Conclusion: Tying It All Together

In this last section of the book, I will try and tie all the earlier discussions together. Expanding on the previous sections, I conclude that from the three concepts, the first is of most importance—the internal dynamics of the music industries. The concept has significant explanatory power as a factor on its own, as well as having significant impact on the two other factors. The internal structures and the (dysfunctional) nature of the music industries clearly create internal frustrations and external hostility. And more importantly, it seems to prevent the music industries from acting on the digital potential that appears.

Assessing Music Streaming and Industry Disruptions

Digital change has profoundly affected the cultural and creative industries, yet there seems to be different accounts on how to best interpret these changes. In such a context, the music industries may provide valuable insights on digital change that may prove important and transferable to other content industries. Based on two recent studies on the Norwegian music market, this chapter explores the extent to which music streaming has disrupted the structures and interrelationships of traditional and new intermediaries in the music economy. It will be argued that music streaming in many ways represents a continuation of past models which seem to amplify incumbents’ position instead of challe…

Start Making Sense

In this second section, focus will be given the Kristiansand Roundtable Conference and the dialogues and data that this book builds upon. Throughout this part, extracts and quotations will be taken from conferences to exemplify and illustrate issues that will be further discussed in the text. The Kristiansand Roundtable Conference provides a rare opportunity to follow the difficult discussions among key stakeholders within and outside the music industries, as they try to make sense of the current situation, the different options on the table, as well as the opposing and conflicting agendas. The dialogues and discussions display a complex matrix of different interests and agendas, illuminati…

In Revision: Theoretical Frameworks

A central ambition in the first section is to establish an understanding of the music industries—the field of study—as well as change—the different dynamics within and around the music industries. I consider the latter understanding to be dependent on the former—that if we don’t have a proper concept of the field of study, then it becomes difficult to define and assess the changes happening to it. The music industries have indeed been impacted by digital change and innovation. It has become a reference point for the difficulties some industries have faced, adapting to a new digital economy. However, many of the accounts on the music industries’ difficult digital transitions tend to diminish…

Nesten alene: Artisten, økonomien og bransjen

This chapter explores the framework conditions under which Norwegian artists and managers work and discusses them against a backdrop of established theories on the effects of digitalization. The author’s ambition is to expand our understanding of how the current business of music works by focusing on the people who work with it. The chapter draws on a series of interviews with ten Norwegian artists and managers conducted during the winter of 2019/2020. Building on these interviews, this chapter argues that while digitalization certainly has offered artists and managers a range of possibilities, many of the ways they work are variations on traditional structures and models. A key finding in …

Determining Factors on Digital Change in the Music Industries : A qualitative analysis of the Kristiansand Roundtable Conferences

Doktorgradsavhandling ved Fakultet for kunstfag, Universitetet i Agder, 2017

Everyone Loves Live Music: A Theory of Performance Institutions

Views from the boundaries: Music streaming revisited

This article explores how Norwegian record label managers understand their current positions and future possibilities in a market that is increasingly driven by on-demand subscription-based streaming. It adds to a growing body of research by adopting a qualitative approach, seeking to describe issues at a personal or company level, and provide nuance and dynamics in a discourse that is often described in dichotomies and on aggregate levels. The article argues that stakeholders have more varied attitudes than simply being for or against the innovation, the new economic models and their eff ects on their own business, and the market in general. It also demonstrates that perceptions change as …