The RIAA Involvement & Impact on The Music Industry

Article by: Troika Hanna

My association of choice is the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In analyzing the RIAA, we first have to examine the history of the association. This association is a trade organization that supports and promotes the creativity and financial validity of major music companies. The members of the association consist of record labels. There primary objective is to create, manufacture, and disseminate music globally. As stated by the RIAA, the association currently operates 85% of all legal/copyrighted work in the United States.

In addition, the RIAA aims to protect intellectual property. The company protects against piracy of any recorded material or music. As stated by the RIAA, “because of the substantial losses to the recording industry as the result of piracy, the RIAA worked closely with the FBI to develop a new government seal and warning for placement on copyrighted music products in order to increase anti-piracy awareness”. Through protecting the rights of recorded music, the RIAA also operates through the First Amendment of the constitution. As stated in the constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." –                          (First Amendment, December 15, 1791).

There are numerous more areas of which the RIAA operates in education, manufacturing/distribution, anti-piracy, and protection of artistic rights in music. For instance everyone is familiar with the infamous logo created through the RIAA – Parental Advisory Explicit Content.  

The logo allows for consumers to better monitor legalized recorded material associated with minors or adolescents. In addition, it protects artists and record labels or companies associated with the Music Industry. The RIAA also provides vital information for those in the Music Industry about legal services such as: iTunes, Pandora, Rhapsody, YouTube, Napster, and many more. It is stated that there are more than 13 million legal tracks online. It is through the involvement & impact of the RIAA that record labels, artists, and music distributors are able to stay connected with their consumers and the Music Industry. In addition, the RIAA allows these vary same individuals access to searchable data of Gold & Platinum music. The RIAA has truly been aiding the Music Industry since 1952.        

Reference:

http://www.riaa.com/aboutus.php?content_selector=about-who-we-are-riaa