Project Rationale

Over time many different industries change in the way that the business is modelled, this can be due to new technological advancements or a change in social related factors. Simon Frith describes how recorded music began to lose its “wallet share” in the 1990’s.

“Key dates often cited in the digital period of the British record industry are 1999 when Napster was created, or 2001 when broadband arrived in the UK and peer-to-peer file- sharing began to take off in Britain.”

(Frith 2010)

When peer-to-peer file sharing was created, this began a huge decline in people’s disposable income devoted to buying recorded music, as it was easily accessed for free. However this created a huge rise in the live music sector of the industry with an abundance of new summer music festivals becoming available. 

“In 2008, consumer spending on live music is reported by several sources to overtake spending on recorded music in the UK”

(Frith 2010)

It is this rise in the live music industry that forms the rationale behind the proposed research project. With the rise in summer music festivals, of which some are broadcasted on television such as T In The Park and Rockness, and the availability of High Definition television, there is a need for a better audio experience to accompany these high quality visuals.

This project is based upon the fact that this need for a better audio experience can be achieved through 5.1 Surround Sound. The proposed project aims to investigate whether 5.1 arrays need to be applied during the process of recording music events or whether upmixing the stereo version achieves the same experience. The results of this project will determine whether promotion and recording companies need to go to the trouble of using expensive 5.1 microphone arrays or if they can give the general public the same experience in a much cheaper way and maintain using their current recording techniques.

Frith Simon. 2010.

Analysing Live Music in the UK: Findings One Year into a Three-Year Research Project

Edinburgh, UK