Competitiveness, Local Production Systems and Global Commodity Chains in the Music Industry: Entering the US Market

Abstract

Power D. and Hallencreutz D. (2007) Competitiveness, local production systems and global commodity chains in the music industry: entering the US market, Regional Studies 41, -. This paper traces the principal channels and barriers that determine the conditions of access for musical products entering the US music market. It is shown that music distribution channels and retail environments exist in a networked commodity chain dominated by a limited set of oligopolistic global firms. The journey of a foreign musical product to market in the USA is a difficult one through a set of globally interlinked but highly fractured and localized commodity pools and channels. It is suggested that to understand success or failure in music sales and better develop regional production milieus, one must first understand those who control the distribution channels and retail environments through which sales are made. Power D. et Hallencreutz D. (2007) La competitivite, les systemes de production locaux et les chaines d'approvisionnement mondiales dans l'industrie de la musique: prendre pied sur le marche americain, Regional Studies 41, -. Cet article cherche a localiser les principaux circuits et barrieres qui determinent les conditions prealables a l'entree des produits de musique sur le marche de la musique americain. On demontre que les circuits de distribution de la musique et les surfaces de vente existent sous forme d'une chaine d'approvisionnement en reseau dominee par un nombre limite d'oligopoles mondiaux. Pour un produit de musique etranger, prendre pied sur le marche americain s'avere difficile, en passant par un nombre de bassins et de chaines d'approvisionnement relies sur le plan mondial mais a la fois hautement fissures et localises. L'article laisse supposer que, dans un premier temps, il faut comprendre ceux qui controlent les circuits de distribution et les surfaces de vente par lesquels les produits se vendent pour comprendre la reussite ou l'echec des ventes de musique et mieux developper l'espace de production regional. Industrie de la musique Geographie economique Marche de la musique americain Chaine d'approvisionnement Competitivite Systemes de production locaux Power D. und Hallencreutz D. (2007) Konkurrenzfahigkeit, lokale Produktionssysteme und globale Warenketten in der Musikindustrie: der Zugang zum Markt der USA, Regional Studies 41, -. In diesem Artikel werden die wichtigsten Kanale und Hindernisse beschrieben, die die Bedingungen festlegen, unter denen Musikprodukte auf den US-amerikanischen Musikmarkt gelangen. Es wird gezeigt, dass die Vertriebskanale und die Einzelhandelsumgebungen fur Musik in einer vernetzten Warenkette angesiedelt sind, die von einer kleinen Gruppe oligopolistischer globaler Konzerne beherrscht wird. Der Weg eines auslandischen Musikprodukts auf den Markt der USA steckt voller Schwierigkeiten und verlauft uber eine Reihe global verknupfter, aber hochgradig frakturierter und lokalisierter Warenpools und Kanale. Der Artikel legt den Schluss nahe, dass wir zunachst verstehen mussen...

The world according to iTunes: mapping urban networks of music production

“…While London studios dominate the sales-successful output for UK market above both New York and Los Angeles, it falls far behind these two cities in terms of sales-successful output for US markets. Power and Hallencreutz (2007) note that the cultural and knowledge gap between the USA and the rest of the world is potentially the most insurmountable. They suggest that, aside from different business cultures and operations contexts, most foreign musicians and music industry actors lack sufficient personal contacts and local knowledge to access networks in the USA.…”

“…In sampling only that music appearing in the top-10 of the iTunes charts, the study is inevitably focusing predominantly on those artists and genres of music that have been prioritized by the global music industrial system (see Negus 1996). However, this does put the study in a position to connect the success of an artist and a musical recording, in terms of sales, with the systems of production that put them in the position to be internationally and globally popular in the first place (see Power and Hallencreutz 2007 number of tracks than a full album), compilations, 'greatest hits' compilations, and albums originally released over one year before the sampling date, were not included. The final databases contain data on 53 albums from the UK download charts and 52 albums from the US download charts respectively.…”

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

“…The findings on curatorial processes are underpinned by broader work in geography which asserts that specific spatial dynamics facilitate and enhance the effectiveness of interactions and transactions between intermediaries and consumers (Hracs, 2015;Leslie et al, 2015;Power and Hallencreutz, 2007). Beyond the tendency to focus on the role of face-toface interactions and local environments, including neighborhoods and scenes, it is important to acknowledge that curators also contribute to and participate in global and translocal flows (Bathelt et al, 2004;Hracs and Jansson, 2017;Lange and Bu¨rkner, 2013).…”

Tales from the Thousand Lakes: Placing the Creative Network of Metal Music in Finland

“…However, it would be wrong to think that the music industry is just about these global giants. On the contrary, there is a large pool of smaller (local) music companies, such as Spinefarm Records in Finland (Power and Hallencreutz, 2007). Moreover, the music industry is constantly under change due to technological innovations (Leyshon, 2001;.…”