Impact of Changes in Music Genres on Business Markets
Jose Andres Bermudez Martinez
Southern States University
Dr. Katie L. Males
MUS305
11/13/2022
Impact of Changes in Music Genres on Business Markets
Changes of music genres in American Music
Over time, the music genres in America have changed owing to different factors. Some of the major factors that contribute to these changes in music genres include immigration and the introduction of new cultures; the advancement of technology; the political and economic situation; and demographic changes. These factors affect not only the music genre that develops but also its popularity. They also affect the duration for which the music genre will remain popular and its impact on the society as a whole.
The political and cultural situation of the US at any given period impacts the genre of music that emerges and that which gains the most popularity. Cases that call for rebellion have in the past resulted in particular music genres. During the civil rights movements, African spirituals, folks, and gospel were among the music genres that gained popularity. During recent activism causes such as the Black Lives Matter movement, there was the emergence of protest blues (Joseph,2016). According to Joseph (2016), musical productions such as Kendrick Lamar’s “We Gon’Be Alright” came up with the sole aim of combating issues of mental health among the black community as a result of the risks that they faced. The music also served to talk black males away from gang violence. This genre of music was inspired by the need to not only popularize “Black lives Matter” but also and most importantly demand fair treatment of the black population by the police. This shows that the political situation of the country continues to impact the music genre that arises. It also favors the rise of one music genre over another as was seen by the rise of blues during the Black Lives Matter (BLM ) movement.
Changes in Music and its impact on the Business Markets
Many aspects of life in American society are influenced by music. One of the sectors that are significantly impacted by music is the business sector. Constant changes in American music impact many sectors of business markets by influencing factors such as demand for certain goods and also general market performance. Changes in music during the different periods and the shifts through various genres greatly affect the two sectors thus affecting the overall business markets.
Changes in music types, messages, and genres have been shown to influence the demand for certain goods and services. Music influences the business market by acting as a mode of advertisement. According to Vermeulen &Beukebook (2016), pairing background music with a product during product advertising results in behavioral conditioning. When a large population is conditioned to associate a particular music with a product, the demand for the product is bound to be affected. However, the background pairing can result in either a positive or negative impact. In the case of a positive impact, the demand for the product increases while in the case of a negative impact, the demand decreases. These changes in demand subsequently affect other market parameters such as the supply of a product or a service. When in large proportions, the interplay of demand and supply can significantly impact the market. However, businesses can plan and maintain their growth despite these changes.
How businesses can ensure growth despite changes in the market
The effect of changes in music and their subsequent impact on the business market can be mitigated by ensuring that the businesses leverage on the music trends and the developing genres. Major business players can do this by using music to enhance the publicity of their business, to improve staff performance, and also for advertising purposes. Certain types of music have been found to influence the performance of staff and also the general mood around business practices. Fast-tempo critical melodies, often used in banking halls have the effect of making the customers more at ease and also easing the waiting times of customers in banking halls (Cayari,2021). Such music, when applied to other businesses may result in a general increase in performance by business staff and employees. Other than increased performance, changes in music can be leveraged upon to increase advertisement in certain target groups of the society. Depending on the group that a particular genre of music appeals most to, through background conditioning, certain music can be associated with certain products thus increasing the effectiveness of advertising. This can result in entry into new markets and also a general increase in market share. Taking advantage of changes in music as highlighted helps ensure that businesses are on a growth path and maintain positive performance.
Other than leveraging music changes for advertisement, businesses can also leverage it to better their marketing strategies. One of the companies that used music as part of its marketing strategy is Microsoft. In order to market its computers, Microsoft included digital music-playing abilities in its Windows Media Player to boost the sales of the computers (Arthur,2014). Potential buyers were often drawn to the ability of the player to play digital music and would purchase the computers. Cases such as that of Microsoft are evidence of how a company can leverage changes in the music sector and change its marketing strategy accordingly.
Summarily, just as changes in the music sector more so changes in preferences for particular genres affect various aspects of the society, the business sector too is affected. These changes may influence customer behavior in the business sector. In addition, the market forces of demand and supply may be affected. However, while negative changes can occur, positive changes in the business markets also do happen. Companies should therefore work on capitalizing on changes in the music sector by taking up effective marketing strategies.
References
Joseph, S. (2016). ‘We Gon’Be Alright’: Mental Health and the Blues in Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. Ethnomusicology Review, 21.
Vermeulen, I., &Beukeboom, C. J. (2016). Effects of music in advertising: Three experiments replicating single-exposure musical conditioning of consumer choice (Gorn 1982) in an individual setting. Journal of Advertising, 45(1), 53-61.
Cayari, C. (2021). Popular practices for online musicking and performance: Developing creative dispositions for music education and the Internet. Journal of Popular Music Education, 5(3), 295-312.
Arthur, C. (2014). Digital wars: Apple, Google, Microsoft, and the battle for the Internet. Kogan Page Publishers.
