Recording Industry

When Thomas Edison devised a way to capture and replay sounds, he thought it useful for recording business letter dictation-but America had a different vision. This program examines the remarkable history of recorded music, from the Jazz Age, to the Big Band Era and World War II, to rock 'n' roll and rap. Executives from the BMI archives and Capitol-EMI Music, along with representatives of the Smithsonian Institution, discuss the social and cultural aspects of affordable, mass-produced music, plus the roles of recording originals like Enrico Caruso, Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller, Elvis, the Beatles, Berry Gordy, and Bob Dylan. In the U.S., recorded music has brought races together and split generations apart, while around the globe it has altered cultural identities, changing the way in which nations see others and themselves. (28 minutes)

How does a new artist attract the attention of a recording company? How do recording companies find new talent? Can a big-name label make a run-of-the-mill CD into a platinum seller? In this program, top industry executives and other experts answer these and other questions, such as how much performers can expect to make in royalties, how SoundScan has revealed the true top 100, and how MTV has raised the bar for performer talent. In addition, brief clips of David Bowie, Billy Rae Cyrus, Debbie Davies, Peter Gabriel, and Metallica are included. (28 minutes)