Joseph Hwang
Music is an “experience good” in economics. This means that the sensory experience is the decisive factor in its consumption. Music is consumed through “listening.” To be consumed, music requires a consumption process called “listening,” which in turn induces further consumption. In this process, “media,” a medium that provides the information and experience of listening, is essential.
Before the invention and development of records, the medium for experiencing music was “live performance". A “score” graphically recorded the music, and when the performer played according to the promise of the symbols on the score, the audience experienced the sound. After the spread of sound records, the media became a medium for transmitting information using radio waves. Radio and television were the most prominent examples of airwaves that revolutionized the spatial distribution of information, but now cell phones are taking over.
Although the same radio waves are used, humans have distinguished between communication and broadcasting based on the type and purpose of radio waves. Communication was categorized as two-way transmission and reception communication, and broadcasting was classified as a one-way distribution of information or entertainment at a fixed time. Let's call these traditional media “legacy media,” and the new media based on cell phones that allow cell phone users to communicate their messages to an unspecified number of people, let's call “social media.”
1. Legacy Media
Radio and TV are classic examples of legacy media. The power of legacy media was absolute when there were no other alternatives. K-pop producers had to rely on the most efficient and cost-effective legacy media to promote their experiential product, the music record because its influence was so overwhelming that producers had to build and maintain friendly relationships with station PDs to be recognized as competent.
In 2018, market research firm OpenSurvey surveyed 500 people aged 10-49 and found that online video services had overtaken legacy media usage, with 28.8% of people using TV as their primary media and 31.2% using YouTube. So people assumed that TV's power was on a downward spiral. It's a reasonable inference based on the numbers, and we're watching things in the real world that support that conclusion. However, the power of TV and radio legacy media still has a tremendous power on the public. It's certainly not the same as it was in the past when they wielded enormous power. Nevertheless, the role and the reason for the existence of legacy media remain the same. It's about building public trust.
Legacy media may not be as powerful as in the past, however, broadcasting, which has a huge social impact, is legally controlled and has institutional mechanisms in place to distribute verified information. So being featured on a show and having an artist appear on a show is a process of authorization. This is why K-pop producers have tried to feature their artists on TV or radio shows. In particular, idol group ranking programs are a gateway to social recognition. With that legacy media credibility, K-pop artists create social media channels to communicate directly with their fans. Without this process, K-pop artists who want to promote themselves on social media should invest plenty of time and effort to build a fanbase.
2. Social Media
Social media such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are interactive mediums that allow artists and fans to communicate directly. Appearances on legacy media can be an efficient method for artists to gain social recognition and publicity. Through appearances, artists can recruit fans more effectively due to recognition by legacy media. And the shows they appear on are featured and distributed through the social media channels operated by legacy media. However, legacy media opportunities are easily skewed for excessive competition by new idol groups.
Although there are differences based on the age of users, according to the Korea Communications Commission's 2022 Broadcasting Media Usage Behavior Survey, in 2022, smartphone usage was higher at 90.1% and TV usage was higher at 75.5% five days a week, while OTT usage of online video services was 72%. Legacy media can no longer ignore the power of social media. As of September 2022, South Korea had 4.138 million YouTube app users in South Korea, representing 81% of the country's population.
It is clear that the influence of legacy media is declining compared to social media, and social media is becoming increasingly influential. However, from the perspective of the K-pop industry, despite the free and low barrier to entry of social media, the credibility of the content is lesser than that of legacy media. This is due to the huge difference in content production costs and infrastructure. Nevertheless, the limitations of legacy media in global fan acquisition make it imperative for artists to operate their social media channels or production company-branded channels. From a producer's perspective, having their own branded media has become a critical management factor for the continued debut of new artists.
3. Power Shift
K-pop artists have a global fan base, and social media has made that dream a reality. Since legacy media has the inherent disadvantage of not being able to transcend borders, social media has opened up brand channels and unimaginable opportunities in the past.
Building a global fanbase is powerful, and legacy media is not immune to that power. As the K-pop industry has expanded to the world stage, the management sphere of production companies has also expanded. The changing media environment has brought about a major change in the K-pop industry. It requires more effort and investment, and if they are successful, artists and production companies have more influence than ever before.
Changing media means changing markets. K-pop is a testing ground for what an evolving media landscape can do. Media is power, and that power is now in motion.
* References and quotations:
https://m.dt.co.kr/contents.html?article_no=2018110402109931055002
https://kcc.go.kr/user.do;jsessionid=pOw9q2L_eabjPFEh0bohDIGd8rdXm3Aqw71R7IPc.servlet-aihgcldhome20?mode=view&page=A02060100&dc=K00000001&boardId=1027&cp=1&boardSeq=54472
https://www.koit.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=104239
Comments