The increase in hardware and content in the music industry has had a significant impact on producers and audiences in recent times. Discuss.

Music consumption is consumers (the public / people) buying physical copies of an album (a CD), downloading music online, buying concert tickets in order to see music live or any related products. Quote - "Magaudda (2011: 17) writes that ‘during the last ten years the music market has undergone a period of deep transition as a direct consequence of the flourishing of digital music and the development of Internet based services such as mp3, peer-to-peer networks and online music stores’." Music consumption has changed over the years because of the changing world that we live in. Music is not only purchased and available, but is now able to be streamed through subscription services, such as Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal.
Production is the process of creating, recording, and materializing music. Originally, music production and recording equipment was very expensive. It wasn't for everyone. Now, you or I can pick up our smartphones, open the application store and quickly download an app (maybe even for free) that we can create high quality music on. Damon Albarn produced an entire album on an iOS (yes, the software on an iPhone) device.
Recordings are created by recording artists, often with the assistance of record producers and audio engineers. They were traditionally made in recording studios (who are paid a daily or hourly rate) in a recording session. In the present day, advances in recording technology have allowed many producers and artists to create "home studios", bypassing the traditional role of the recording studio. The record producer oversees all aspects of the recording, making many of the logistic, financial and artistic decisions in cooperation with the artist.
(Major Label Artists and and Independent Artists?)
Major label artists would use a recording studio, where they can go and record their music very professionally. This costs a lot, but because they are under a major label, this is what they use in order to create the highest quality music for the public. Independent artists may also use a recording studio, but it is becoming increasingly popular for independent artists to create their own studio at home. This can be done with just a computer, some software, and a microphone. Applications are increasingly available that musical instruments aren't even necessary - digital versions of them are included in the applications.
Music distribution is definitely changing. Digital distribution is on the rise, and it has been for a few years now. (From Wikipedia:) "The music industry has undergone drastic changes since the advent of widespread digital distribution of music via the Internet, which includes both illegal file sharing of songs and legal music purchases. A conspicuous indicator of this is total music sales: since 2000, sales of recorded music have dropped off substantially while live music has increased in importance. The largest music retailer in the world is now digital: Apple Inc.'s online iTunes Store". The largest music retailer in the world doesn't own one CD, let alone one store. That shows how times have changed, how music distribution has changed.

The music industry has undergone extreme changes over the past few years, many of which have opened the doors for developing bands and artists. Gone are the days where the only option for getting fans to hear your music relied upon support from a limited number of "gatekeepers." Music is able to be distributed as described, it doesn't take a lot of exposure to sell music now.
There are two types of marketing:

-Push marketing

-Pull marketing
Push marketing is actually pushing the music out. Promoting it with advertisements on television, in magazines etc. This is from institutions to audiences, with no way for audiences to interact.

Pull marketing is allowing the music to be pulled. Audiences can receive music on their own terms, such as streaming a song from Soundcloud or a video from YouTube.