My last paper for university
guess what it's about. yep.
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Alex Bishop
4/24/2008
MUSU601 Final Paper
The Future of the Dubstep Industry
This essay will focus on my view of the future of the dubstep industry. Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that is based in the United Kingdom, specifically London, and is relatively new, with the first dubstep record labels having their first releases around 2004. Since its inception, and especially in the last two years, it has grown in popularity on an exponential and worldwide scale, largely due to its outlets on the Internet, specifically online forums, MySpace, and Internet radio stations. Its widespread popularity first expanded through the UK and Europe, and soon on to many parts of the USA, Australia, Japan, and many other major cities in the world, with club nights devoted to the genre often established in each. Furthermore, the amount of independent dubstep record labels has equally multiplied due to its increased demand and relatively low startup costs, with many producers operating their own labels to release their own productions (and others) under their own chosen method and aesthetic.
From having done my last co-op in London co-running one of the original and biggest dubstep record labels, Hotflush Recordings, and being involved in the scene as a DJ, in my opinion the future of the dubstep industry is looking positive. However it will continue to sustain some “growing pains” as it continues to gain popularity as an electronic dance music genre. The established labels will continue to release tracks under high quality control due to their solid roster of artists and positive reputation, which will allow them to remain at the top of the scene, with continued press coverage and fan support. However, the “second wave” of labels run by either fans or less-talented producers who were attracted to dubstep from other genres of electronic music, will continue to pop up and their level of quality control will continue to stagnate.
Another reason for this “second wave” of labels is dubstep’s attractiveness in terms of buzz. Many record distributors have been and will continue to be open to taking on new labels simply because they know dubstep records will move units, and not necessarily because of the music’s quality. However, I feel that this won’t hurt the industry, because consumers do have a discerning ear, and will seek out and appreciate quality music. The label’s sales will accurately reflect this, and the “second-rate” labels will not last in the long run. The genre’s spreading popularity over new parts of the world will eventually lead to increased sales in quality-controlled labels, which will allow them to continue and expand their operations. A good example of this is Ammunition Ltd, a business entity largely involved in dubstep in London, who altogether runs Rinse FM, an online and “pirate” radio station broadcasting dubstep and other UK garage music; Tempa, the largest and most successful dubstep record label; and “FWD>>”, a dubstep booking agency and club night. For the last few years they have been able to launch largely successful London dubstep nights well beyond their normal weekly nights’ capacity, releasing new series’ of DJ mix CD’s, and other business expansions.
Another aspect that should be noted is the shift towards digital mediums. As with most popular electronic dance music, most of its content it has traditionally been released on vinyl, intended for DJs and fans who own turntables. In the last two years or so there has been a shift towards more releases on CD format via artist albums and DJ mix CD’s, as well as new “digital-only” labels with EP-sized releases of two or three tracks that are available only for sale on iTunes, Beatport and other digital music store websites. This shift towards digital formats, while not accepted by all players in the scene (who still swear by vinyl), has been embraced by many DJs and consumers alike, who either can’t afford or can’t find the vinyl releases that often have small initial pressing runs of 500-1000 units. This shift has also inevitably led to online file sharing. While many see this is as being detrimental to the genre because of copyright violation and lost potential sales, I believe overall it still serves to help spread it and can be seen as self-sufficient viral marketing that will benefit the industry, provided the high value for vinyl remains, and file-sharing stays at a small portion of overall dubstep music consumption.
Additionally, in the future I believe there will be more licensing deals and more uses in films and television. While dubstep tracks have been used in a couple of selected major films, it has potential far beyond minor usage, and I believe this will happen once the sound and the genre is exposed to a wider audience to realize its potential, especially in California where many filmmakers reside.
In conclusion, the future of the dubstep industry is looking very positive. Though it has done well in the five years of its existence as a music genre, largely thanks to its attractiveness as a diverse and unique-sounding dance music that is unlike what many music consumers have heard before, and its ease of spreading over the Internet, establishing a new genre is a slow process, and expansion into real market success has yet to occur. While I don’t believe it holds large potential in any sort of major-label, billboard-topping genre, within the dance music industry it will most definitely continue to turn heads and establish itself as a popular electronic genre around the world, with growing popularity in markets in North & South America, Europe, and Asia.
==========
Alex Bishop
4/24/2008
MUSU601 Final Paper
The Future of the Dubstep Industry
This essay will focus on my view of the future of the dubstep industry. Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that is based in the United Kingdom, specifically London, and is relatively new, with the first dubstep record labels having their first releases around 2004. Since its inception, and especially in the last two years, it has grown in popularity on an exponential and worldwide scale, largely due to its outlets on the Internet, specifically online forums, MySpace, and Internet radio stations. Its widespread popularity first expanded through the UK and Europe, and soon on to many parts of the USA, Australia, Japan, and many other major cities in the world, with club nights devoted to the genre often established in each. Furthermore, the amount of independent dubstep record labels has equally multiplied due to its increased demand and relatively low startup costs, with many producers operating their own labels to release their own productions (and others) under their own chosen method and aesthetic.
From having done my last co-op in London co-running one of the original and biggest dubstep record labels, Hotflush Recordings, and being involved in the scene as a DJ, in my opinion the future of the dubstep industry is looking positive. However it will continue to sustain some “growing pains” as it continues to gain popularity as an electronic dance music genre. The established labels will continue to release tracks under high quality control due to their solid roster of artists and positive reputation, which will allow them to remain at the top of the scene, with continued press coverage and fan support. However, the “second wave” of labels run by either fans or less-talented producers who were attracted to dubstep from other genres of electronic music, will continue to pop up and their level of quality control will continue to stagnate.
Another reason for this “second wave” of labels is dubstep’s attractiveness in terms of buzz. Many record distributors have been and will continue to be open to taking on new labels simply because they know dubstep records will move units, and not necessarily because of the music’s quality. However, I feel that this won’t hurt the industry, because consumers do have a discerning ear, and will seek out and appreciate quality music. The label’s sales will accurately reflect this, and the “second-rate” labels will not last in the long run. The genre’s spreading popularity over new parts of the world will eventually lead to increased sales in quality-controlled labels, which will allow them to continue and expand their operations. A good example of this is Ammunition Ltd, a business entity largely involved in dubstep in London, who altogether runs Rinse FM, an online and “pirate” radio station broadcasting dubstep and other UK garage music; Tempa, the largest and most successful dubstep record label; and “FWD>>”, a dubstep booking agency and club night. For the last few years they have been able to launch largely successful London dubstep nights well beyond their normal weekly nights’ capacity, releasing new series’ of DJ mix CD’s, and other business expansions.
Another aspect that should be noted is the shift towards digital mediums. As with most popular electronic dance music, most of its content it has traditionally been released on vinyl, intended for DJs and fans who own turntables. In the last two years or so there has been a shift towards more releases on CD format via artist albums and DJ mix CD’s, as well as new “digital-only” labels with EP-sized releases of two or three tracks that are available only for sale on iTunes, Beatport and other digital music store websites. This shift towards digital formats, while not accepted by all players in the scene (who still swear by vinyl), has been embraced by many DJs and consumers alike, who either can’t afford or can’t find the vinyl releases that often have small initial pressing runs of 500-1000 units. This shift has also inevitably led to online file sharing. While many see this is as being detrimental to the genre because of copyright violation and lost potential sales, I believe overall it still serves to help spread it and can be seen as self-sufficient viral marketing that will benefit the industry, provided the high value for vinyl remains, and file-sharing stays at a small portion of overall dubstep music consumption.
Additionally, in the future I believe there will be more licensing deals and more uses in films and television. While dubstep tracks have been used in a couple of selected major films, it has potential far beyond minor usage, and I believe this will happen once the sound and the genre is exposed to a wider audience to realize its potential, especially in California where many filmmakers reside.
In conclusion, the future of the dubstep industry is looking very positive. Though it has done well in the five years of its existence as a music genre, largely thanks to its attractiveness as a diverse and unique-sounding dance music that is unlike what many music consumers have heard before, and its ease of spreading over the Internet, establishing a new genre is a slow process, and expansion into real market success has yet to occur. While I don’t believe it holds large potential in any sort of major-label, billboard-topping genre, within the dance music industry it will most definitely continue to turn heads and establish itself as a popular electronic genre around the world, with growing popularity in markets in North & South America, Europe, and Asia.