Music Industry

This study examines interpersonal relationships as a missional approach for engaging with the affluent. In the Great Commission in the book of Mathew 28:18-20, Christ commissioned His disciples to reach all nations with the gospel and make them His disciples. Without an appropriate model for ministering to this wealthy individuals, gospel ministers risk focusing only on poor and marginalised communities, thus failing to fulfil the Great Commission's inclusive call. The study used a qualitative approach to analyse primary data from Luke 19:1-10 and theological commentaries. It also employed a library-based method to examine relevant secondary sources. The study analysed interpersonal communication theories, including Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Attachment Theory, and Interpersonal Needs Theory. Using the interaction between Jesus and Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 as a case study, the research demonstrated how Jesus used interpersonal relationships to minister to Zacchaeus. The findings suggest that loneliness and a desire for privacy are barriers to ministry among the wealthy. At the same time, genuine connection, empathy, and pastoral presence are essential remedies; the affluent desire to feel valued and to belong through authentic relationships, not just financial transactions. The study concludes that Zacchaeus's change of heart resulted from genuine relational ministry, emphasising that interpersonal relationships are crucial when ministering to the wealthy. This research contributes to the field of missiology by addressing the often-overlooked affluent population as a potential mission field. It also provides gospel ministers with practical models of ministry to the wealthy through authentic interpersonal relationships rather than transactional approaches.

El libro Platformed! How Streaming, Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence Are Shaping Music Cultures de Tiziano Bonini y Paolo Magaudda ofrece un panorama riguroso sobre cómo las plataformas digitales están transformando las prácticas musicales contemporáneas. Desde un enfoque sociotécnico, los autores argumentan que tecnologías como Spotify no triunfan por su superioridad técnica, sino por articular ensamblajes complejos que incluyen dinámicas económicas, políticas y culturales. Inspirados en el modelo de Van Dijck, Poell y De Waal (2018), muestran cómo, a nivel micro, las plataformas median la escucha; a nivel meso, extraen y comercializan datos; y a nivel macro, inciden incluso en procesos geopolíticos. El análisis revela cómo los algoritmos construyen para cada persona usuraria “identidades algorítmicas” basadas en hábitos de consumo, consolidando fenómenos como la reintermediación y el giro curatorial. Conceptos como la “lógica algo-torial” (Bonini y Gandini 2019) muestran la interacción entre curadores humanos y sistemas automáticos en la producción de listas de reproducción, con implicaciones estéticas y económicas. Al mismo tiempo, inspirados en Bruno Latour y Michel de Certeau, los autores exploran tácticas de resistencia algorítmica (Treré 2018; Velkova y Kaun 2021), que permiten a los oyentes negociar el poder de las plataformas. Finalmente, el libro aborda el impacto de la inteligencia artificial en la composición musical y la precarización del trabajo artístico, situando estas transformaciones en un mercado donde la música grabada se redefine como servicio más que como objeto.

El concepto de Persona Musical acuñado por Philip Auslander es muy usado en toda Iberoamérica. En este artículo se señalan algunos problemas y posibilidades de actualización de la noción. Se concentra en los siguientes aspectos: • La disminución de la importancia de los géneros musicales como ejes nodales en la construcción de marcos reguladores de las pesonae musicales. • La necesidad de considerar más elementos que el desempeño de las personas artistas en escena en la formación de estas identidades. • El papel de la nueva ecología de medios y la actividad de los fans como produsuarios en la construcción de diferentes versiones de personae musicales. • La distinción entre problemas de enunciación y performance en la interpretación musical. Espero que estas reflexiones sean de utilidad y colaboren a abrir un debate académico en nuestro entorno sobre el tema.

El libro A Philosophy of Cover Songs (2022) de P. D. Magnus explora el fenómeno de los covers desde una perspectiva filosófica, articulando cuestiones históricas, estéticas y metafísicas. El autor evita definiciones rígidas y propone una noción mínima: un cover es una grabación que versiona otra previamente establecida como canónica. Tomando un camino diferente a otros autores como Butler (2010) o López-Cano (2018), el autor sólo distingue dos tipos de covers: los miméticos que son fieles al original y los interpretativos que lo transforman creativamente. Los otros tipos y casos los relega a la discusión sobre identidad de cada canción.
Magnus examina cómo evaluamos los covers, ya sea por su fidelidad, por el diálogo que establecen con la obra precursora o por lo que Leddington (2021) denomina hearing in: la experiencia de escuchar la canción original dentro del cover. En los capítulos finales, introduce dilemas metafísicos, como la paradoja del striking cover (Kania 2006) o los problemas que plantean las interpolaciones (McLeish 2020), mostrando cómo los límites entre “misma canción” y “nueva obra” dependen tanto de estructuras musicales como de la recepción de los oyentes (Bartel 2018).
La propuesta central de Magnus es una analogía biológica: las canciones son linajes históricos de versiones conectadas, más que entidades fijas. Desde este pluralismo, un cover puede ser la misma canción, una subcanción o una obra diferente según los criterios aplicados, enfatizando la fluidez ontológica y cultural del fenómeno.
El libro es una buena muestra de las discusiones y las contradicción de la pujante filosofía del rock.

The aim of the paper is to present punk cabaret - a new musical phenomenon on the music scene of the English-speaking countries. The author briefly presents its main representatives and cultural contexts, which is followed by an attempt to define the constitutive features of the genre in its musical, performative, and textual aspects. The former consist of prominent vocals, displaying both lyrical finesse and raw, punk-inspired force, with scant accompaniment evoking circus music and pre-war cabaret. Performance, playing a significant role in the genre, adds campy aesthetics and vintage flair. The textual layer, in turn, is characterised by dark humour, moral irreverence, disrespect for the established aesthetic canon, and the orientation towards social margins. All these facets - auditory, visual, and textual-are considered as inseparably intertwined and mutually interrelated in a constant play of contextualisation and allusions, with sound playing a vital role in text interpretation.

O artigo investiga o consumo do corpo feminino como símbolo de igualdade de gênero na música. Estudamos a edição de 2023 do festival Rock The Mountain, que, apesar de ter um line-up 100% feminino, contou com mais de 90% de instrumentistas homens. A problemática é: como corpos femininos são transformados em mercadoria em discursos de igualdade de gênero na indústria musical? Utilizando o conceito
de feminismo de mercadoria, de Goldman, Heath e Smith (1991), analisamos o consumo de pautas feministas em uma perspectiva neoliberal. Metodologicamente, realizamos um estudo de caso com levantamento de documentos jornalísticos, posts em redes sociais e coleta de relatos informais de mulheres presentes no evento. Como resultados, encontramos nuances importantes, mostrando que o público é
agente ativo dentro da narrativa de empoderamento no evento.

This study investigates music blogging in Lagos Nigeria and its implication on digital music promotion, consumption through downloads, challenges and opportunities for bloggers in Lagos Nigeria. Based on qualitative interviews with a major music blogger in Lagos, case studies and existing literature, the paper examines challenges, opportunities and cultural significance of blogging amidst a saturated and fast changing global music digital economy.  Findings reveal that music blogs in Lagos Nigeria, experience limitations such as cyber threats, minimal monetization, unpredictable algorithms, creators and audience fatigue. Bloggers use a hybrid approach of websites and social media to manage content release, arouse audience interest and facilitate interaction. Through the lens of Use and Gratification theory, this research investigated the gratification of consuming music through downloads, motivation of creators who pitch for music blog placement, the essence of music blogging, and the ethical approaches of bloggers. By showing that Nigerian music blogs function not only as a digital promotional tool but also as cultural institutions, this study fills a gap in literature, while providing new insights into the unique dynamics of Lagos digital music ecosystem. This study concludes with recommendations such as policies and regulations, improving content quality, and Creating industry standard for music bloggers in Lagos Nigeria.

Keywords. Music blogging, Nigeria Music industry, digital music economy in Nigeria, Use and Gratification theory, Lagos music blogging consumption.

To support my Phd theses and results of my grant research in 1999, I asked 1) prominent chemist Antonín Holý, author of substances to treat hepatitis and HIV, about the indivisibility of the art and science (published in Slovak Narodna Obroda and Czech blisty,cz), 2) the distinguished economist William Baumol about the alternative activities (published in Slovak Nove Slovo, Czech Respekt and blisty.cz), 3) Nobel Laureate Clive Granger about the significance of the economics (published in 2004 in Czech weekly Tyden). The interviews were exhibited in Holland Park, W8 6LU, The Ice House between 18. Oct - 3. Nov. 2013

La Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE), consciente de que la irrupción de la inteligencia artificial (IA) representa un punto de inflexión en creación musical y artística, ha impulsado un informe estadístico para examinar su impacto económico y social en el sector musical español. El estudio El impacto económico y social de la inteligencia artificial en la creación musical y sus efectos en otros ámbitos de la cultura, desarrollado por la consultora Know Media en colaboración con la Universidad Carlos III, examina las actitudes, usos y proyecciones de los autores y autoras musicales en relación con la IA, así como los posibles escenarios de sustitución de la actividad creativa humana por procesos automatizados.
El estudio ha sido realizado a partir de encuestas a una muestra diversa de 1.257 creadores y creadoras musicales en España, de una variedad de estilos y con diferentes niveles de ingresos.

Man, by nature, is a creative being, and in his quest for expression he often borrows from the works of others, an act which, if not properly regulated, may result in the infringement of creative rights. Sampling, one such creative tool involving the incorporation of elements from existing sound recordings into new works, has become widespread in Nigeria’s music industry. While it fuels innovation and artistic diversity, it also raises significant copyright concerns. This paper examines the licensing requirements governing sampling under the Nigerian Copyright Act, 2022, with emphasis on the need for sample clearance to obtain both composition and sound recording rights. It further considers the evidentiary challenges in proving sampling, particularly the requirements of fixation and considerable reproduction. The paper concludes that although properly licensed sampling can benefit both copyright owners and new artists, ignorance of or non-compliance with licensing obligations exposes artists to litigation, fines, or costly settlements. The paper ultimately underscores the critical role of legal practitioners in negotiating balanced agreements, reinforcing the guiding rule: “get cleared or get sued.”

Norwegian rapper Hkeem won a “Norwegian Grammy Award” for the music video “Ghettoparasitt” [Ghetto Parasite] (2018), which confronts the persistence of racist discourse and discriminatory practices in twenty-first century Norway. This chapter investigates “Ghettoparasitt” as a salient example of how Nordic hip hop artists have used music video to articulate minority experiences and intervene in discourses on race, racism, and national belonging. As racism and racial discrimination have received renewed global attention in the late 2010s and early 2020s, it is imperative to increase our understanding of how issues of racial identity are negotiated in popular music and culture. Addressing this issue, the chapter demonstrates how a single music video can shed light on diverse aspects of contemporary hip hop's counter-hegemonic capacity and antiracist politics. Through a combination of music video analysis and media ethnography, I examine the video's critique of racial stereotypes and its public circulation and reception. This provides a platform for considering how Hkeem assumed a central role in public debates about racism in Norway in the early 2020s, as he spoke openly about his own experiences as an ethnic minority Norwegian man and employed “Ghettoparasitt” to raise racial issues on national TV.

A prevailing standard in the global music industry posits that every musician necessitates a manager to oversee strategic planning, negotiations, and commercial intricacies. This paper contests the prevailing norm by advocating for a manager-as-employee paradigm, based on the principal-agent theory and entrepreneurship studies, in which the artist is redefined as the business principal who engages a manager for specialised functions. Utilising historical trends and the contemporary digital landscape, this article illustrates that musicians actively participate in many entrepreneurial endeavours-such as budgeting, branding and distribution-and thus need not relinquish overall authority to a manager. The article contends that, notwithstanding the valuable connections and experience offered by reputable managers, contractual agreements should prioritise the artist's creative vision and financial independence. It delineates how artists might work, examining practical frameworks such as project-based management agreements, and promoting wider acknowledgement of music as a viable vocation. The conclusion urges industry stakeholders-labels, promoters, media and educational institutions-to endorse a paradigm where artist liberty is the norm rather than the anomaly.

This MSc (Data Science) project investigates how record-label streaming data can inform tour planning and applies combinatorial-optimisation methods to minimise tour travel costs.

Rae compiles six months of streaming records, reverse-geocodes listener coordinates, and clusters hotspots (using K-means and DBSCAN) to build a 32-location UK tour instance. He constructs a Haversine distance matrix and tests three metaheuristic TSP solvers — Local Search (2-Opt), Simulated Annealing (SA), and Genetic Algorithm (GA) — comparing solution quality (total distance) and CPU time across repeated runs.

The thesis includes full code and appendices (data cleaning, reverse geocoding, clustering, distance matrix, implementations and visualisations), and concludes with a three-stage practical workflow: hotspot selection, algorithmic routing (GA preferred for quality), then 2-Opt improvements and parameter tuning for further gains.

In the context of rapid digital technology development and the growing influence of algorithmic consumption systems, music is undergoing profound changes in both distribution and artistic expression. This transformation reflects new models of interaction between listener, work, and digital environment, requiring a rethinking of music as an aesthetic experience. The study aimed to examine the impact of digital platforms on the evolution of musical expression as a cultural form, focusing on musical art as an aesthetic practice in the digital age. The methodological basis combined an interdisciplinary approach with musicological and comparative analysis of 50 popular tracks, as well as content analysis. Findings show that digitalization fosters new forms of expression characterized by fragmentation, hyper-personalization, and algorithmic mediation of listening. Analysis of digital soundscapes revealed two dominant structures in contemporary tracks: fragmentary (e.g., "CHIHIRO" by Billie Eilish) and those with an increasing climax (e.g., "Labour" by Paris Paloma). Special attention was given to generative music involving artificial intelligence. Music created wholly or partly by AI is increasingly integrated into digital soundscapes, offering novel compositional and arrangement possibilities. Such generated music enhances experimentation and variability while sparking debates over authorship and emotional authenticity. The study also noted that AI-generated elements are often seamlessly embedded within tracks, making their origin imperceptible to most listeners. The practical significance lies in developing approaches to analyze music as a media and cultural phenomenon undergoing deep evolution under digital influence, contributing to both academic discourse and practical understanding of contemporary musical creativity.

The 18th century marked a transformative period for European violin culture, where the interplay of pedagogy, patronage, and music publishing fostered new forms of music practices and knowledge. The conference seeks to explore the multifaceted dynamics that influenced violin education and performance in relation to music theory and aesthetics during the Age of Enlightenment. This event will investigate the teaching methods and repertoire in a century of increasing recognition and institutionalisation of violin 'schools', examining how social and political climates impacted music education, the careers of violinists, and the role of patrons in fostering musical talent and facilitating the circulation of music and musicians. The mobility of violinists and the networks they created will be analyzed, as well as the role of printers in shaping the music market, balancing local traditions with the demands of an increasingly international repertoire. By bringing together scholars from diverse disciplines, this conference seeks to provide new perspectives on the legacy of 18th-century European violin 'schools' and their place in the broader history of musical culture.

Kreacyjna moc czarnej płyty. Fonografia a dzieje południowoafrykańskiej muzyki kwela Streszczenie w artykule scharakteryzowano związki przemysłu fonograficznego z powstaniem i rozwojem południowoafrykańskiej muzyki kwela. Omówiono wpływ amerykańskiej fonografii na muzykę wykonywaną przez młodzież na ulicach rPa w latach 40. XX wieku oraz późniejsze wybrane dokumentacje fonograficzne tej muzyki, wydane m.in. przez lokalną wytwórnię płytową Gallotone. Opisano również kolejne etapy rozwoju muzyki kwela od jej powstania aż do chwili obecnej.

This article examines the role of social media platforms as new editors and curators in the art world, focusing on their impact on artistic production and the cultural paradoxes artists face in their visibility strategies. The dominance of algorithms in determining content visibility encourages a production model driven by popularity rather than artistic depth. The study discusses the approaches of artists who resist social media, providing examples, and proposes alternative pathways to safeguard artistic autonomy.

기술이 음악을 대체할 수 있는가

AI가 작곡하고 연주하고 노래하는 시대다. 이제는 누구나 텍스트 프롬프트 한 줄로 완성된 곡을 만들 수 있고, 음성 합성 기술로 실제 가수와 구별하기 어려운 노래를 생산해낼 수 있다. 음악은 더 이상 인간만의 영역이 아니다. 그렇다면 질문은 이렇게 바뀐다. 기술은 음악을 대체하는가, 아니면 확장하는가? 『AI와 음악산업』은 이 물음에 대한 명쾌한 해답을 주기보다는 당면한 문제를 함께 고민하고 나아갈 방향을 제시한다. 아울러 AI가 디지털 음악 산업 전반에 어떤 구조적 변화를 불러왔는지, 그리고 그 기술이 어떤 방식으로 예술과 공존할 수 있는지에 대한 주요 현안을 살펴본다.

음악의 생산, 유통, 소비를 재구성하는 AI

음악 산업은 늘 기술과 함께 진화해왔다. 축음기, LP, CD, MP3, 그리고 스트리밍. 이제 AI가 그 다음 주자가 되었다. 오픈AI의 쥬크박스, 구글 마젠타, 소니의 Flow Machines 등은 인간의 손길 없이 작곡과 편곡을 수행한다. 최근에는 Suno, Udio와 같은 생성형 플랫폼이 누구나 음악을 생산할 수 있게 했다. 또한 스포티파이의 BaRT 알고리즘은 사용자의 청취 이력을 분석해 개인 맞춤형 음악을 추천한다. 단순히 ‘좋은 곡을 추천’하는 것이 아니라, ‘청취자의 취향을 학습하고 설계’하는 단계로 진입한 것이다. AI는 이제 음악을 듣는 방식만이 아니라, 무엇을 듣게 할 것인가를 결정하고 있다.

K-pop, AI, 그리고 새로운 창작 생태계

AI 기술은 특히 K-pop 산업에서 급속히 확산되고 있다. 음성 합성으로 가상의 아이돌을 제작하고, 팬 데이터를 분석해 마케팅을 맞춤화하며, 팬과의 상호작용은 디지털 트윈 아티스트가 수행한다. 창작과 유통, 팬덤 관리까지 AI가 결합된 복합 시스템은 새로운 제작 생태계를 구성하고 있다. 하지만 이러한 변화는 창작자의 지위와 책임을 동시에 흔들고 있다. 누구의 곡인가? 누가 작가로 인정받아야 하는가? AI는 단지 ‘도구’인가, 아니면 새로운 ‘공동 창작자’인가? 기존의 저작권 체계와 ‘작가성’ 개념은 더 이상 현재 벌어지는 변화를 따라잡지 못하고 있으며 이에 대한 새로운 정의가 필요하다.

예술의 자율성은 어떻게 지켜질 수 있는가

AI의 효율성과 편리함은 분명 매력적이다. 하지만 기술이 예술을 규격화하고 예측 가능하게 만들 때, 예술의 본질은 손상될 가능성이 있다. AI가 만들어낸 수천 곡이 ‘알고리즘 친화적’이라는 이유로 소비되는 현실에서, 인간 창작자만의 휴머니즘과 인간 고유의 즉흥성, 결핍에서 오는 미학적 아름다움은 설 자리를 잃어가고 있다. 그렇다고 기술을 거부할 수는 없다. 중요한 것은 공존의 방식이다. 기술은 창작을 보조하고 확장하는 역할에 집중하고 머물러야 하며, 인간 창작자의 주체성과 창의성은 중심에 남아 있어야 한다. 교육, 법제도, 플랫폼 설계에서 이러한 균형을 지켜내는 ‘문화적 상상력’이 지금 우리에게 필요한 시점이다.

출처 : 투데이신문(https://www.ntoday.co.kr)

Manuel Castells defines “mass self-communication” as a new form of communication enabled by digital networks. It is “mass” in that any individual’s message can potentially reach a global audience, and “self-communication” in that the message is produced, directed, and selected by the user himself rather than by a central media . In Castells’ words, “the production of the message is self-generated, [and] the definition of the potential receiver(s) is self-directed”. Unlike traditional mass communication (one-to-many via professional media), mass self-communication is many-to-many and peer-to-peer. It depends on interactive, horizontal networks rather than top-down broadcast . Castells notes that the rise of social networks and the Internet has “induced the rise of a new form of communication, mass self-communication” and caused a historical shift of the public sphere from the institutions (media corporations, governments) to the networked communication . In this model, the audience becomes a “creative audience” engaged in the “interactive production of meaning,” blurring the old lines between sender and .

This article examines the relationship between the practices of do-it-yourself (DIY) micro-independent record labels in the UK and wider mediated discourses surrounding the music industry. It is suggested that a heightened version of the art versus commerce dichotomy central to rock ideology provides the basis for a number of legitimizing theories through which the aesthetic and industrial conventions of these practitioners are justified and given importance. First, the article suggests that these legitimizing theories serve to narrow the scope of, and draw distinct boundaries around, small-scale cultural production. Second, through a self-conscious critique of globalized corporate media they serve as an engagement with the politics of cultural production and, ultimately, media power. Finally, using two prominent case studies relating to new technology (Arctic Monkeys and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) the article examines the ways in which discourses relating to DIY cultural production ...

Η ψηφιακή καθημερινότητα απαιτεί όλο και περισσότερο γραπτό λόγο—emails, αναρτήσεις, παρουσιάσεις. Όσοι δεν γράφουν σωστά, αποκλείονται σιωπηλά από τη νέα επαγγελματική και κοινωνική δημόσια σφαίρα. Όμως, με τη βοήθεια εργαλείων ΤΝ, αυτό αλλάζει. Και αλλάζει όχι με πίεση, αλλά με φυσικότητα, με την απλή (εύχρηστη και ακαριαία) διαδικασία του copy-paste. Πέρα όμως από την ορθογραφία, η Τεχνητή Νοημοσύνη γίνεται—κυριολεκτικά—δάσκαλος. Διδάσκει σύνταξη, ύφος, διατύπωση, επιχειρηματολογία. Ο νεοέλληνας χρήστης, που για χρόνια εξαρτιόταν από το copy-paste ή απλώς από την προφορικότητα, αρχίζει να εκφράζεται σωστά, σαφώς, ακόμη και όμορφα. Πρόκειται για έναν αθόρυβο ψηφιακό Διαφωτισμό, που επηρεάζει όλο το ελληνόγλωσσο έθνος—εν δυνάμει ακόμη και την Ομογένεια.

This paper questions the traditional »score-centricism (supremacy)« in classical piano music by analyzing the dynamic nature of composer’s intentions through Deleuze and Guattari’s philosophical lens. Focusing on 20th-century composers’ self-performances, the study demonstrates how these performances often deviate from written scores, suggesting that intentions are fluid rather than fixed. Using Deleuze and Guattari’s concepts of the molar, molecular, and line of flight, along with nomadism, the paper explores how composer intentions evolve and adapt in response to performance contexts. This analysis argues that the score should not be viewed as the definitive representation of a composer’s vision, but as one aspect of a larger, dynamic process of musical expression. By acknowledging the complexity and multiplicity of intentions, the study advocates for a more flexible understanding of authenticity that values both the score and the creative potential of performance, emphasizing the transformative role of interpretation in realizing a composer’s intentions.

The rise of social media in Jamaica has transformed communication, social interaction, and self-expression in ways that are both empowering and concerning. Over the last decade, Jamaicans have become increasingly engaged with digital platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, and YouTube, with nearly half of the population active on social media as of 2023. This widespread adoption has opened opportunities for networking, creativity, and entrepreneurship, yet it has also fostered new challenges for cultural values, interpersonal ethics, and mental health. A particular concern is the escalation of vulgarity and lewd behaviour within Jamaican digital spaces, where provocative and explicit content is often used to attract followers, likes, and financial opportunities. While some argue that such expression reflects global trends in social media culture, it also resonates with long-standing cultural debates in Jamaica surrounding dancehall, sexuality, and respectability politics. The evidence suggests that Jamaican content creators, particularly those engaging in controversial or explicit practices, are vulnerable to heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and digital addiction. This paper critically examines the rise of social media in Jamaica, the extent to which vulgarity and lewd behaviour have become normalised online, and the implications these phenomena hold for the mental health of Jamaican content creators. Drawing on international research, Jamaican case studies, and theoretical perspectives from cyberpsychology and media studies, the paper underscores the need to address the psychosocial consequences of digital culture in Jamaica. Recommendations are made for policymakers, educators, and mental health professionals to mitigate risks while promoting healthier online practices.

Australians love music and song. Of all the arts we experience, music and song, floods our media consumption and inspires a uniquely Australian creative enterprise. It has been a reliable source of social consensus that has the power to dissolve difference and build rare moments of national pride and social unity. Australia, between 1958 and 2003, built a local music industry that provided access and inspiration for multi-cultural generations of music makers and listeners.

The phenomenon of viral music represents one of the most transformative developments in the contemporary music industry, fundamentally altering how music is discovered, consumed, and monetized. This comprehensive analysis examines the multifaceted nature of music virality in the digital age, synthesizing recent empirical research with established theoretical frameworks from social contagion theory, network effects, and music psychology. Through examination of platform-specific data from TikTok and Spotify, case studies of recent viral successes, and analysis of the distinction between viral and hit songs, this paper reveals that music virality is not merely a matter of chance but rather the result of complex interactions between intrinsic musical factors, extrinsic promotional elements, and platform-specific optimization strategies. Key findings indicate that while acoustic and intrinsic musical features are necessary, they are insufficient for viral success without consideration of artist-related factors, temporal elements, and strategic platform optimization. The research demonstrates that TikTok users are twice as likely to discover music on short-form video platforms compared to average social media users, with 62% of TikTok users paying for music streaming services versus 43% of consumers overall. This paper contributes to the growing body of literature on digital music distribution by providing a unified framework for understanding viral music phenomena and offers practical implications for artists, labels, and platform developers navigating the evolving landscape of music promotion and discovery.

Despite its modern reputation among fans and critics as an entertaining (albeit slightly outdated) time capsule of the Grateful Dead from the height of their popular renaissance, the long form video So Far (1987) figures prominently among many of the contemporary creative projects and business ventures that the Grateful Dead organization were pursuing in the middle of the 1980s. At the time, the organization was especially interested in developing a stronger presence within the growing market for home video. As I detail below, the video that consumers would purchase in 1987 as So Far had originally been proposed by members of the organization in 1984 and was intended to be produced in conjunction with the band’s twentieth anniversary in 1985. From 1985 until 1986, Garcia and director Len Dell’Amico worked in fits and starts on a scripted project that was being referred to as the “anniversary video.”

Throughout this time, members of the organization also began to conceive of the proposed anniversary video project alongside plans to independently produce and distribute videocassettes direct to fans through their extensive mailing list. Although plans for a “cassette self-distribution” division would not materialize, the long-running video project was quickly repackaged and repurposed following Jerry Garcia’s health crisis in 1986.
   
The story of So Far offers a unique glimpse into the creative and corporate mindset of the Grateful Dead and the Grateful Dead organization in the middle of the 1980s. In my discussion of the development and history of So Far that follows, I draw upon numerous archival documents preserved at the Grateful Dead Archive at the University of California, Santa Cruz, including meeting minutes, memos and letters, contracts, production materials, budget estimates, sales reports, and other materials. The information preserved on these varied documents provides a tremendous amount of insight into the history, legacy, and lasting influence of So Far. Special thanks to Len Dell'Amico for sharing some images from this time and for the fun chats.

The paper is devoted to the issues concerning the conditions and potentials for development of a creative economybased on culture sectorin cities and towns of the Upper Silesian Agglomeration. It refers to the aspects like: broad and narrow definition of a creative economy, prospective and retrospective presentation of the Upper Silesian Agglomeration as well as its institutional potential along with existing structure of the creative economy. Cases of Katowice as a musie city and Bytom as a stage and outdoor entertainment town were also discussed.

This article, adapted from the epilogue of Cultural Tactics: Everyday Creativity, Tactical Resistance, and Cultural Grafting (2025, forthcoming), examines how agentic artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes cultural tactics-everyday improvisations by artists and communities navigating power. Drawing on the book's cultural grafting paradigm, it argues AI serves as both a strategic tool of corporate/state control and a tactical opportunity for grassroots innovation, especially in the Global South. Case studies from Tunisia, Palestine, and Nigeria illustrate how AI, when grafted onto local ecosystems, amplifies cultural diversity and resilience. The article proposes a vision for plural cultural futures amidst AI's rise, urging tactical collaboration between humans and machines.

In the past decade, the Chinese government’s financial subsidies for
performing arts troupes accounted for an average of 50.57% of their
total income. By the end of 2021, China has 18,370 performing arts
troupes and 3,093 performing arts venues. The research conclusions
of this paper include the following four points: (1) Digital live-streaming
theater(DLT) is an “innovation” for traditional Stage Theater(ST) performance, and its changes in creation mechanism, audience-actors relationship, technical esthetics and business model are worthy of further
study. (2) Data from 2011 to 2021 show that Baumol’s cost disease
also exists in Chinese performing arts. (3)The Chinese government
has been reducing its direct management and control of arts troupes,
trying to move toward “arm’s length” governance. (4) During the
COVID-19 epidemic, performance case data from China show that DLT
can indeed reduce the marginal cost, attract more young audiences,
and increase performance revenue. However, considering the high
technical cost input, whether digital technology can alleviate the cost
disease of performing arts still needs more annual industry data
analysis.

Billboard's International Music Industry Conference (IMIC) was where tough industry topics such as piracy were tackled, where technology debuted, where networking thrived, and where significant business deals were made. IMIC changed the traditional rules; decision-makers openly met to plan for the future as a united and collective industry. The conference immediately proved its significance; the Universal Numbering Systems Action Committee (UNSAC) was formed to pursue a universal numbering system for the recording industry at the first conference. The second conference began the process that ultimately led to the 1971 Geneva Convention against phonogram piracy. During its sixteen-year spanand thirteen conferences-IMIC brought a global industry together. A lack of finances ultimately led to its demise.

This study analyzes the structural transformations brought by digital twin technology in the K-pop industry, spanning creation, distribution, performance, and fan experience. Originally developed as an engineering tool for real-time simulation of physical systems, the digital twin has recently expanded in K-pop to encompass virtual avatars, immersive concerts, and algorithmic interfaces based on fan behavior data. These applications reconfigure core operating principles of the K-pop ecosystem, extending beyond representation to reshape artist identity, fan engagement, and concert design and circulation. Drawing on qualitative case studies of Aespa, MAVE:, and AmazeVR, the paper applies an integrated framework of techno-cultural co-evolution, platform capitalism, and the field theory of cultural production. The analysis identifies three key shifts: the reconfiguration of creative agency, the monetization of affective data, and the platformization of concert venues. Together, these shifts redefine K-pop as a hybrid ecosystem where art, technology, and industry are tightly interwoven. The findings highlight the need for multi-layered policy responses, including the protection of creators' rights, ethical standards for fan data usage, and support for small-scale creative ecosystems. Future research should expand toward the intersections of digital twin and generative AI, fan interface design, and cross-cultural comparisons. Ultimately, this study offers a critical foundation for understanding how K-pop's sensory, structural, and identity dimensions are being reconstituted in the era of techno-cultural convergence.

디지털 트윈, K-pop, 버추얼 아티스트, 팬덤 경험, 공연생태계
digital twin, K-pop, virtual artists, fan experience, performance ecosystem

Describing the Nigerian Hip Hop music industry as the latest religion, and the youth as its true adherents may not be far from reality. As a genre of music that was adapted from the Western world, particularly the United States, the Nigerian brand of Hip Hop is setting a pace in African entertainment. Whereas the industry has become mainstreamed with overwhelming acceptance across our society, its didactic definition of success to our youths is becoming extremely worrisome. By means of vulgar and profane lyrical contents, excessive display of luxury, status and the “good life”, the Nigerian Hip Hop music ingress into the psyche of our youths: distracting them from productive causes and engaging them in frivolities. Materialism, vulgarism and profane themes are now fundamental message within Hip Hop, but these factors have received little attention in extant research. As a result, this study examines the underlying meanings and extent of material, vulgar and profane themes in Nigeria...

This chapter examines the value of music sources for studying the history of the Bracero Program. I analyze Canto del Bracero, Corrido del Bracero, and La Quema de los Bracero, all of which highlight issues faced by braceros, such as letter censorship, work accidents, isolation, insanity, and family separation. The braceros' repertoire was part of their personal experience of coping with being far from their homes. Additionally, music served as a way to express and document facts, as seen in corridos, which record tragic events that might otherwise go unreported. For applicants and relatives, the repertoire offered an alternative to official narratives, addressing issues related to working conditions, wages, insurance, and the bilateral politics behind the program that many official accounts often overlooked. By studying this repertoire, I aim to identify silences in other sources, like the Bracero Archive oral interviews, where many interviewees refused to discuss harmful experiences or simply reproduced official narratives about the Bracero Program. 

Nos últimos anos, a música gospel, sobretudo no Brasil, tem apresentado uma tendência clara: refrões repetitivos, menor densidade teológica nas letras e forte influência de versões internacionais. Essa mudança não é aleatória, mas resultado de uma combinação de fatores culturais, mercadológicos, tecnológicos e litúrgicos.

Aim. We analyze temporal dynamics of entertainment industry including literature,music, fi lms and video games, introducing possible analogies between them. We providea framework for further explanation based on the economic concepts as revenue, organizationstructure and marketing goals in these creative industries for different technologicaleras.Methods. Initially, accurate data collected for time series of weekly record sales areanalyzed from statistical point of view (e.g. networks of artists, record labels and producers).This method may be extended to other parts of entertainment industry in search ofanalogies, under the infl uence of technological revolutions.Results. We provide the statistical properties of the mass art entertainment industry(including value of the markets, seasonality, products life-cycles) and interactions betweenvarious kinds of entertainment (e.g. fi lms might be infl uenced by literature with a delay).We are able to distinguish predigital, digital and pos...

Esta tese propõe um quadro teórico-metodológico denominado NetnoRetratos, o qual integra abordagens qualitativas e quantitativas para a análise de objetos culturais no ambiente digital. A pesquisa aplica esse método ao focar nos movimentos culturais Rap nos contextos de Portugal e Brasil. As dinâmicas destes movimentos nas redes são analisadas a partir da identificação de perspetivistas, combinando netnografia e avaliação de dados estruturados, com uma constante atenção aos fenómenos que interferem nos processos de análise de dados digitais. A prática de recorrer a dados de internet para analisar fenómenos que ocorrem nos ambientes online pode revelar a existência de padrões na sociabilidade dos utilizadores, discursos recorrentes sobre determinados tópicos, fluxos de informação, entre muitos outros aspetos sobre o objeto estudado. Utilizar métodos digitais pode, no entanto, acrescentar desafios a uma pesquisa, sejam eles de natureza técnica, teórica, ética, etc. É importante considerar os contextos dos objetos e respeitar as perspetivas encontradas, seguir um método que se adapte à transformação das redes, porém, tendo em atenção à parcialidade das estruturas que as envolvem. A partir da exploração do Rap na esfera pública online, nos contextos de Portugal e Brasil, esta dissertação demonstra como o quadro teórico-metodológico desenvolvido - o NetnoRetrato - pode ser utilizado para mapear redes simbólicas e narrativas, bem como identificar dinâmicas sociais e culturais na internet. Este exercício procura expandir as possibilidades de leitura e interpretação de fenómenos culturais online e oferecer um modelo que permita pesquisadores e profissionais compreender objetos a partir das suas múltiplas manifestações em rede.

The emergence of recording technologies is considered a turning point in the historical development of the music industry. This development made it possible to transform music from a sensory form into a physical product, thereby enabling its widespread distribution and subsequent commercialization as a commodity. With increasing diversity and the rapid commercialization of the music industry, the names that characterize music have become a kind of marketing tool as music genres. Within music marketing strategies, music genres have begun to function as an important tool of the music industry, in addition to being a sociological indicator of the buyer. It has been observed that the music genres used to define music today and the market share assessments that have developed in relation to these genres have also paved the way for the formation of music genres. This study aims to examine the evolutionary process of the classification of music into genres according to specific characteristics for marketing purposes, which has become one of the most fundamental phenomena of the global music industry. In the studies conducted, music genres are a fundamental research topic in MIR studies for the development of automatic recognition, classification, and recommendation systems, and in sociological studies for topics such as cultural identity formation, community formation, and consumption practices. The fact that the industrial dimension of the subject has not been addressed makes the study valuable in this sense. In this study, which is a critical review of traditional reviews, the relevant literature was reviewed, and the situation was evaluated through the practices of the music industry as a result of the analysis of the relevant material. The study found that music genres have maintained and reinforced their position as one of the most important elements of the industry by serving as a signifier in the process of music reception by listeners.

ha tenido lugar en los últimos diez años una significativa proliferación de emprendimientos musicales editoriales y en vivo de pequeña escala de producción, dando lugar a la constitución de una denominada "escena musical independiente". Diferenciada del mercado históricamente concentrado de la música, sin recitales gigantes, empresas multinacionales o producción masiva de discos, constituye un mosaico heterogéneo de instituciones, actores, prácticas y procesos reunidos bajo la noción de "independencia". Asimismo, su desarrollo es paralelo a una creciente consolidación de la "cultura" como término de moda, no sólo en las ciencias sociales sino aun en agendas gubernamentales de planes de desarrollo o en boca de inversores privados cuando se habla de responsabilidad social empresaria. Nuestro objetivo se centra en explorar, desde una mirada cualitativa del fenómeno a través de entrevistas en profundidad, las características de esta "escena", sus actores sociales, las prácticas que desarrollan así como sus conflictos y tensiones, convencidos de que reconocer a las prácticas aglutinadas bajo el rótulo de "culturales" su lugar social es un primer paso para atender al profundo sentido de actualidad que revisten en pos de una aproximación crítica hacia la totalidad social.

Bangladeshi folk music, encompassing genres such as Baul, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya, Murshidi, and Jaari, embodies centuries of oral tradition, communal participation, and spiritual expression. Historically performed in village gatherings, seasonal festivals, and sacred spaces, these songs served as both artistic expression and vehicles of cultural memory. In the digital era, this heritage is undergoing a profound transformation. The transition from live, interactive settings to streaming platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, and Gaan Bangla has expanded global accessibility, preserved endangered traditions through digital archiving, and created new avenues for crosscultural collaboration and economic sustainability. However, these benefits are accompanied by challenges, including the loss of authenticity, commodification of spiritual and regional traditions, linguistic standardization, and the algorithm-driven marginalization of traditional forms in favor of commercially viable hybrids. Drawing on Walter Benjamin's theory of mechanical reproduction, Homi K. Bhabha's concept of cultural hybridity, and Arjun Appadurai's framework of globalization, this study critically examines how Bangladeshi folk musicians negotiate these tensions between preservation and innovation. Using qualitative analysis of scholarly works, case studies, and digital media trends, it explores how digital tools can serve as both a means of cultural survival and a catalyst for transformation. The paper concludes by recommending national digital folk archives, artist-centered digital literacy programs, and algorithmic diversity policies to ensure that digitalization strengthens rather than erases the cultural essence of Bangladeshi folk music.

Resumo. A partir dos anos 70 e 80 o campo religioso protestante no Brasil foi inundado por novas formas de religiosidade. Entre elas estão as igrejas neopentecostais que tiveram, nesses décadas, um crescimento espantoso. Em um cenário pluralista e competitivo nesse campo, a Igreja Apostólica Renascer em Cristo (IRC), fundada em 1986, centrada nas ações mercadológicas, lançou no mercado religioso o seu principal produto, a música gospel. O sucesso de tal produto se deve, em parte, aos princípios de marketing adotados pela IRC e também à existência de uma insatisfação religiosa no meio protestante, principalmente no que se refere ao ritual e a música. Nesse sentido, essa Igreja lançou no mercado religioso um produto simbólico a fim de satisfazer a demanda religiosa reprimida, contribuindo assim, de forma direta, na consolidação do mercado de música gospel no Brasil.

The winds of hallyu, which for several years have swept through most of Asia and parts of South America and Africa, have not yet been able to penetrate the part of the world that is usually known as the West. The reasons for the relatively meagre breakthrough and presence of all things hallyu in Western countries are of course many and complex as well as differentiating according to country and region. The state of the popularity and spread of hallyu and its type of audience, users and consumers is therefore not the same in North America with its big and territorialised Korean and Asian diasporic communities or in Australia and New Zealand which apart from their large Korean and Asian minorities also benefit from a geographic proximity to Korea compared to in Europe where the Korean presence is thin and where Korea is generally an unknown country. This article presents the situation concerning the reception and consumption of hallyu in today's Sweden, a Northern and Western European country with a small Korean and Asian population but 503 * Tobias Hübinette is Associate Professor in Intercultural Education at Södertörn University and a Researcher at the Multicultural Centre in Sweden. He received the Ph.D. in Korean Studies from Stockholm University. His research has focused on the Korean adoption issue and Korean popular culture, adopted Koreans and the Korean diaspora, and questions of race and whiteness and postcolonial issues.

The article investigates lessons learned from the emergence of new music industry business models and assesses how these might inform the rapidly developing online video and television marketplace. It describes the background and traditionally prevailing business models for both content processes, providing a context against which technologically mediated changes can be understood. The practical effects of technological changes are illustrated through a series of case studies, subsequent to which alternative frameworks for music and video content online are proposed. The initial results of these changes are thus demonstrated, and the article identifies requirements for further research in this rapidly changing and increasingly turbulent field of research.

This thesis examines changing value frameworks in the early 21 st Century music industry, and the key characteristics of successful new music industry business models. Traditional music industry business models were built upon a linear value chain in which the record label had control over most if not all of the value adding and creating processes, in particular manufacture, reproduction, distribution and promotion. Artists without a contract with a record label faced significant challenges in generating sufficient funds to support investment in these capital intensive and expensive processes, in order to get their music distributed to a commercial audience. New technologies introduced at the end of the 20 th Century and in the first decade of the 21 st Century changed the environment within which record labels conducted the business of music, making it harder for them to capture value from their ownership of copyright. These technologies reduced the capital costs of creating, manufacturing, reproducing and distributing music and thus significantly lowered the barriers to entry of the music industry for individual and own-label artists. In parallel, new technologies gave simple and free access to music for a large audience of digitally connected consumers. This combination of factors resulted in a turbulent environment within which record labels and artists have experimented with new ways to derive value from this changing landscape. This dissertation proposes a new music industry value framework and proves the various linkages and relationships throughout the framework. Music industry business models are decomposed using Osterwalder's business model ontology, in which is embedded the new value framework. This analysis reveals key characteristics of successful music industry business models. The dissertation concludes with recommendations for the application of these characteristics for the benefit of consumers, artists and record labels in the early 21 st Century music industry.