Researching the Music Industry

The music industry primarily sells compositions, recordings and performances of music. This can take the form of Cd's, records, tickets to live performances, online downloading and television music videos. This industry generates an estimated $40 billion a year, as well as providing countless jobs including performers, music publishers, engineers, booking agents, promoters, journalists, educators, manufacturers, talent managers and many more.

But how did it all start?

Music has always been a thing of excitement, entertainment and great interest across the world. In early years, music was popularly used as a means of spiritual exploration and expressing yourself. That, in essence, has not changed however the meaning behind music has often changed and been distorted.

One example of how music in the past was used to express belief and emotion was blues music in the slave trade. In 1517, the trans-Atlantic slave trade began. This soon became a large business globally. Out of the 35-40 million Africans captured onto slave ships only an estimated 15 million made it to America. Their African heritage was taken away from them, yet many found music as a means of expressing their sorrow and communicating with one another. Thus, Blues music was formed and it remains today as a symbol of how tragic and devastating slavery was to millions of people.