Internal

assessment
v

NAME: ANANYA JHA

CLASS: X-A
ROLL NO. – 24
 CRITERIAs
Criterion B: Investigating
(ii) Formulate and follow an action plan to investigate a research
question
(iii)Use research methods to collect and record appropriate, varied, and
relevant information

Criterion C: Communicating
(iii) document sources of information using a recognised convention.

Criterion D: Thinking critically

(ii) Synthesise information to make valid, well-supported arguments
(iii) Analyse and evaluate a wide range of sources/data in terms of origin
and purpose, examining values and limitations
TASK:

Geet has always heard that her father during the 1990s’ was a very
prosperous businessperson. He was very fond of music and had the
biggest music cassette shop in town. She was small when her father’s
business was thriving. Many cassette sellers started running into huge
losses as we entered the 21st century. Geet’s father was also one of
those who started making losses and eventually, his shop got closed.
You have read about industries and how they have changed in the past
few decades. In the context of the music industry, investigate why her
father’s fortune waned.
You can provide a write-up or a report to justify your research.
INTRODUCTION:
”The only constant in life is change.”
In the name of progress the human world has entirely changed itself. When looking
back through the centuries, the 19th century has marked the beginning of “modern”
world. Yet it was in the 21st century that these dreams took off.
Over the course of the late 19th century and the early 21st century, the industrial
world has undergone technological advancements and digitalization.
The economic world had also been revolutionized, as globalization spread and the
world became interconnected. Markets expanded and competition increased. New
inventions paved way for newer possibilities and a horizon free age of prosperity
but it also obstructed the path of aged and older ways.
What came soon went away sooner as new things were flooding the markets. In
this age of booming markets and thriving developments, those who stayed with the
old ways remained rooted in the land of time. Similar to story of Geeta’s father
was the story of many Indians who owned prospering business houses whose
profits were waned by the ever evolving world’s progress.
This report gives an comprehensive reasoning to the dwindling profits of music
cassette shop owner and other business man whose prospering business were
crushed under the fast paced globalization.

Investigation plan:
The investigation aims to provide a short and comprehensive reasoning for the
decline in profits of local vendors/ small scale music cassette vendors due to
revolution of the music industry (taking Geeta’s case as the reference.). It also
explores the role of ICT in altering the production, consumption pattern for music.
To obtain the data required for the research reports, I wish to use authentic and
ethical resources. I also wish to have a primary source of information through
someone’s account or a case study.
After obtain all the required data I wish to make notes from each and compile them
into a comprehensive report.
The following is a list or classification of my resources for the IA:
SECONMDARY SOURCES
 Articles on globalization in the markets.
 Reports and articles on technological advancements and digitalization.
 Evolution of music industry and the impact of digitalization on it.
 Online articles related to the topic.
PRIMARY SOURCES
.
 Online available case studies and anecdotes of people form 1990s.

SOURCES
https://script-ed.org/article/digitalisation-and-intermediaries-in-the-music-
industry-the-rise-of-the-entrepreneur/
https://www.tbsnews.net/feature/panorama/nostalgia-cassettes-107518
https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/economy/story/19910115-as-music-
market-expands-rapidly-india-becomes-one-of-the-largest-producers-of-
cassettes-813888-1991-01-14
https://www.tdk.com/en/tech-mag/past-present-future-tech/analog-to-
digital
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_liberalisation_in_India
https://testbook.com/ias-preparation/nep-1991
https://online.suu.edu/degrees/arts-communications/master-music-
technology/tech-impact-music-industry/
https://aaft.com/blog/music/the-impact-of-technology-on-the-music-
industry/
 Evolution of the music
industry
The revolution alluded in the introduction in the context of the music industry does
not lose its colossal. Specifically speaking over the past three decades (1990-2020),
it has undergone many significant changes. These changes are characterized by the
shift in the way music was produced and the way in which it was consumed by the
public. Over the three decades consumer behavior has also changed. The economic
insurrection had allowed foreign music makers to come into the play hence by the
second decade foreign signers had come into the market (globalization).
Change in policies of the government had also made a huge impact on them as it
made the process faster. For example the NEP had introduced in India a shift
towards liberalization, globalization and privatization reforming the consumer
behavior. The growth in the ICT sector also contributes to the shift of consumerism
from old music forms (cassettes and radios) to digital forms (MP3, CDs, Vinyl
etc.)
The following pointers talk in detain about the impact of these factors of the
evolution of the music industry.

 CHANGE FROM PHYSICAL FORM TO DIGITAL

FORMS-
As decades transformed, media industry transcended form physical hardcopies
to digital forms. In 1990s cassettes dominated the Indian markets. Later on as
technology advanced theses were replaced by compact discs and vinyl records
which were in turn replaced by digital music.
The years 1980 - 1990 were the era for physical form of music. From the people
of theses era we note that people used to wait beside radio for their favorite
song to play and once gone it was gone. Music was primarily shared through
shops and retail seller who sold CDs, Cassettes and Vinyl records.
But with the emergence of Digital or E-music in the decades 1991-2010, theses
form of physical music went extinct from the markets. The key development
during this period- MP3 formats which allowed music to be able to share from
peer to peer and saved by a person individually without a loss in quality. Also
the culture of personal music purchase and downloads revolutionized the
markets.
Yet the way in which the music is used today is still different, in the decade of
2010-2020, there was a rise in the number and types of streaming platforms.
Platforms like Spotify (launched in 2008), Apple Music, and YouTube offered
on-demand music streaming as per the choice of the listener, allowing users to
access millions of songs instantly without downloading or owning them for free
in just a click. The feature of cloud storage enabled users to store a large
number of songs in compressed form without a change in quality.

Overtime the three decades saw a drastic transformation in the production and
consumption of music.

 CHANGE IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR-

Over the years as new inventions were made the behavior of the consumer also
changed. Technological advancements, cultural shifts and globalization have
crafted the landscape of the music industry to what we see today.
Previously people used to own physical media and cassettes but now with the
huge demand and time efficient world; these were too much of a hassle and
hence rose E-music. The music cassettes libraries melted to streaming platforms
such as Spotify and Jio Music. The convenience and affordability of these
options outweighed the vintage records.
The accessibility of the music for free was also a factor that crafted the shift of
consumer from physical form of music to the digital form. The widespread
internet and access to smart phones and computer made music accessible to
anyone fr0o free without needing to purchase or borrow songs in tapes.
Now as the consumer had shifted from physical forms of music to digital forms,
the market of physical media declined in the process, the cassettes, CDs and
Vinyl records became rare and rarer and vintage.
  THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICY (NEP, 1991):
The New Economic Policy of the 1991 was a landmark in the Indian economics. IT
had reshaped the Indian markets and spurred growth. It had introduced
liberalization, Privatization and globalization in the Indian history. It had varied
impacts on various members or levels of business chains in Indian. Similar to
Geets father, many other business men profits also waned.

THE IMPACT OF LIBERALIZATION ON MUSIC INDUSTRY:

The NEP 1919 had removed restrictions on trade. This allowed foreign companies
to flood the markets of India. New foreign products entered the markets and
offered high quality for cheap prices competing with the local vendors and
industries.
Also as imported items came, consumer began favoring the foreign products over
swadeshi items and hence eroded the consumer base of the local vendors.

THE IMPACT OF PRIVATIZATION ON MUSIC INDUSTRY:

The NEP, 1991, had reduced government control over industries. It had also
allowed private enterprises to flourish. Mass production and cheap rates provided
tough competition to the local sellers.
As private companies grew they started to dominate the Markets, T-series etc. Like
business giants tool over the music production and distribution. The local shop
owners who sold the domestic products were marginalized from this race.

THE IMPACT OF GLOBALIIZATION ON MUSIC INDUSTRY:

Globalization was a key pillar of the NEP 1991. It had joined India to the global
economy. But it wasn’t just limited to that.
Globalization had played a pivotal role in evolving the market demands. It had
shifted the music tastes of the people from domestic singers to new foreign artists.
It also introduced new music giants like Sony music, MTV to Indian markets
which in turn introduced digital music formats in India, reducing the reliance on
Cassettes, CDs etc.
Competition increased and vendors like Geet’s father not only had to compete
nationally but internationally too. The domestic music lost its significance as
global music came into the markets.

 THE growth of ict:

The growth of ICT sector has revolutionized music in terms of production,

distribution and consumption.

- DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION:

ICT has drastically changed how music is distributed; it was growth in this sector
had music shifted from physical forms to digital forms.

- Through development of online music stores like iTunes (2003) artist

were able to record and sell music online and the music sold was in the
soft form. The digital tracks were compact, cheap and didn’t degenerate
over time. They also made music more accessible and cheap.

- The development of streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music

etc. Now music didn’t need to be bought but could be accessed for free.
With the widespread internet and computer, MP3 audios or MP4 videos
could be downloaded and saved in cloud storage. On these platforms
millions of tracks were available and hence a person could listen to any
song in a moment.
- The online tracks could be shared overseas and hence with the surging
interconnected world, music evolved and connected the whole world.
 CONCLUSION
From the report on the evolution of music industry in India between 1990 and
2020, we see that it was a variety of factors. The significant changes included-
- Shift from physical to digital modes.
- Online streaming
- Globalization and libe4ralization of music
All these changes were caused due to 6the NEP 1991 and growth in ICT. While
these three decades saw the economic boom in Indian markets, local vendors and
domestic businesses started to dwindle. Similar to the story of Geets father, as that
of many other business men and now we understand why it was so.
From the major changes occurred we can draw the following impact on the
local vendors:
-- Decline in the demand of cassettes and CDs which caused a decline
in sales and profits.
-- The competition that cassettes shop owners as well as music
producers in India faced from overseas crushed them.
-- Vendors which weren’t able to adapt to the fast paced technology
lost their business’s prosperity.
-- Due to reduced profits vendors had to shut down businesses and
face financial challenges.

The following page gives an action plan on what we can do to revive the
physical formats of music and support the local vendors.
 Action plan
We can carry out various initiatives to support local vendors which can
involve the following steps:
-help local vendors adapt to digitalization in the markets. We can also
help them digitalize their inventory and introduce online selling to them.
- By using platforms like Instagram and Twitter we can spread
awareness about these vendors online. People interested in collecting vintage
things from there will surely contact them.
- Also by leveraging Social media we can create trends in which people
will collect regional or vintage music.
- At cultural fests or music festival we can have a section for such form of
music and promote it.
-Government can also introduce policies to safeguard local vendors and
protect regional and vintage music forms.
 -

Thank
you!