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Alpha Stage
The Online Music Industry
January 17, 2007










The BBC is running an article entitled, “Digital Music Sees Sales
Double.”

The article begins, “Global digital music sales have almost doubled to
around $2bn (£1bn) in 2006, according to an industry report.” The
article continues, “But the rise, which represents 10% of all sales, has
not reached the music companies' ‘holy grail’ of offsetting the fall in
CD sales.”

According to the article, 30,000 law suits have been brought against
individuals accused of illegally sharing music files, online.

Read the article.


Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

  • Ask your students what their favorite song is. What do they
    like about these songs?
  • You might make a list of their favorite songs on the
    board. You could also ask them to draw a picture of
    something that their favorite song makes them think
    about.

  • Ask, Do you think it’s OK when people copy something that
    you are doing?
  • Help students understand that sometimes copy-catting
    can be seen as a compliment. But at times, people want
    to be unique.

  • Ask your students if they think that people can make money
    using music. Encourage them to explain how this can be done.

  • Do your students think that it’s important for people to share
    how they feel with other people? Why/why not?
  • With your students, consider who appropriate people to
    share feelings with might be.

Discussion-Starters for Older Students

  • Vocabulary Terms to Discuss: “Holy Grail”; Consumer;
    Transformation; and, Globally.

  • Ask your students to respond to the following comment.
    “People should be allowed to trade music, for free. After all, if
    somebody buys a song they should be able to give it to
    whomever they want to.” Encourage them to explain their
    thoughts.
  • This question could become the focus of a class debate.

  • Ask your students what they think music contributes to the
    culture of a society. Different forms of music date back to the
    beginning of human history, why is music so important?
  • Consider asking your students to make a pod-cast
    presentation in which they present samples from several
    different types of music and explain the music's
    contribution to society.

  • Tell your students to imagine that the top executives in the
    music industry approach them and ask for a suggestion as to
    how to prevent people from freely trading music online? What
    would they say? Why?
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