The New Music Industry: How Artists Create, Market, And Release Music In The Digital Age

Adam Simons is an Interdisciplinary Studies major at Arizona State University with concentrations in business and music. He is also a member of the alternative rock group RadioDriveBy. RadioDriveBy is a five-piece band based in Arizona that writes, professionally records, and performs its own original songs. This thesis contains a narrative of the planning, execution, and analysis of two albums released by RadioDriveBy. Through his experience and research in managing multiple releases, Simons covers the critical factors for artists to consider when marketing music in today's changing industry. The author divides an album release into five critical components: original music, release structure, artist image, accessibility and availability, and online promotion. This method of analysis develops manageable steps for artists to succeed in the modern music industry. Overall, this thesis is a model and creative project to help understand not only the behind-the-scenes work of RadioDriveBy, but also to provide a framework for other musicians and artists navigating the same path.