The introduction of social media platforms such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube have created a cultural shift in the music industry with the artists embracing these platforms as a significant tool of enhancing their marketing mix. Consequently, the management of the celebrity image has become a daunting task and particularly in the sphere of the music sales and publicity. Precisely, the rise of the digital platforms has ushered a new trend whereby it has become more crucial about what the artists do regarding their ethics and actions than their actual art of music. Therefore, answering the question of whether internet users follow the artists for different reasons from their music has become increasingly imperative. The current study will seek to unravel whether the internet users are more concerned about the singers' personal life than their real art of music. Primarily, the study derived data from the peer-reviewed secondary sources with the findings revealing that today; the society has become more concerned about what the artists post on the digital realm regarding their personal life than their actual work of music. Therefore, the findings from the study will be useful for further research in this area and also in developing strategies aimed at combating the negative ramifications of the social media in the music sector.
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Technology/Social Media/Music
In the past decade, the music industry has experienced significant revolutionary changes associated with the expansion of technology accompanied by an escalated use of the social websites. Precisely, since the introduction of digital websites which includes Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Cyworld and Instagram, the sites have attracted millions of consumers who have incorporated them into their everyday practices (Duggan et al., 2015, p.14). Social media has led to an increased connection of users in a way that was not achievable initially and for this reason; the sites have entirely changed the manner in which individuals intermingle with each other. Although not intrinsically business, most musicians and artists ranging from the superstars to upcoming musicians have integrated the online platforms as a significant tool for enhancing their marketing mix and selling their music. That is, the singers have embraced the social media platforms to attain inspiration, create a large pool of fans, and also venture into new business activities. However, the phenomenal expansion of the social media is not without limitations and has negatively impacted the music industry. Use of online platforms has ushered in a new trend whereby, most people are following the artist's personality, ethics, and their lifestyles instead of pursuing their primary objective of the music. Precisely, the paradigm shift has become most common among the young audience who have developed an obsession of copying the lifestyle such as fashion and the personalities of the celebrities (Liu & Zhang 2017, p. 127). In this view, use of technology and online platforms has entirely lost the fundamental role of promoting the music industry and instead the users have embarked on unnecessary practices of following the musician’s personal life.
1.2 Objectives
The objectives of the study are based on three crucial aspects which include the following;
Ø To analyse the impacts of the social networking websites in the music industry.
Ø To assess whether it has become more significant about what the artists do regarding their ethics and action than their actual work of music.
Ø To evaluate whether the internet users follow the musicians online for reasons different from their music.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
The phenomenal expansion of the technology characterised by the increased use of social platforms reflects the paradigm change in the music industry today. The platform that practically did not exist before the Eighties is now among the critical sectors enormously impacting the music industry like never before (Dewan &Ramaprasad, 2014, p. 135). However, the use of the online platforms has not been without challenges as now most users are using the internet to follow the artist’s personal life thereby losing the primary role of promoting the music industry. However, regardless of the apparent evidence indicating that the practice detrimentally impacts the music industry, currently, many internet users including the artists are still unsure of the effects it has on the music career (Baym, 2013, p. 125). Music researchers have mainly studied the positive impacts of the social networking platforms in promoting the musician image and the marketing mix while there is little information about the negative implications of following the artist’s personal life. Thus, the study will seek to unravel on this subject by significantly analysing the impetus of this practice and justifying that most internet users follow the artists for reasons different from the music.
1.4 Purpose of the Research
The study focuses on providing comprehensive research that the music industry appears to lack. In this respect, the analysis will offer an insight into how social media has impacted the music sector as well as the artists whereby the users are now following the artists for different reasons from their work (Nedelcut, Leucuta&Dumitrascu, 2018, p. 70). Further, the study will aim at giving a robust description of the various social media networks and how the musicians and the fans are using them as an interaction platform. In this regard, the study will investigate the extent to which the expansion in the technology has revolutionized the music sector. Therefore, understanding the phenomena of the social media will play a pivotal role in creating a better relationship between the musicians and their fans.
1.5 The Significance of the Study
The results from the investigation will give an insight of the effects of the social media and technology in the music sector. As a result, it will equip the users as well as the artists with the knowledge essential for adapting to the changes in the music sector (Powlen&Ferrel, 2013, p. 93). Additionally, the knowledge attained from the analysis will enable the artists to develop strategies effective for encouraging the internet users to follow their music as opposed to following their lifestyles and personalities. The research will ultimately enhance the authenticity of the social media by maintaining the relevance of promoting the music industry. As such, the study will play a pivotal role in equipping more knowledge to the artists as well as their fans on how they can efficiently incorporate the social media platforms to enhance their music career
1.6 Research Hypothesis
The analysis will delve to establish the theoretical support for the study deduction that depicts that, it has become more critical about what the artists do than their actual art.
1.7 Research Questions
In an attempt to support the research theoretical supposition, the analysis will seek to unravel the probable response to the following research questions;
Ø Do we care about what the artists do than their actual art?
Ø Has it become more necessary about what the musician do than their actual art?
Ø How has social media and technology impacted the music industry?
Ø Do the internet users follow the artists on the social media for different reasons and acts than just for their music?
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
The significance of this part is to present a summary of the review that will form the secondary data which will offer a robust ground for the study. The study will analyse the views of other investigators and tailor them to meet the necessities of the research. Precisely, the chapter will give the opinion of the other researchers in an attempt to respond to the study questions and the objectives.
The introduction of social websites including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and MySpace, has revolutionized the music industry and particularly in the way the artists sell their creative works to the audience. Musicians have continued to incorporate the online space to acquire inspiration, interact with their fans and fellow musicians besides venturing into new economic activities (Duggan et al., 2015, p. 20). However, in the last decade there has been a cultural shift, and currently, most users are pursuing the artists on these platforms for para-social reasons. A study by Dewan and Ramaprasad (2014, p. 137) revealed that today, it has become more significant about what the artists do regarding their personality and ethics than their art of music. From the study, it is apparent that the social websites have triggered a cultural shift in the industry whereby people are now more concerned with the musician's personal life than the intended reason of music. In this respect, the authors put it rather clear that the practice has led to detrimental effects whereby the audience are lacking a comprehensive knowledge of the musical context.
According to Greenwood (2013, p. 22), the social media platforms have encouraged interpersonal interaction between the musicians and their fans and also the platform has allowed for surveillance. In this respect, the fans can now follow and scrutinise the materials that the celebrities post online. The article outlines that close to 70%percent of the YouTube downloads comprises of the videos with the aspects of the musician lives such as lifestyle, daily routines, and habits with only around 30% users downloading their music (Greenwood 2013, p. 22). In this regard, the practice has impacted the artist's career in a big way considering that music has been the primary pillar of revenue and economic advancement in the entertainment sector. The author further put forward the claim that the emergence of the plethora of digital platforms has plagued the industry whereby in the US, the music income has reduced by half over the last ten years. In this view, the cultural shift of following the artists on the digital platforms for reasons different from their work has not only impacted their career but instead, the practice has affected the entire industry.
In Marwick’s (2013, p. 111) view, most internet users follow the artists for different reasons and acts than just for their music. A study on young people living in Northern Ireland revealed that young people who are the primary consumers of the social media follow the musicians and other celebrities not for their music but rather because they want to be associated with the stars. Perrin, (2015, p. 64) puts forward a claim that it is human nature to be captivated by individuals whom the society perceives as glamorous. In retrospect, the increased use of digital platforms in the contemporary world has encouraged the practice whereby the community has conferred a higher status on the superstars. The results from the analysis propose that the phenomenon of following the artist's lifestyle has become a reality in the modern society to the extent that people and especially the young people are copying the lifestyle of the music personalities as portrayed in the mainstream media and the internet.
According to Liu and Zhang, (2017, p. 127) social media platforms have played a pivotal role in increasing the musician-fan interaction which has not only increased the opportunity of the artists to interact with their fans but also, it has boosted their musical sales. For this reason, prominent musicians whom the society had initially perceived as inaccessible are now freely interacting with their fans on the digital platforms while sharing their lifestyles in a less filtered manner. The study suggests that musicians who are mainly recognised for posting their personal lives on the social media have acquired a large pool of fans which has been significant in raising their sales volume. For instance, the prominent pop star Lady Gaga who is commonly recognised with her tendency of interacting with the fans online by sharing her personal life was able to acquire a large pool of audience, and by the year 2017, her musical sales had increased by 12% (Liu&Zhang, 2017, p. 127). Therefore, it is apparent that musicians in the contemporary have turned to use the trick of posting their everyday activities in the bid to boost their fan base which translates into an increase in sale volume.
In their analysis, Nedelcut, Leucuta, and Dumitrascu (2018, p. 71) point out that, the celebrities have heavily relied on the social media to acquire a large pool of audience by posting activities which their viewers may regard them as ethical. In this respect, the Columbian musician Shakira used this strategy to create a large base of fans by posting videos and pictures of her participating in the global development (Powlen&Ferrel, 2013, p. 93). Consequently, Shakira got high regard from the audience for focusing on the wellness of ordinary citizens and issues affecting individuals living in absolute poverty such as secondary and primary education. According to the available statistics, in the year 2017 Shakira was ranked as the top musician with close to 104 million Facebook followers (Perrin, 2015, p. 55). For this reason, the high number of followers has translated to an increase of her musical sale a significant boost of her music career.
Powlen and Ferrel (2013, p. 93) argue that the increased use of internet has resulted to a significant shift in the music industry whereby it has made it possible to restore the power in the hands of the artists and their audience. Notably, before the introduction of the digital platforms, the music labels had more control of the music that the artists made, but currently, the power has since then shifted to the hands of the artists and the musicians. In other words, the artists are now in a position of presenting their work to a broad array of consumers through online platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and MySpace. However, in their research, Kowalczyk and Pounders (2016, p. 349) noted that the type of material that the singers post on these platforms is a significant determinant of whether their music would sell. Approximately around 83% of the Americans have a Facebook account, and for this reason, it puts the artists in more control over their live shows promotion, music release, as well as the sales of their music (Nedelcut, Leucuta&Dumitrascu, 2018, p. 71).
2.2 Examples of celebrities who have incorporated the Social Media Successfully
A study by Chen & Hu (2015, p. 516) revealed that Taylor Swift is among the celebrities who have many followers in the social platforms. Precisely, she has 23.4 million supporters on Instagram around 54.2 million followers on Twitter (Duggan, 2015, p. 19). The main reason why she has had such a huge number of followers is that she makes her audience feel like they are friends with the celebrity. In this respect, Taylor Swift has embraced the social media by posting her everyday activities such that her fans can get a glimpse of her daily life. Having a celebrity tweeting their fans has become a new trend, and Taylor Swift is among the few celebrities who personally communicate with her fans. Thus, Taylor Swift has used the strategy to not only communicate directly with her fans but also to create brand loyalty which has significantly increased her sales.
Kelly Clarkson, the renowned American Idol winner, is another example of a musician who has effectively used the internet in sharing intimate moments with her audience. For instance, at one time she posted her wedding photos while kissing her husband at the wedding garden (Powlen&Ferrel, 2013, p. 93). The fans were able to get a more in-depth glimpse of their star meaningful moments which reflected the love of the musicians to her fans. Thus, Kelly Clarkson was able to achieve a large fan base thereby enhancing her sales.
In their analysis, Chen & Hu (2015, p 516) cited that the American musician Beyonce as an ideal example of a musician who has adequately incorporated the social networking platform to not only interacts with her fans but also in releasing of the new contents. The authors noted that at one instant, the singer took on her Instagram account to taunt concerning her new project which she termed as "Lemonade” (Duggan, 2015, p.19) Consequently, she was able to acquire more fans whereby she then debuted her work directly through a streaming platform Tidal. In light of this, it is evident that musicians can strategically use the online platforms to boost their work while keeping their audience engaged by carefully determining the type of material that they post on the social media.
2. 3 Gaps in the Literature Review
The impacts of digital platforms on the music industry have received many varying views from different researchers as apparent in the literature review. Nevertheless, the available research faces a significant pitfall whereby the authors failed to address some of the main issues on the subject.For instance, the investigators did not provide recommendations that would be necessary for combating the negative ramifications of the social media in the music sector. For this reason, it raises a plethora of question regarding the applicability of the current findings. Nevertheless, the result would be more meaningful if the authors had made effective proposals that would be applicable for future studies. In light of this, further research to evaluate the causes of the negative influence of social media on music sector is recommended to provide a robust analysis on the measures necessary to combat the negative implications of these platforms on the industry.
2.4 Conclusion
In the light of the literature review provided, the introduction of the social networking sites has brought a cultural change in the music sector and precisely in the manner by which the artists sell their creative work to the fans. Also, from the review, it is apparent that the sites have encouraged the interpersonal relationship between the artists and their fans whereby the fans can now scrutinise the materials that the celebrities post online. Celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson are among the few artists who have been able to use the social media successfully to acquire a large base of fans thereby boosting their career and musical sale. However, the current literature has not provided recommendations for combating the negative influence of the social media on music, and therefore there is the need for further research.
Chapter 3: Methodology
3.1 Introduction
The section delves into providing the methodology employed in the study in the bid to test the hypothesis as well as answering the research question. The analysis majorly relied on the secondary research to realise the objective of the study. In this case, the analysis data is derived from secondary sources of peer-reviewed articles which are in line with the research questions. The review points out that today most internet users follow the musicians online for reasons different from their music which translates that the society is more concerned about what the artists do than their actual art. Notably, the reviewed articles had adopted various methods of qualitative data gathering which includes online survey and questionnaire to collect the opinions of the musicians as well as the fans concerning the ramifications of social media on the music sector. In this respect, it is, therefore, justifiable to use the secondary sources since the qualitative study design adopted has comprehensively answered the research questions of the current study.
3.2 Adopted Research Methodology
The musicians and the audience views gathered from the peer-reviewed articles formed the central ground upon which the methodology of the current study is based. That is, the study relied on the opinions of the participants from the secondary sources to obtain information regarding the reasons why people follow musicians on the social media. In retrospect, the views from the subjects played a pivotal role in answering the research question as well as supporting the study supposition.
3.3 Adopted Research Design
The secondary sources integrated into this study had adopted the qualitative research design. Mainly, the researchers obtained data from these sources using the survey strategy. From the articles, both the musicians and their fans were interviewed concerning the subject under investigation. In this respect, the authors interviewed the artists on the implications of the social media on their music career while the fans were interviewed for the different reason why they follow the musicians online. Notably, the strategy is significant for this type of study since it ensures collection of information from a wide array of participants in an economical way (Salo, Lankinen&Mäntymäki, 2013, p. 41). Therefore, the method was effective in answering the study questions in the present analysis.
3.3 Secondary Sources: Article Analysis
The secondary data in this study is derived from the peer-reviewed articles which formed the ground of the qualitative analysis. Notably, to achieve the objective of the study, the articles have been carefully selected while ascertaining that they are relevant to the study aims. In retrospect, every documented research has been analysed independently, and the information obtained cautiously examined to arrive at the most extensively held conclusion (Walliman, 2017, p. 37). Thus, the secondary data collected from the primary research will be of significance in this study since it will play a crucial role in giving more insight regarding the phenomena under investigation.
3.4 Qualitative Analysis
The study primarily focused on secondary data derived from the articles that had incorporated the qualitative research technique. Fundamentally, the method is appropriate for this type of research since it allows for an in-depth understanding of the participants’ opinions as depicted from the reviewed sources (Verdam, Oort&Sprangers, 2013, p. 2670). Also, the technique is suitable because it permits the examination of the participants while maintaining minimal focus on the metrics of the statistics. For this reason, the method allows the researcher to concentrate on more helpful information that the participants give. During the study, the literature review was put into consideration to conduct the qualitative analysis effectively. In retrospect, the report cantered on the qualitative analysis whereby the documented articles closely related to the phenomena under investigation were scrutinised to answer the analysis inquiries.
3.5 The Strategy of Qualitative Analysis
The qualitative analysis in the study followed two main phases. In the initial stage, the existing research documents were critically analysed to ascertain their relevance to the study objectives. In the second step, the peer-reviewed articles were comprehensively scrutinised using the critical appraisal test and the widely held conclusion was determined to answer the study question in addition to supporting the theoretical assumption.
When searching for the article, the individual documents were considered based on their applicability to the study. Notably, a particular strategy was formulated and executed to ensure the credibility and the authenticity of the articles in providing the relevant information concerning the subject under investigation. In particular, the selection of the documented studies was therefore made with great care and diligence to allow for the interpretation of the research objectives.
3.6 The principle for the Choice of the Reviewed Articles
The article selected for the study were carefully scrutinised to ensure that they meet the expected standard. For instance, it was ascertained that the documented materials had conclusively evaluated the subject of the implication of technology use on music. Also, the articles were selected on the basis that they provided significant findings of the phenomena under investigation to allow for cross-linkage of data from the various sources.
3.7 The rationale for Using Qualitative Design
The qualitative methodology has been adopted in this research since there is the absence of elements in the study that could have necessitated statistical computation(Ritchie et al., 2013, p.347). It is notable that the investigation has heavily relied on the qualitative research derived from the pre-reviewed publications. However, if the analysis had incorporated the quantitative research design, the method would have compromised the integrity, authenticity, and the reliability of the study outcome.
Usually, the qualitative design allows the investigators to examine phenomena in a natural setting. In retrospect, the data obtained from this type of method is useful in describing the reasons for the specific relationship between variables (Walliman, 2017, p. 40). Mostly, a quantitative technique tends to overlook the instinctual personality of the individual's mind which often leads to prejudgment. However, the qualitative design ensures that there will be an assurance that the findings from this method will encompass a predictive quality. Therefore, once the qualitative data is collected from the secondary sources, an extensive analysis is conducted in the bid to repudiate or collaborate with the pre-existing ideology concerning the subject under investigation.
3.8 Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP)
Usually, the critical appraisal tool enables a researcher to systematically test the relevance as well as the reliability of the findings published in an article (Singh, 2013, p. 76). The assessment tool was mainly formulated to ascertain the significance of the theoretical ideologies of the qualitative research. In this study, the mechanism was incorporated to accurately assess the credibility of the study suppositions embodying the qualitative analysis. Notably, to evaluate the trustworthiness of the secondary data, the CASP tool applied ten inquiries which focused on four major concerns in the study (Singh, 2013, p. 86). In this case, the assessment tool focused on determining whether comprehensive and suitable approaches were adopted in the studies in addition to assessing the credibility of the findings regarding their presentation and applicability. Finally, the methodology used was put into consideration to determine whether they are meaningful to the current study.
The first two initials questions of the CASP forms the screening inquiries and are devised to establish the effectiveness of the pre-existing research. The first question focused on determining whether there was an apparent objective of the study and their applicability to the current research. On the other hand, the second inquiry attempted to establish the suitability of the qualitative methodology adopted. In this respect, to answer these two questions, the findings of the research were determined to prove whether the manner in which the investigators conducted their research is agreeable with the threshold of the qualitative methodology. Equally important, the CASP tool was employed to analyse the study more systematically concerning the primary elements that authentic research could incorporate (Verdam, Oort&Sprangers, p. 2668). Finally, using the critical appraisal tool, it was determined whether there was a trend of similarity between the observed results and the manner in which the outcomes were tabled.
Another significant step involved the assessment of the credibility of the research majorly by determining the association between the investigators and the participants. Majorly, the step scrutinised the manner in which the researchers conducted their inquiries as well as how they dealt with the changes that could have cropped up in the research design. Subsequently, there was the investigation of whether there were ethical considerations made before and during the research. In other words, the assessment sought to establish whether the investigators had acquired approval from the ethical review board. The data analysis was also scrutinised in the bid to detect any possible bias by determining whether the investigators had effectively described and presented the data into themes. Finally, the critical appraisal tool was incorporated to ascertain whether the study outlines the contribution of the findings as well as determining if further research is necessary.
3.9 Study Limitations
While the adoption of the secondary research is essential for further investigation, the method is not without pitfalls as the findings may encompass various demerits. For instance, the study proved to be tedious since the extra effort was necessary to ascertain the relevance and the credibility of the secondary sources (Verdam, Oort&Sprangers, 2013, p. 2671). External drawbacks associated with the cost involved were a significant limitation of the study, especially when accessing full reports in the quest to attain the entire material of the research.
Even though the use of qualitative design was perceived to be appropriate in this type of study, the technique had various flaws. The qualitative method is open to errors since it mainly relies on the skills of the investigator making it possible to yield more generalised results (Walliman, 2017, p. 42). In this respect, the results from the quantitative strategy to generate more accurate and predictable findings unlike those obtained from the qualitative analysis.
Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis
4.1 Introduction
The chapter will address the secondary research incorporated in addressing the research questions by the use of peer-reviewed journals that have a strong linkage with the research objectives. The selected journals and articles had been comprehensively assessed using the critical appraisal tool to ensure their reliability and credibility before adopting them as the secondary source. Ultimately, the outcome derived from the secondary sources will be used in addressing the research questions of the current analysis.
4.2 Results from the Secondary Research
The result derived from the secondary sources was incorporated in addressing the research questions based on the critical review analysis. In this case, it was found that, in the last ten years, the use of the social media has significantly revolutionised the music industry. For instance, from the study, it is apparent that the current generation is now more concerned with the ethics and the practice of the musicians and less concerned about their actual art. Therefore, for this reason, people are now pursuing the celebrities on the online platforms for reasons such as their lifestyles and daily activities than just for their music
4.2.1 Research Questions regarding the Critical Review Analysis
In accordance to the critical analysis of the documented publications incorporated in the study, it is apparent that the expansion of technology and in particular, the increased use of digital platforms has greatly revolutionised the music industry. Duggan (2015, p.17) attests that the cultural shift has triggered the music sector to narrow their interest in music personalities possessing a great mass appeal. As a result, the management of the artist's i
