A Creative Industry in Transition: The Rise of Digitally Driven Independent Music Production

Abstract

This paper nuances our understanding of the ongoing transition within the North American music industry. It extends the existing analysis of the so‐called “MP3 Crisis” by exploring the ways in which digital technologies have challenged the entrenched power of the major record labels. In particular, new insights are offered based on interviews with music industry executives who have been active in shaping the industry's response to illegal file sharing. The paper also uses interview data from musicians to investigate the implications of restructuring at the macroscale on creative talent at the microscale. As such, it documents the structures and spatial dynamics of digitally driven independent music production in Canada for the first time.

Cultural Intermediaries in the Digital Age: The Case of Independent Musicians and Managers in Toronto

“…Over the last decade, however, digital technologies have altered the way music is produced, promoted, distributed and consumed, and this has individualized the majority of musicians. In Canada, for example, 95% of all musicians are not affiliated with either major or independent record labels and operate instead as entrepreneurs who are independently responsible for the entire range of creative and non-creative tasks (HRACS, 2012). Under this literal 'do-it-yourself' (DIY) model musicians can no longer rely on skilled specialists and cultural intermediaries including engineers, producers, booking agents and managers (LEYSHON, 2009) and must have 'the skills of a legal expert, a financier, and a manager to make the most of their artistic talents' (GREFFE, 2004, p. 88).…”

Conceptualizing curation in the age of abundance: The case of recorded music

“…Thus, record labels and music streaming services also perform curation to strengthen their brands (Lury, 2004) and to exert influence, in the form of power and control, over other actors within the global music marketplace. For example, cultivating the best supply of recorded music allows record labels to dictate terms to music distributors, including record shops, and building the best recommender system and biggest subscriber base allows streaming firms to dictate terms to music suppliers including musicians and record labels (Aspers, 2010;Hracs, 2012;Lury, 2004).…”

Recorded music supply network reconfiguration: the dual effect of digital technology

“…The recorded music industry production system main activities are (Graham et al, 2004;Leyshon, 2005): artistic production (composition and performance), recording (including physical support production), promotion and distribution. Majors managed to keep their control over the network by integrating recording and distribution, using mergers and acquisitions (Graham et al, 2004;Hracs, 2012;Leyshon, 2005), and thus, controlling distribution (Alexander, 1994). They also took advantage of their financial capability, which gave them privileged access to market data (Anand and Peterson, 2000) and to broadcast channels (Mol and Wijnberg, 2005), which reinforced their dominance.…”