Task 3

Task 3

Case Study Research & Presentation: Beck 'Score' & Song Reader

Collect as much information as possible on our comparative Case Study

Research and find out as much as you can about this project & the artist.

Like the Alkaline Trio and Deerhoof in 2008, Beck’s Song Reader “album” has created a book of sheet music instead of their own recording, no CD or mP3. They have done this to create a relationship with their customers and allow their fans to play the music themselves or listen to other fans interpretations to be able to listen to Beck’s album. These fans have exchange their own interpretations on Songreader.net and many other prosumer website.

Beck’s has turned many of his fans into prosumers, meaning they have bought the sheet music (consumer) and produced their own interpretations of the songs (producer). This has encouraged many new musicians to produce their own visualisations of the songs and produce them onto many different music websites, here they are distributing Beck’s album by sharing and exchanging his music out among many people.

Beck has used his own fans and customers to overall distribute and market his own album without Beck doing anything financial.

On YouTube we found more than 300 different interpretations made by Beck’s fans of the song Old Shanghai.

On Spotify we found over 100 different interpretations of Old Shanghai as well.

Different fans have created the song using all kinds of instruments such as acoustic, piano, violin, cello and ukulele and many different pitches of vocals from high to low.

Evidence

Review by Slate Magazine

 

His fan base consists of the elder generation due to the interest and a motive of Beck’s has appealed to them more so then the younger generation. He is against mp3 downloading as it states in the quotation to the left. He also has a worldwide fanbase as demonstrated on his twitter fan base. 

Exchange happens when the audience become more involved and collaberate. They provide Beck with free advertising. It also helps to build a relationship between himself and his fan base by allowing them to feel more involved and part of something.

How is this compare to One Direction & Syco?

This multi-platform campaign for One Direction was the first band  for Simon Cowell's music label, Syco. The brand identity and guidelines have been developed around the fans. This compares to Beck, due to his image has been built and based on his fans due to they created fan videos and interpretations of his written music. Both One direction and Beck are all about giving them constant interaction with and access to their idols - but with a consistency that cements their presence worldwide.

Is this devaluing music or is it increasing its worth?

This is increasing music’s worth due to Becks initial idea has resulted in no mp3 downloads can be stolen from him, due to there is no original available except the fan videos which he gains no financial profit from. It has also resulted in him having a better relationship with his fans.