they needed to find a permanent drummer, so Peter Best join the band.

The band got huge reputation between Liverpool and Hamburg. In 1961 Sutcliffe leave the band and a year later Ringo Starr join the band to replace Best.

The Beatles gain huge success in the UK in the late 1962 with their first single "love me do". In the wake of the moderate success of "Love Me Do", "Please Please Me" met with a more emphatic reception, reaching number two in the UK singles chart after its January 1963 release.

The Beatles had many success between those success we can see:

Please Please Me (1963)

With The Beatles (1963)

A Hard Day's Night (1964)

Beatles for Sale (1964)

Help! (1965)

Rubber Soul (1965)

Revolver (1966)

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

The Beatles (aka White Album) (1968)

Yellow Submarine (1969)

Abbey Road (1969)

Let It Be (1970)

"Let it Be" was their last album together, then they all went in separate ways. each of them got a successful musical career. unfortunately in 1980 Lennon was shot and killed by a fan. and in 2001 Harrison was victim of cancer. McCartney and Starr are still around.

Source:

Wikipedia

Regulatory Bodies

The music industry is mostly a self regulated organisation. But just as any other industry it has to have regulators to protect all the people involve in the production and realisation of a song, cd, a concert etc (copyright, trade, music representation). The most important are: BASCA, APRS, MPA, PRS, BPI and OFCOM. Although all this companies have different aims the vision is the same, keep the music industry alive. However the fact that technology is evolving so fast, makes it even harder for them to protect every single detail.

The internet, Is the most used media in the world, but some times that is not a good thing. Sometimes songs come out to the public long before the official release prejudicing the sales.

They are too many variables in the equation to get a single solution for all of it. And is not only in the music industry, another example is the film industry, and I have to say that they are the most affected ought to piracy.

Helpful Research Links

BPI
Since 1973, The BPI is the representative voice of the UK recorded music business. A trade organisation with major record labels and hundreds of independent music companies.

Music Week

An online magazine with the latest news and several facts. need to subscribe to have complete access.

Joules Productions

This is a production company. they write, produce, and sound engineer tracks for chart success in different styles, although they specialize in rock, pop, R&B, hip-hop, dance/ house, soul, etc.

UK music

To find out the latest policies, news, events and education this is the perfect site.

Soundrights

If you have any questions on how to begin in the music industry, or looking up for facts in the music business, this site is a good place to start.

Musicians Union

The Musicians’ Union is an organisation respected around the world As well as negotiating on behalf of musicians with all the major employers in the industry, the MU offers a range of services tailored for the self-employed by providing assistance for full and part time professional and student musicians of all ages.

Basic Facts of Interest

The music industry is at the sharp edge of technological development and has to be at the forefront of finding new ways to exploit technology to keep making money. The UK has a vibrant live music scene. In 2004 the live music forum was set up to take forward the government commitment to maximizing opportunities in performing and promoting live music. every year nearly 5 billion pounds are being contributed to the UK economy, this may be because more than 130,000 people work in the music industry in the UK and for being the 3rd largest market in the music industry in in the world. As well, £332 million was recently invested in music education to ensure all young people have the opportunity to access, learn and play music.

Source: Enterprise UK