What is digital media?
Digital media have been around since the twentieth century, from mass media to news media to traditional media to the many emerging forms of digital media. While you probably come up with several different examples-and almost certainly take in some form of media in your daily life-it can be difficult to define the word succinctly. It comes from the Latin medius or medium, meaning “the middle layer. “Media is an expression that carries information or entertainment from one body to another.
Before the advent of the digital age, the most popular media were what we now call analog or traditional media: Radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, journals and the like. Since then, the technological revolution has brought with it many new types of media that now play an important role in disseminating information and entertainment to populations around the world. But what is digital media? What does it encompass, how has it evolved, and where is it going? Read on to learn more about digital media, including different types, major companies in the field, and digital media job markets. We’ll also unpack what kind of educational background can position you for a career in digital media.
Definition of digital media
Unlike traditional media, digital media is transmitted as digital data, where in the simplest case, digital cables or satellites send binary signals-0s and 1s-to devices that translate them into audio, video, graphics, text, and more. Every time you use your computer, tablet or cell phone, open web-based systems and applications, you consume digital media. Digital media can take the form of videos, articles, advertisements, music, podcasts, audiobooks, virtual reality, or digital art.
Digital media began to unfold in the early twentieth century as computer technology slowly infiltrated various industries and then moved into the public sphere. In the years that followed, newspapers, magazines, radio, and broadcasting were still the primary means of communication, with fax machines and pagers becoming most people’s first occasional forays into the digital world.
By the time the Internet went from a niche hobby to something common in most American homes, the digital age was in full swing. Now most people walk around with at least one digital media device in their pocket, purse or backpack, using digital communications at work, on the commute and even while eating dinner or shopping. Afterwards, they might come home and play a video game or stream a show and interact with digital media again. Before they go to sleep, they might talk to their digital home assistant and find out the weather forecast for the following day. What is digital media? The answer is not simple. Defining digital media is difficult because it is rapidly evolving alongside technological innovation and human interaction. As we move into the future, our daily use of digital media will likely only increase, especially as holographic and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are developed and integrated into our daily lives.
Exploring types of digital media
Traditional (non-digital) media includes various types of communication technologies, some of which have been around for hundreds of years. Newspapers, magazines, books, and other printed materials were among the first types of traditional media. They were connected in the nineteenth century by the telegraph and in the twentieth century by radio and television, the first examples of mass media.
The digital age, however, meant a whole new set of media transmission methods and devices that evolved every year. Today, most types of digital media fit into one of these main subgroups:
Audio: Audio forms of digital media include digital radio stations, podcasts, and audiobooks. Tens of millions of Americans subscribe to digital radio services such as Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Pandora, and Sirius, which offer a wide range of music stations and allow users to listen to databases of millions of songs on demand.
Video: Much digital media is visual, from streaming movie and television services like Netflix to virtual reality surgery simulators used in medical facilities. One of the biggest players in visual digital media is YouTube, which hosts billions of videos. Launched in 2005, it is one of the most popular destinations on the Internet.
Social media: social media includes sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Snapchat, which allow their users to interact with each other through text posts, photos, and videos, and to leave “likes” and comments to engage in conversations about pop culture, sports, news, politics, and the daily events of users’ lives.
Advertising: advertisers have made their way into the digital media landscape, leveraging marketing partnerships and ad space wherever possible. The Internet has moved away from the use of pop-up and autoplay ads that flooded early sites and drove away visitors. Instead, advertisers are looking to native content and other methods to get consumers invested without overselling their product.
News, literature and more: traditionally, people consumed text through books, newspapers, magazines and the like. Although digital media has proliferated, the desire for such reading experiences has persisted. Research from the Pew Research Center shows that 38% of adults in the U.S. read news online. The proliferation of literary websites, the popularity of resources like Wikipedia, and the rise of e-readers like the Kindle underscore the continued importance of written work in digital media.
Examples of digital media
Digital media encompasses a wide range of websites, technological devices, and platforms. You may be aware of some uses of digital media, but the fact is that digital media has impacted many industries and opened up a range of opportunities for people to earn a living and use their talents in different ways.
Before digital technology, surgeons and other medical professionals had to rely on clunky simulators, videos or cadavers to perform new surgeries, which made it difficult to perfect certain operations and increased complications when performed on live patients. Digital technology has introduced all sorts of new tools into the surgical suite that allow physicians to better practice and perform such procedures, increasing patient safety and reducing errors while lowering costs. Modern surgeons practice with advanced virtual reality (VR) systems and work through various scenarios using digital versions of the same miniature cameras and sensors they rely on during an actual surgery.
Digital media has also led to entirely new careers. Sites like Twitch allow people to stream their daily lives, and people can pay to subscribe to individual channels to see what interests them. Twitch streamers include video gamers, musicians, social influencers, and even those who just stream their daily activities, such as going to the store, cooking dinner, or cleaning the house. Users from all different walks of life expose subscribers to different cultures and lifestyles. Digital media professionals can also use easily accessible technologies such as cell phones and open-source coding to film their own shows, movies, or podcasts and stream them at little or no cost, creating more media equity. These are just a few examples of digital media, although the market for such products is growing, and there are more applications every year.
Large digital media companies
As digital has taken over the modern business landscape, some of the most valuable companies in the world are in tech. Many of these companies have diverse interests and divisions, including in various forms of digital media and related ventures. As a result, the leading digital media companies are among the largest in the world.
Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin and began as a revolutionary new search engine that fueled the growth of one of the world’s most valuable brands (worth $309 billion in 2019, according to CNBC statistics). Google has evolved into a massive, multinational technology company that develops all things internet-related, including its own web browser (Chrome), laptops (Chromebooks), smart glasses, and internet television streams (Chromecast). In 2015, Google announced that it was creating parent company Alphabet to run the organization’s various divisions with Google as a subsidiary.
Netflix started in 1997 as an online-based movie rental service where people could order DVDs and have them delivered to their homes. Customers made their wish list of movies, and Netflix sent them DVDs from the list. Users could keep DVDs for as long as they wanted, and receive the next movie on their list after the first one returned. Netflix has since grown from a third-party movie distributor to an online streaming giant, with more than 150 million subscribers paying for a mix of TV, movies and original content. The brand has launched pop culture sensations like “Orange is the New Black,” “Stranger Things” and “BoJack Horseman.””
Apple has gone from a niche computer company with elegant marketing to one of the dominant technology forces on the planet. Founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, Apple spent the first quarter century of its existence as an innovative but struggling computer company with some impressive products that never quite caught on. With the introduction of the iMac in 1998, followed by the iPod three years later, marketed with Jobs’ brilliant strategies driving intrigue and demand, Apple moved to the forefront of the gadget market. In the years since, products like the iPhone, iPad,and Apple Watch have kept Apple strong. Millions of Americans consume large amounts of digital media daily through their Apple products such as iTunes and Apple TV.
Facebook and Twitter are two of the largest social media websites. Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok also have significant user bases in the hundreds of millions or more. According to a 2018 Pew Research survey, 75% of all U.S. adults use YouTube and 68% use Facebook. Over 94% of 18-to-24-year-olds use YouTube and 80% of them use Facebook. Major players in the business world own these brands. For example, Facebook owns Instagram and other platforms such as WhatsApp. In addition, Google owns several web ventures including YouTube. As generations who grew up with social media get older and new users get older, the number of people on these platforms will likely continue to grow.
Amazon remains a digital commerce titan with a huge presence in digital media. The company is one of the world’s largest by market value, according to Investopedia. From Amazon Prime and its associated streaming service to personal assistants, cloud services and digital advertising, the company has a widespread presence online. This is reflected in its growth, with revenue tripling from $117.9 billion to $232.9 billion between 2017 and 2018.
Digital media jobs and salaries
Digital media encompasses a wide range of platforms, products and industries. As a result, the job market and earning potential for careers in digital media vary by industry, location, work experience, and education, but in general, the outlook is strong. Many digital media jobs, including the following, exist in a variety of industries, including the public and private sectors. Careers in digital media, therefore, offer the opportunity to work in all kinds of environments.
Graphic Designer
Digital media jobs include many graphic design positions. Graphic designers create digital illustrations that convey information, from company logos to movie posters and more. They use sketch pads, computers, tablets and other devices to create their work. They use different fonts, colors, photos, shapes and aesthetic elements along the way. Those in graphic design work with clients to identify what they are looking for, and then go through a design process where they develop different options and adapt their ideas to the client’s needs.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 290,100 graphic designers worked in the U.S. as of May 2018. They earned a median annual salary of $50,370, with the bottom 10% of earners making under $29,610 and the top 10% making more than $85,760 per year. By industry, the median annual salary for this position can range from $40,170 (printing and related support activities) to $51,380 (advertising, public relations, and related services). The BLS expects the job market to grow 3% between 2018 and 2028, representing 8,800 new jobs.
Web developers
Web design specialists use their graphic design skills to create websites and other web-based applications. They have some knowledge of programming and coding in languages such as CSS, HTML, or Java. Web developers help businesses update their websites or design new websites from scratch using existing templates or frameworks like WordPress or Squarespace. They make sure websites look good on different devices while remaining functional.
According to the BLS, as of May 2018, there were 160,500 web developers working in the U.S., which translates to an average annual income of $69,430. The BLS has high expectations for the web developer job market, expecting it to grow by 20,900 jobs at a rate of 13% between 2018 and 2028. Publishing Industries ($75,360) and Computer Systems Design Firms ($68,670) had the highest median annual salaries.
Digital Media Specialist
Digital media specialists play an important role in the digital media job market. These versatile media professionals can perform a range of tasks and combine a variety of skills. Digital media specialists may work in social media, where they use graphic design skills to help companies with their branding and voice. They may also use on-camera and writing skills as well as video or audio editing skills to create packages for use in digital marketing campaigns. Different projects require different tasks and skills, and digital media specialists can fill any number of them.
According to statistics from PayScale, the average median salary for digital media specialists as of December 2019 was $34,000 annually. While the BLS does not store specific data on digital media specialists, reports from web marketing news outlets such as Social Media Today indicate that global online ad spending continued to grow significantly in 2019 (4% worldwide), with total spending reaching $329 billion by 2021, accounting for 49% of all ad spending. These trends point to favorable job growth in digital media careers.
Here’s how digital media internships are landing
Working in all types of media, including digital media, means taking advantage of networking, which can lead to more opportunities down the line. Even at the high school level, students can interact with digital media – opening social media profiles, making connections, and even practicing or creating digital content. But in college, networking really takes on more importance as students figure out where they want to go with their digital media careers. A common way for students to gain experience and valuable contacts in the industry is through internships.
Internships in digital media can take place over the summer, in a semester, or during an entire school year. They can be in large office settings, or they can involve work in the community. The further along students are in their undergraduate careers and the more skills they have, the more they can do in their internships.
Before beginning a digital media internship, there are several skills that are valuable to students. Applicants should be confident interviewers, even without prior experience, who show a willingness to learn and grow as they contribute. They should have solid writing skills and demonstrate some proficiency in photography, graphic design, website design, or social media. During an internship, students can develop other marketable skills, such as storytelling, managing client relationships, copywriting, content programming, and more.
Some digital media internships pay, others don’t. While there is a push for paid internships in the media industry, some companies-especially smaller companies-may not pay their interns. When considering an internship, it’s wise to consider the work experience to be gained and how the internship will impact the completion of real work assignments in the future.