Music blogs as a model of electronic Word of Mouth: The impact of new media on music consumption and sales.

Abstract

Today, music blogs and websites are playing a substantial role in discovering new talents, promoting them, and determining the future appreciation or unappreciation of their work. However, with the development of the online marketplace, the music community is facing numerous challenges in preventing music from being made available illegally. Additionally, although it may true that many bloggers and consumers may be infringing the copyright by publishing unlicensed music on their platforms, online media might nonetheless be a useful strategy to help artists and record labels promote the music and hence profit from higher revenues. Therefore, music blogs, websites, and social media should be considered as a valuable model of eWOM, which occurs when consumers share advice and information with each other about a product or a service, ultimately influencing other customers’ decision-making processes and the good’s future endorsement or disapproval. With the thesis, it has been investigated the relevance of websites and blogs as a valuable eWOM tool which are being increasingly integrated into the music industry as a prominent promotional strategy, contributing to the future appreciation or unappreciation of artistic works, eventually resulting in generating higher record sales and thus revenues. Finally, with the concrete example of the relationship between blogger Dr. Funkenberry and artist Prince Rogers Nelson, which has been addressed as the case study, it was analyzed Prince’s notorious ambivalence and protectiveness of his work. In conclusion, I argue that although music blogs and websites may present an easy strategy to share unlicensed music, on the other hand (and if used accurately and ethically), they may as well be a valid example of an eWOM communication tool that shall influence the music industry and audience and ultimately contributing to generating higher record sales and thus revenues.