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Digital distribution (also called content delivery, online distribution, or electronic software distribution (ESD), among others) describes the delivery of media content such as audio, video, software and video games, without the use of physical media usually over online delivery mediums, such as the Internet.^[1] Digital distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution methods, such as paper or DVDs. The term online distribution is typically applied to freestanding products; downloadable add-ons for other products are more commonly known as downloadable content. An online service for distribution of application software is usually called an "application store" or "app store". With the advancement of network bandwidth capabilities, digital distribution become prominent in the 2000s.

Content distributed online may be streamed or downloaded. Streaming involves downloading and using content "on-demand" as it is needed. Meanwhile, fully downloading the content to a hard drive or other form of storage media allows for quick access in the future.

Specialist networks known as content delivery networks help distribute digital content over the Internet by ensuring both high availability and high performance. Alternative technologies for content delivery include peer-to-peer file sharing technologies. Content can only be delivered if it exists on a computer that another user has made available to others. If it does not exist, several techniques and methods can be used for content creation or content regeneration.^{[original research?]} Alternatively, content delivery platforms create and syndicate content remotely, acting like hosted content management systems.

Basis[link]

The major attraction for digital distribution is its direct nature. To make a commercially successful work, artists usually must enter their industry’s publishing chain. Publishers help artists advertise, fund and distribute their work to retail outlets. In some industries, particularly videogames, artists find themselves bound to publishers, and in many cases unable to make the content they want; the publisher might not think it will profit well. This can quickly lead to the standardization of the content and to the stifling of new, potentially risky ideas.

By opting for digital distribution, an artist can get their work into the public sphere of interest easily with potentially minimum business overhead. This often leads to cheaper goods for the consumer, increased profits for the artists, as well as increased artistic freedom. Online distribution platforms often contain or act as a form of digital rights management.

Digital distribution also opens the door to new business models (e.g., the Open Music Model). For instance, an artist could release one track from an album or one chapter from a book at a time instead of waiting for them all to be completed. This either gives them a cash boost to help continue their projects or warns that their work is not financially viable. This is hopefully done before they have spent excessive money and time on a project deemed unviable. Videogames have increased flexibility in this area, demonstrated by micropayment models such as the one in Gunbound. A clear result of these new models is their accessibility to smaller artists or artist teams who do not have the time, funds, or expertise to make a new product in one go.

An example of this can be found in the music industry. Indie artists are for the first time able to access the same distribution channels as major record labels, with none of the restrictive practices or inflated manufacturing costs^[1]; there is a growing collection of 'internet labels' that offer distribution to unsigned or independent artists directly to online music stores, and in some cases marketing and promotion services. Further, many bands are able to bypass this completely, and offer their music for sale via their own independently controlled websites; this gives even further advantage to the artist, as it completely cuts out a distributor—and their cut of the profits.

Impact on traditional retail[link]

There is some uncertainty surrounding whether digital distribution should be considered a positive or negative for the various media industries; however, the rise of digital distribution has upset the traditional business models and resulted in challenges as well as new opportunities for traditional retailers and publishers. Digital distribution affects all of the traditional media markets including music, press, and broadcasting. In Britain, the iPlayer, a software application for streaming television and radio, accounts for 5% of all bandwidth used in the United Kingdom^[2].

Music[link]

The move towards digital distribution led to a dip in sales at the start of the decade when CD sales were nearly cut in half ^[3]. One such example of digital distribution taking its toll on a retailer is the iconic Canadian music chain Sam the Record Man who blamed digital distribution for having to close a number of its traditional retail venues in 2007-08.^[4] One main reason that sales took such a big hit was that the pirating of digital music was very accessible. With piracy affecting sales, the music industry realized it needed to change its business model to keep up with the rapidly changing technology ^[5]. The step that was taken to move the music industry into the online space has been successful for several reasons. The development of the MP3 file format allows users to compress music files into a format which does not affect the sound quality while being compressed down to a ~3 Megabyte (Mb) file. In comparison, the same song would require 30-40 Megabytes of storage on a CD^[5]. The smaller file size makes it much easier to transfer a file across the internet. The main drawback to the mp3 file format was that it provides no protection against would be pirates looking to distribute copies of files illegally over the internet.

Despite the drawbacks that the digital space has caused the music industry, the transition into the online space has allowed for lower expenses such as lower coordination costs, lower distribution costs, as well as the possibility for redistributed total profits^[5]. These lower costs have allowed up and coming artists to break onto the scene and become recognized. In the past, emerging artists struggled to find a way to market themselves and compete in the various distribution channels. The digital domain has also given artists more control over their music in terms of ownership, rights, creative process, pricing, and more. The internet prevents artists from incurring any distribution costs even into the international scene since the internet allows users from all over the world to access the same material. In addition to providing users with easier access to music, it allows users to pick and choose the songs they wish instead of having to purchase an entire album from which there may only be one or two songs that the buyer enjoys. Now more than ever, more and more customers are choosing to purchase select tracks instead of an entire album. The number of downloaded digital single tracks rose from 160 million in 2004 to 795 million in 2006 which accounted for a revenue boost from $397 million (USD) to $2 billion (USD)^[5].

Television[link]

One of the major challenges for traditional television is that almost all network shows are now available online. YouTube and other internet based video services allow users to watch network shows on demand on their computers by using TiVo and other set-top boxes such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. The integration of internet capabilities into televisions has also given users the ability to access internet content such as YouTube and other video services directly from their television.

Books[link]

Some companies, such as Bookmasters Distribution, which invested $3.5 million in upgrading its equipment and operating systems, have had to direct capital toward keeping up with the changes in technology. The phenomenon of books going digital has given users the ability to access their books on handheld digital book readers. One benefit of electronic book readers is that they allow users to access additional content via hypertext links. These electronic book readers also give users portability for their books since a reader can hold multiple books depending on the size of its hard drive^[6] . Companies that are able to adapt and make changes to capitalize on the digital media market have seen sales surge. Vice President of Perseus Distribution stated that since shifting to electronic books (e-books), it saw sales rise by 68%. Independent Publishers Group experienced a sales boost of 23% in the first quarter of 2012 alone^[7].

Differences between traditional and digital retailers[link]

Purely digital online media retailers, such as iTunes, are not faced with the problem of limited physical space, as traditional physical retailers are, and thus are able to house and sell a virtually unlimited number of recordings because of the relatively low cost of database entry and storage. While traditional physical media retailers concentrate on selling the top 10 to 20 percent of sellers in order to maximize the profit-per-inch of shelf space, digital online media retailers are able to make money from selling all titles, whether they are within that top 20 percent or not.^[8]. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the Long Tail.

See also[link]

• Electronic commerce
• Content delivery network
• Digital distribution in video games
• Video on demand
• Gaming on demand
• eBooks
• Comparison of online music stores
• List of digital distribution platforms for mobile devices
• List of Internet television providers
• Film distribution
• Film distributor
• Streaming media

References[link]

Ivana Selakov (Serbian Cyrillic: Ивана Селаков, pronounced [ǐʋana sɛlǎkɔʋ], born November 8, 1978, in Belgrade, Serbia, former SFR Yugoslavia) is a Serbian singer, former member of the girlband Beauty Queens.

Before Beauty Queens[link]

Selakov was born in Belgrade, on November 8, 1978. She grew up in Sombor where she was introduced to the world of music. She finished Lower Music School, participated in numerous singing competitions, performed at jazz and rock 'n' roll clubs. In 1997, she started studying biology in Belgrade, but very soon she devoted herself to music. After biology, Ivana started studying "Recording and designing of the sound". She has appeared as a soloist at several festivals—Radio Festival, Beovizija 2006, etc. She did vocal back-up for many popular artists.

Beauty Queens[link]

See Beauty Queens.

Discography[link]

With Beauty Queens[link]

Singles[link]

• 2007: "Pet na jedan"
• 2007: "Protiv srca"
• 2008: "Zavet"

External links[link]

• Beauty Queens Official Site
• Ivana Selakov Interview

Ivan Ivanovich Schmalhausen
File:IISchmalhausen.jpg Ivan Ivanovich Schmalhausen
Born	April 23, 1884 Kiev, Russian Empire
Died	October 7, 1963 Leningrad, Soviet Union
Nationality	Russian Soviet
Fields	Zoologist, evolutionist
Institutions	University of Tartu Kiev University, others
Alma mater	Kiev University
Doctoral advisor	Alexey Severtzov
Known for	"The Organism as a Whole in its Individual and Historical Development" (1938) Factors of evolution: the theory of stabilizing selection (1949)

Ivan Ivanovich Schmalhausen (Russian: Ива́н Ива́нович Шмальга́узен; April 23, 1884 – October 7, 1963) was a Russian and Soviet zoologist and evolutionist. He was one of the central figures in the development of the modern evolutionary synthesis.^[1]

Biography[link]

Ivan Ivanovich Schmalhausen was born in Kiev, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) on April 23, 1884 to Luise Schmalhausen (Luisa Ludwigovna Schmalhausen) and Johannes Theodor Schmalhausen (1849–1894). His father was one of the founding fathers of Russian paleobotany.^[1]

In 1901 Ivan Ivanovich Schmalhausen graduated gymnasium and enrolled at Kiev University, but was expelled a year later after taking a part in the student disturbances. In 1902 he resumed his university studies at Kiev. Around 1902 he became acquainted with the founder of the Russian school of evolutionary morphology, Alexey Severtzov (1866–1936). He went on to become Professor of Darwinism at Moscow University and Director of the Institute for Evolutionary Morphology.

In 1904 Schmalhausen, under the guidance of Severtzov, completed his first scientific work on the embryonic development of lungs in a Grass Snake. He graduated from the university on 1909.

In 1910 Schmalhausen married Lydia Kozlova, a teacher of French from a small provincial Russian town.

He educated many eminent botanists, including Józef Paczoski, the founder of phytosociology.

In 23 August 1948 he became victim of order 1208, one of a series signed by Minister of Higher Education in the USSR, S. Kaftanov, which led to the mass dismissals of many university professors. This destroyed his career, as it removed his professorship and also decreed that his books and research projects be destroyed. This was because he was accused of being a Weissmannist and pro-Morganist, who promoted the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection, at a time when T. D. Lysenko and his followers were emphasising a process of heredity that focused on interaction with the environment and the inheritance of acquired characteristics along Lamarckian lines. This theory was being put into practice in agriculture under Michurin, who claimed to have improved wheat using Lamarckian techniques, and was central to the Stalin's politics which stressed that hard work led to improvement in future generations.

He had just written his book Factors of Evolution, which was translated into English and published in the west in 1949 and returned to work in morphology.

In 1955, Schmalhausen was one of the signers of the "Letter of 300" — a collective letter by three hundred scientists denouncing Lysenkoism.

He died on October 7, 1963 in Leningrad.^[1]

Schmalhausen's Law[link]

Schmalhausen's Law is a general principle that a population living at the boundary of its tolerance, in extreme or unusual conditions with regard to any aspect of its existence will be more vulnerable to small differences in any other aspect. Therefore the variance of data is not simply noise interfering with the detection of so-called "main effects", but also an indicator of stressful conditions leading to greater vulnerability.^[2]

References[link]

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since December 2010. It is written like an advertisement and needs to be rewritten from a neutral point of view. Tagged since April 2010. It needs to be updated. Tagged since April 2010.

Vlado Georgiev (Montenegrin: Владо Георгиев, pronounced [ʋlǎːdo ɡeorɡǐjeʋ], born 6 June 1976 in Dubrovnik, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a popular Montenegrin singer, composer and lyrics writer as well.

Born to Serbian parents (father from Dimitrovgrad and a mother from Sarajevo),^[1] Georgiev was raised in Herceg Novi. Since mid-1990s, he resides in Belgrade.

Georgiev has recorded two studio albums to date: Navika (Habit) in 2001 and Žena bez imena (Woman without a name) in 2003. In 2005 Georgiev released a hit single, Nisam ljubomoran (I'm not Jealous). After a two year break he released a single Do svitanja (Till Dawn), along with a ballad named Ti i ja (You and Me). In 2009 Georgiev released two singles again, Hej ti (Hey You), which became a huge success, along with a beautiful ballad titled Bez tebe.

He is today, 2010, a charming person and a very talented musician and composer. First he played harmonica and his wish was to become a great jazz harmonicaist. Then he started playing piano, synthesizers and other keyboards. He became great club performer started as very young (11 years old). Soon he became very popular arranger working with many ex-Yugoslavian and foreign stars. Then he started writing songs for himself and for the other popular stars in ex-Yugoslavia. He was also a producer for the Montenegrin hip hop band Monteniggers, and is still a friend with their only living member, Niggor. Georgiev and Niggor have also recorded a song "Tropski bar" together.

He is among most popular star singers and performers in Serbia and in Montenegro, and is popular in all ex-Yugoslav states. He owns a record label "Barba Music", VG-Art studio production company and Studio Barba in Belgrade which is known as one of the best studios in southeastern Europe. He is currently working on his third album. He is a big fighter for the authors rights. However, he is much more than pop-star. A big adventurer, biker who traveled all around Europe with his Harley-Davidson, the man who climbed Himalaya peaks, the guy who is in love with sea and boats.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Navika (Habit), 2001.
• Žena bez imena (Woman Without a Name), 2003.

Singles[link]

• Nisam ljubomoran (I'm Not Jealous), 2005.
• Do svitanja (Till Dawn), 2007.
• Hej ti (Hey You), 2009.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official website of Studio Barba
• Vlado Georgiev discography at Discogs

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Zorana Pavić	Sunčane Skale winner 1998	Succeeded by Tifa & Makadam
New title	Serbian Oscar Of Popularity The Male Pop Singer of the Year 2009	Succeeded by Sergej Ćetković