-149- jpc.mcmaster.ca Journal of Professional Communication The digitization of music and the accessibility of the artist Marius Carboni ★ University of Hertfordshire (United Kingdom) A r t i c l e i n f o A b s t r A c t Article Type: Research Article Article History: Received: 2014-01-15 Revised: 2014-04-22 Accepted: 2014-04-24 Keywords: Digital music Filesharing Music distribution Music technology This article uses case studies to explore two ways in which technology can impact on artist production. First, technological innovations could facilitate many things that are not new by rather making existing processes better or cheaper in ways that might alter the situation meaningfully. Second, technology can change art through the more profound revision of the role of artist and art-perceiver (Fineberg, 2006). This article examines several examples of how the music industry has been impacted by new technology: Radiohead Rainbows, slicethepie.com, Dit- to Music, Music Rainbow, YouTube Orchestra, micro-chunking and LiveFi. The article examines the impact of new technolo- gies on classical music. ©Journal of Professional Communication, all rights reserved. W hilst the internet is established in the music industry as a distri- bution and selling tool, this paper suggests that technological ad- vances have benefted the independent artist as well, given that the range of companies offering streaming access to music has grown. Impact on artist and fan Science has developed further technological advances that the music industry has benefted from. Increased use of the internet in the music world and the potential it offers to the individual musician a range of ways to reach their fans is ably demonstrated in the 2014 International Federation of Phonographic Indus- tries Digital Report, as Frances Moore, Chief Executive of IFPI states: “The music ★ Corresponding author (Marius Carboni) Email: mcarboni@carbonimedia.com Tel: 07885 753272 Twitter: @MCMarius55 Web: carbonimedia.com ©Journal of Professional Communication, ISSN: 1920-685. All rights reserved. See front matter. Journal of Professional Communication 3(2):149-164, 2014