Amy Varley EPQ

In the next two or three weeks, I would like to gather the majority of my secondary research and decide which sources I would like to include in my dissertation. I hope to create a document that will allow me to summarise the findings presented to me during this research, making it easier to review and identify specific articles. During the same time period, I would also like complete my primary research by sending my finalised interview questions to those I would like to gain information from. Following this, I would like to  plan out the structure of my dissertation to ensure that I include all of my research and relay the information necessary to address my prompt question. My information will allow me to complete the presentation at the end of my EPQ, but only if it is comprehensive and clear, and completing a plan will guarantee that this is possible.

First Draft How has the way you search for new artists changed in recent years? (eg. Do you look more on sites such as YouTube?) What do you aim to achieve for artists when you work with them? Have you noticed a recent change in the demand for a label signings? Do you have any measures in place to make sure artists are treated fairly? If so, what are they and are artists aware of them? Do you approach music charts in a particular way? (eg. Do you focus on certain aspects of consumption, like streaming or physical sales, to maximise the success of music?) How much do you focus on social media promotion for artists? Which websites do you use the most to promote an artist? Do you find there is more reluctance within artists to sign with a label now more than previous years? If so, what do you believe are the main reasons for this? (eg. stories they've heard, facts, advice from other areas of the music business) How vital do you believe it is for an artist/

How To Survive The Music Industry: The Transgressive Story Documentary Description:   Band mental health, album hangman, pets on Instagram… behind-the-scenes of modern music. An access-all-areas six months with the indie label behind Foals and Two Door Cinema Club. This documentary may be useful to gather some information on labels and how their artists interact with the people that manage them. (Accessed 25/10/19)

 1. An important aim for the project as a whole is to develop skills in conducting and presenting research . My articles are based on the real life aspect of the monetary side of the music industry and these facts and figures will be necessary to present an accurate picture of any recent changes or struggles involved. I can use these figures to interpret the state of a certain area of the industry, which may draw on my opinion, but helps the articles have a factual basis rather than complete opinion-based ideas. 2. At the end of this project, I would also like to be able to present my project confidently to others . In the past, I have struggled to present confidently to a group of people when doing classwork in groups, for example. However, I hope to be more confident in this presentation because of my research into the topic. My hope is for those who have never thought about these topics to be able to understand and acknowledge the changes in the industry without prior knowledge of t

My EPQ Question: Is there still a role for record labels in today’s music industry? All of my original ideas are focused around the topic of record labels. I found a particular interest in the role of record labels in the modern day, and how their level of importance has changed for artists. I decided to combine a couple of my questions to create my topic as the research linked together. Both primary and secondary data will play a role in providing evidence for my dissertation. Online articles that compile research about the role of record labels will allow me to gather a range of information that previously, been out of my reach to collect. I will also attempt to gather more information directly from those involved in this sector by creating a questionnaire to answer some specific questions that cannot be found online.

Here is a mind-map containing all of my original ideas for the EPQ.

Here are some websites that could be useful to extract information from for my dissertation: Claremont Colleges Thesis: The Rise and Fall of Record Labels  - I believe this thesis to be fairly reliable as each source is cited in footnotes at the end of each page. This means a large amount of research has been completed in order to produce the document, and individual assessment of each source's reliability will most likely have been completed during this process. The Guardian: When Artists are Held Hostage by Record Labels The Guardian: What do Record Labels Actually do? - These two articles may have to be approached with a degree of scepticism as the newspaper adopts a tabloid format. These sources are also opinion articles, and are written from the viewpoint of the journalist, rather than providing a wide-range of facts from an un-biased point of view. There are no sources cited in the document, only hyperlinks to other articles on The Guardian's website. There is also