Chick 1

Taylor Chick Malcolm Campbell English 1102 2/12/13 Topic Proposal: Independent Music in the Digital Age Introduction/Overview For my Extended Inquiry Project, I will be examining how the internet has impacted independent artists, musicians, bands, and record labels. Often shortened to the term indie, independent music is produced separately from major commercial record labels. There is no doubt that the rise of the internet has completely changed how the music industry works. Its opened the door to allow artists to manage their careers in a way that works to their needs. Tom Silverman, CEO of Tommy Boy Records, once said: "Independent labels take nothing and make something out of it. Major labels buy that something, and try to make more out of it." Being a successful artist is hard work and being an independent artist is even harder. Bill Walker is a publisher and the owner of The Indie Times, a magazine dedicated to independent music news. He believes that the internet has made it easier to be a successful indie artist and opens the doors for more artists to pursue a career. Rachel Lears is a writer at In These Times, a non-profit magazine dedicated to the social movements of todays society. She argues that the internet is destroying independent music because the difference between 'mainstream' and 'indie' music has almost disappeared due to over-exposure. I want to find out exactly how and why the independent music platform has changed within the digital age. I want to know if the pros outweigh the cons, or vice versa.

Chick 2

My preliminary research is not very abundant due to my last minute switch of topic. I was listening to Spotify while writing my original topic proposal when I got struck with the idea of this new subject. From what Ive skimmed on the internet so far, there seems to be two polar opposite sides of the issue with a lot of grey in between. Ive obtained the majority of my preliminary research from the two publications noted in the above paragraph. I am already in contact with a handful of independent artists who are successful at local, national, and world-wide levels. I plan on interviewing them to gain an insight into the issue from the artists perspective. I am hoping they can also put me in contact with some independent label owners. Ive also met several Charlotte radioshow hosts that focus on new and unknown music. It may turn out to be irrelevant, but I think it will be interesting to get their perspectives, as they have had a front row seat to observe the change of music over the years.

This topic is very complex because the internet has reached out and impacted every nook and cranny in the world of independent music. This includes the invention of mp3s and sites like iTunes; royalty issues with music streaming sites like Pandora and Spotify; the issue of piracy and illegally downloaded material; creating a fan base using social networks; and the interaction between music and YouTube. I have no doubt theres plenty of information out there for me to access, I just have to do some extra digging.

Initial Inquiry Question(s) My initial inquiry question is: How has the internet changed the music industry for the independent artist?

My Interest in this Topic Im interested in this topic simply because I love music. I have an admiration for the singer/songwriter genre, which is music that is both written and performed by the artist

Chick 3

themselves. Most independent artists are a part of this singer/songwriter genre. I feel like its truly authentic for an artist to sing songs theyve actually written themselves. Surprisingly, many popular artists today rarely (or never) write their own songs. I love going to concerts and interacting with the singers and musicians, and helping them share their message to people who havent heard of them before. I learn about new music and come in contact with bands mostly through the internet so I would like to explore that. Im already in contact with artists and have experience being the consumer and listener. I would like to learn about how exactly the internet has changed things and what challenges it brings forth.

Next Steps My next step is to generate a series of sub-questions to polish off my initial inquiry question. From there I will get a good idea as to where Im heading with this paper. I have a feeling most of my research will be found on the internet and in magazines or newspapers. Since the indie movement has not been in the mainstream until recently, I dont think I will find many books on the topic. I would also like to see if any studies have been done that concern my topic, perhaps done by any universities or experts in the field