I have chosen to research further into Spotify and its history. Spotify was launched in Sweden in October 2008 as an audio streaming platform that at first was just for music. Both free and premium subscriptions are available, and over 40 million songs are available with both plans. Spotify is currently the most popular music streaming platform, with over 207 million users per month.
Spotify first became available in the UK in 2009, 4 months after the launch. In 2015, podcasts were introduced to the platform along with music videos, making Spotify a multi-media app. The US launch was in 2011, where users could have a six month free ad-supported trial period. The first version of Spotify for the Apple Watch was released in November 2018, over 3 years after the first Apple Watch was released.
Overall, Spotify has effectively moved with the times, making their content more user-generated as the internet moved in this direction with the popularisation of YouTube and Instagram. Their modern layout, along with easy use and plenty of free features, means it is understandable that they are the most used music streaming platform. Many prefer Spotify over Apple Music because users can still listen to songs with the free subscription, there are just limited features (e.g. limited skips, adverts, no download option), but on Apple Music you can't listen to anything without getting a paid subscription.
Evolution of the media marketplace
Over the decades, the media marketplace has changed from being print, radio and TV to digital content. Instead of watching live TV, people now tend to watch on-demand services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu, or catch-up services like BBC iPlayer and All4, so they can watch a TV show at whatever time they like and fit it in around their other activities. Media companies know this, and have been changing their products to please the customers. For example, many magazines now are released digitally as well as in print, and some have moved online completely and no longer have a print publication. Also Netflix know that people like to binge-watch TV shows, so will release an entire series all at once, rather than one episode coming out each week. In the music industry, the change from physical to digital happened around 2010-15 with the popularisation of Apple Music and Spotify as the biggest music streaming services. These companies realised that customers wanted to listen to all their music in one place, rather than buying CDs and burning them onto their phone, or purchasing music purely through the iTunes Store or Google Play Store.
New companies have been emerging recently in response to the digital revolution, for example, social media sites like Instagram and Snapchat (2010 and 2011 respectively). Another big example is Amazon, which was founded in 1994 originally as an online bookstore, but is now the biggest online shopping marketplace. Customers now shop online more than ever before, and centuries-old department stores like John Lewis, Debenhams and Marks & Spencer are suffering for it. Since Amazon, other online marketplaces like Wish, Etsy and AliExpress have emerged, realising that customers' habits have changed and they would much rather shop online than in-store.
The digital revolution has also allowed companies to connect more with customers, particularly on social media. For example, the Denny's Twitter account is infamous for replying to user's comments in a funny or passive-aggressive way, making more people want to interact with the account in the hopes of getting a reply, keeping Denny's front-of-mind for many potential customers. Social media also allows companies to quickly give information to an audience in a condensed form. For example, during the 2017 Westminster bridge attack, Twitter was used by the police and the London Underground to give bulletins about where was safe, how many people were injured in the attack, what delays to public transport this would cause, etc. Giving out these messages quickly and being able to respond easily to questions from the public kept people calm, avoided rumours being spread and stopped mass-panic.
I think a lot of media companies nowadays are responding to customer demand for products or services that are needed. Since so many media products are out there, there aren't many gaps in the market, so I think a lot of companies look to customer complaints to see what products/services need to be created. For example, the Google Pixel phone has a wide-angle front camera, marketed so that users are now able to take group selfies. Also, many Samsung Galaxy phones charge quickly and wirelessly, as many phone users are frustrated with how long it takes their phone to charge, and how often their charging cable breaks. However, I think some bigger companies that have the budget to do so are being innovative and creating brand new products. For example, Tesla created the first car with auto-pilot technology, and are paving the way for robots being more intelligent and more integrated into our lives.
A disadvantage of these big companies having so much money is that they are the only ones that can afford to expand the market. Smaller companies don't have the budget for research and development projects, so it is difficult to get their ideas off the ground. One solution is to sell their ideas to the bigger companies, but then they lose control over their own ideas rather than managing the project themselves. However, I think an advantage of this system is that the big companies do have the ability to push the market forward and take big but risky steps, and small companies can then continue to develop that product to make it as cheap as possible for audiences.
I think the above considerations affect my app because health and fitness apps aren't a new thing, but because the technology now exists for anyone to make an app, I can have full creative freedom over my own product.
Overall, I think the digital revolution will greatly affect my product, because I can create a product where the software can be quickly updated if there are any problems, and I can find and interact with an audience on social media. By being a new company, I can see what products are missing from the market and improve on the mistakes of other companies. This is helpful because the media marketplace is always changing, and some older companies can struggle to keep up with audience trends. Audiences now expect companies to interact with them on social media, so by doing that I can build up a good reputation and create positive brand association by responding to questions quickly and using hashtags to help more people find my product.
P3: Describe roles required to support the content within the planned proposal
The first and leading role in creating an app is the Project Manager. They oversee the entire project, so must have good multitasking skills, and help each sector work towards the same goal and create a cohesive app. This person must have an excellent understanding of all areas of app production, including business and marketing, so that they are able to best advise the team. They also make sure that the team stick to the brief given and follow any planning documents to ensure the client is happy with the app. As well as these practical skills, they must also be very responsible, have excellent communication and organisational skills, and inspire and lead their team.
A team of designers is also needed for various different aspects of the design process. A leader of the design team - sometimes called a Strategist - oversees the design process, relaying plans between Project Manager, the Developers and the other designers. They help identify the requirements of the app and work to create a basic plan of how the app will look. This is helped by the Navigation Planner(s), who have expertise in how different pages of the app fit together. They plan out how users will move through the app, how each of the separate pages link up, and how to make navigation easy for every user. Visual Designers are in charge of the look and feel of the app, choosing colours, fonts, layouts, etc. They are responsible for the aesthetics of each page, and work with the Navigation Planners to help them flow together. The final designer needed is a Content Planner, who plans all text and images to be included. These three small teams work together with the Strategist to plan how the app should ideally look.
The next stage is the Developers, who begin creating the final product with a variety of developing and programming tools. Some of these include: Java, C#, Objective-C, etc. and developers should have experience with many programming languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript). These developers must have lots of technical knowledge and experience, along with the ability to prioritise. They must be able to quickly create a solid basis for an app, then work on improving it further.
Once a finished product has been created, a Quality Assurance Specialist will be the first person to test out the entire mobile app. They will then point out all areas for improvement and explain why these are necessary. Once these have all been completed and the QA tests the app again, they have the authority to decide whether or not the app is fit to be put on the market. Their opinion can make or break an app, so it is important for the team to take all feedback onboard if they want their app to be successful.
The final, and very important, people in the team are Sales and Marketing Specialists. They are responsible for communicating with customers, creating a brand and creating advertising materials. Without a marketing department, the app wouldn't be able to make much profit and wouldn't get the audience's attention. Experts in the field will be able to advertise the product well to ensure it can be as successful as possible and reach its intended audience.
M2: Compare traditional media roles with new emerging roles and the impact this has had on your product proposal
Media roles have changed significantly since the digital age has begun, and there are many more roles than there used to be. Before the internet, the main media industries were radio, TV, film, magazines and newspapers, but now we have many more platforms like web series, blogs, apps, etc. to sell and access content. This expansion of the media industry has created many more jobs, and changed the way that many media roles work.
Traditional media roles include director, camera person, radio presenter, etc. whereas examples of modern media roles are social media manager, app developer, digital strategist, etc. Using a radio presenter as an example, the main skills they would need are communication and improvisation, and they must be good at interviewing and talking to contributors. Depending on the programme, some presenters would need to write a script and read it on-air, and talk about current affairs. The ideal personality for a radio presenter would be chatty, friendly, patient, good at time management, and well read. This is because they need to be able to talk on air for long periods of time while engaging the audience the entire time, deal with potentially angry call-in guests, stick to a strict schedule and know what their audience is interested in so they can engage with them about it.
Another example of a traditional media role is a director - they must be able to organise, prioritise, problem solve, and they must have knowledge in all areas of production. They need very good leadership skills to make sure that everyone on the team can work together, and they need to have good communication skills to describe what they are envisioning. The ideal personality for a director would be assertive, creative, determined, and flexible. This is because they need to make sure every member of the team is doing their job correctly, formulate ideas for every aspect of production (set, script, camera work, etc.), help everyone work towards a collective goal and be able to quickly change plans when a problem arises.
An example of a modern media role is a digital strategist. This role involves working for a client to develop a way they can grow an audience on social media. They create a plan based on the company's needs, product and target audience, and use their knowledge of social media to show the company how they can most effectively use social media. Therefore, they need skills in social media managing, planning for the future, communicating with a client and teaching others. It would also be useful to their clients if they can predict trends that will next become big, or warn their clients of trends that could soon die out. The ideal personality for a digital strategist would be adaptable, helpful and level headed. This is because the online world is always changing, so they must be able to move with it rather than mould social media audiences to the tried and true methods. They must also have a desire to help others, and be able to rationally think a plan through, rather than diving headfirst into a new idea that hasn't been thought out yet.
The last example of a modern media role is an app developer - they must be very creative and innovative, since the app market is oversaturated now and they must be able to come up with a brand new idea. They need skills in pitching an idea, visual design and an understanding of the existing market. This is so that they can get their app on the market and create something that looks good and functions well, and will actually be used by an audience who needs it. The ideal personality for an app developer is tech-savvy, curious, determined and versatile. This is because they must have some knowledge of coding to know if their app is realistic to create, they must also be curious as to what areas haven't been explored yet in app form. Determination is needed because it may take many attempts to get a company interested in developing your app, let alone doing the creation process. There are many things that can go wrong in an app, so developers must have the drive to see the project through to the end.
There is a general trend seen when traditional and modern media roles are compared - often one person will have multiple roles, e.g. an app developer could also be a copy writer and logo designer. This new way of creating products allows for a smaller team, which is a benefit because it means less people to communicate between. In a traditional setting, a director on a film set could have over a hundred people who all need to be working together, as each of them does one job/role. This means everyone is very dedicated to their task, but in a small team of ten creating a website, they have the benefit of being able to communicate very easily and make sure they are all on the same page. My app production will be impacted by this modern way of managing roles, because I will also have a small team, so we will be able to work together efficiently by having regular meetings, and we can easily communicate by phone or email if we have questions.
D1: Evaluate the evolution of historically large corporations to meet the challenges of a converging media market
By looking at a historically large company, we can see how they have had to adapt to digital convergence, and evaluate if those changes were successful. I will look at the BBC as an example, since they are in the media sector and have changed a lot since the company first began broadcasting on our radios.
The BBC started broadcasting on the radio across London in 1922, and their news and 'talks' content could be heard across the nation shortly after. In 1924, the 6 short 'pips' were introduced to mark the beginning of every hour on BBC radio, this Greenwich Time Signal (GTS) can still be heard today on BBC Radio 4. Commercially available microphones were expensive, so in 1934 the BBC developed its own microphone called the Type A, which has been refined over the years and is still used by the BBC today. The GTS and the Type A microphone are two examples of how the BBC has historically developed new technology to suit their needs and their audience's needs.
In 1936, the BBC became the first broadcaster in the world to provide a regular ‘high definition’ television service, which featured drama, sport, outside broadcasts, and cartoons for a short time before war broke out. Skipping ahead to 1943, this was the year when the BBC first broadcasted news on TV as the demand for a regular news service on the television increased. In 1967, the first full colour TV service was broadcasted on BBC Two, with the first programme of this new service being Wimbledon. In 1974, the BBC took a big step towards the digital world by being the first channels to introduce teletext, called CEEFAX. This is the equivalent of pressing the red button now with digital TV, and showed text information about news, sports and weather when the TV channel was off-air, so viewers weren't just shown a black screen.
Modern Red Button service
In 1982, the BBC Microcomputer was launched, which was advertised on the BBC TV channels and as a result became very popular in schools and homes. This computer inspired a generation of children and young people to use computers, and it also spurred on the new media and computer games industry worldwide as the BBC has government backing to develop the BBC Micro. In 1995, the BBC made another leap forward by introducing DAB digital radio, and popularising it across the UK and Europe - the BBC Research and Development team provided much of the technology and systems to make DAB radio happen. In 1997, bbc.co.uk was launched as the Director-General of the BBC was quick to recognise the real potential of the internet for public service broadcasting.
Finally, in the 2000s, more advances involved BBC iPlayer in 2007, the Red Button in 2008, the analogue TV switch off in 2012, BBC iPlayer Radio (now called the BBC Sounds app and website) in 2012 and the Connected Red Button, allowing users to access radio and online content on their television in 2013.
From conducting this research, it is clear that the BBC has stayed a relevant and successful company by moving with the times and embracing advances in technology, even pioneering them. The BBC is a Public Service Broadcaster, meaning it is funded by the general public paying a TV licence fee, so all BBC content must be made for the people who keep them running. If they didn't want to let go of analogue technology or take risks to transfer into the digital age, the public would switch over to a different media company who do give them the new content they want. The Director-General changes often within the company, so having a fresh face leading the BBC every few years could be another factor that keeps the public funding them because they are prepared to make changes to how they operate.
Some would argue that the BBC doesn't change fast enough, as touched on in the speech given by the Chairman of the BBC in 2018: "But that’s what’s so unique - and so great - about the BBC: It belongs to everyone; everyone is entitled to have a say in what we do and how we are run. That’s why I welcome, for example, the attention that gender and equality issues have recently received, and the scrutiny the BBC has been under." This can also be seen in their regulations, as for example, actors doing blackface was shown on BBC television as late at the 1990s, seen in programmes such as The Fast Show. Others might argue that the BBC is changing too fast, and the company is no longer recognisable in the space of many viewers' lifetimes, and some older viewers may find it difficult to understand how to work the new digital technology that the BBC runs on.
In my personal opinion, I feel that overall the BBC has done very well to adapt to the digital revolution, and this is evident in how they have remained a respected and trusted corporation over the decades.
For my own product, I can take away from this research that I must be prepared to move with the times if I wish to survive as a company over many years. In the 21st century, the rate of technological advancement is an exponential curve and things will only pick up from here, so I must be able to adapt my app in the future when my users need different things, while also providing content to help older users switch over.