Independent Musicians Research Articles

Música en directo en España: Malviviendo entre exceso de normativas

Realizar música en vivo en locales pequeños es la realidad de los músicos independientes, es un escalón más que hay que recorrer en la profesión musical, además de ser el sustento de muchos artistas, ofrece un incremento de ingresos a los locales culturales que lo permiten realizar; Una simbiosis perfecta que requiere poca inversión por parte del establecimiento, poca logística por parte del artista y el público lo valora y disfruta muchísimo. En este artículo, se analizan el exceso de normativas, que hacen que ejercer la música independiente en España, sea una labor poco rentable, sacrificada y lleve al sector de la música en vivo a la precariedad laboral. Las leyes que regulan la música en vivo, están diseñadas para medianos y grandes eventos, olvidándose durante décadas de los locales de pequeño aforo que lo ofrecen, los cuales quedaron fuera del marco legal; Esta situación ha llevado a los locales culturales y artistas a arriesgarse a pagar grandes sumas en multas, o tener repercusiones legales para poder ofrecer cultura a sus clientes.

Gestión de los procesos creativos de los músicos independientes en México

In this article we will analyze the various scenarios that present the management of the creative process of Mexican independent musicians (representatives, social practices, technical explorations, problems, etc.), scrutinizing their particularities, their cohesion with new technologies and heterogeneous trends in the preparation of a sound material. This academic effort examines the data released from a series of in-depth interviews with musical artists in the country, who reveal different guidelines on creation, an essential stage for cultural industries, and in particular for the productive chain of the Mexican music sector, framed in a context of constant change and adaptation to the digital era.

Promises and Pitfalls: The Two-Faced Nature of Streaming and Social Media Platforms for Beirut-Based Independent Musicians

ABSTRACTI argue that streaming services like SoundCloud and Spotify are key elements of a two-faced virtual ecosystem – including social media and crowd-funding platforms – that independent musicians worldwide must navigate to achieve economic viability of their music. The two-facedness of these technologies lies in their promotion as democratic and open gateways for musicians at the same time as they actually serve as gatekeepers that throw up hidden walls along lines including national origin and language. I begin by introducing the music scenes of Beirut, Lebanon, where I have done ethnographic research since 2015. I then lay out the importance of online modes of sociality for these musicians and their fans, focusing on social media and streaming services. SoundCloud, in particular, illustrates the two-faced nature of these technologies. Throughout, I offer case studies of how several musicians and other culture workers are navigating the promise and constraints of these technologies.

Study of Popular Music with YouTube Application: Focused on Major YouTube Music Creator in South Korea

본 논문은 온라인 중심으로 재편되고 있는 대중음악 시장의 변화와 관련하여 최근 새로운 비즈니스 모델로 부상하고 있는 유튜브를 활용한 대중음악의 홍보 방안에 관한 연구이다. 국내·외 음악 산업과 관련한 자료를 분석한 결과 대중음악 산업은 온라인 중심으로 재편되어 스트리밍 음원 서비스의 성장이 전체 음악 산업의 발전을 견인하는 역할을 하고 있으며, 특히 국내 음악 사용자는 온라인 음악 서비스 이용방법 중에서 유튜브를 가장 많이 활용하고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 또한, 국내 음악 산업은 주로 대형 기획사 중심으로 편중되어 있으나, 대형 기획사도 고비용 고수익 기반의 제작 방식에 변화가 나타나고 있으며 이러한 변화의 주요 원인은 소비자의 소비패턴 변화로부터 기인한다고 할 수 있다. 최근 주목받고 있는 다중채널네트워크 산업은 주요 플랫폼인 유튜브를 활용하여 온라인 기반 동영상 및 콘텐츠의 기획, 제작, 유통, 지원, 홍보, 수익화, 관리 등과 관련한 일련의 모든 비즈니스 분야에 이르는 사업으로 기존의 전통 적인 영상 제작 비즈니스나 광고, 방송, 홍보 등과는 다른 구조로 구성되어 있다. 이렇게 새로운 미디어를 활용하여 비교적 적은 비용과 쉬운 방법으로 음악을 홍보할 수 있는 방법들이 나타나게 되는 것은 소형 제작사나 인디 뮤지션들에게 대형 기획사 중심으로 편중된 국내 대중음악 시장에 대처할 수있는 새로운 가능성으로 대두되고 있다. 본 논문에서는 국내 음악 관련 주요 유튜브 크리에이터인 J. Fla, Jung Sung Ha, Raon Lee에 대한 개별 특징과 성공요인을 분석하였다. 이러한 분석과 연구를 바탕으로 채널 구성, 독창적인 셀프 브랜딩, 콘텐츠 품질 강화, 멀티채널의 구축, 소통 중심의 채널 운영, 세밀한 고객 분석, 정당한 수익 배분 요구등 7가지의 세부적인 방안을 도출하였다. 본 연구를 통해 새로운 미디어 환경에 대처하는 구체적인 대중음악 홍보 방안을 제시하여 자본 규모에 상관없이 국내 개인 음악 창작자와 중소형 제작 사가 능동적으로 음악을 창작하거나 제작할 수 있는 환경을 조성하고, 이를 통해 아티스트나 소형 제작사가 스스로 시장경쟁력을 갖추어 대형 기획사에 편중되어 있는 국내 대중 음악시장의 불균형을 보완할 수 있는 계기가 될 수있기를 바란다.This study aims at exploring the marketing strategies of popular music with MCN(Multi Channel Network) where YouTube, a newly emerging business model, plays a role as a main platform in consideration of the changes of popular music market being reorganized to go on online. The analysis of preceding research and data related to the music industry at home and abroad indicates that the popular music industry has been reorganized centered on online, thus the growth of music streaming service leads the development of the music industry as a whole, especially it is found that YouTube is the most preferred method of online music service among Korean music service users. Although the Korean music industry has been heavily weighted in favor of large agencies, currently they attempt to change the high-cost and high-profit production method, and the main cause of such shift comes from the changed consumption patterns among consumers. The recently growing MCN industry is a business model that uses YouTube, a major platform, to cover a series of businesses connected to the planning, production, distribution, support, marketing, making profit and management of online video clips and contents, which is structured in a different way from the traditional perspectives of video producing businesses or advertisements, broadcasting and marketing. The emergence of such an easy way to promote music by utilizing the new media at a relatively small cost suggests a new possibility to small producers or independent musicians regarding how to deal with the domestic popular music market that has been driven by large agencies. This study selected top 3 YouTube Music channels in Korea. Also it analyzed the characteristics and success factors of influential YouTube creators in the Korean music category such as J. Fla, Jung Sung Ha and Raon Lee. Also, based on such analyses and research, it drew up 7 specific strategies such as making a channel, creative self-branding, enhancing the quality of contents, establishing multi-channel, making communication-based channels, analyzing customers in detail and requesting for fair profit-sharing. By suggesting detailed marketing strategies of popular music that consider the new media environment, it wishes to create an environment where domestic individual musicians and small, medium-sized producers could actively be able to create or produce music regardless the size of capital, allowing small producers to have a chance to ease the imbalance of the Korean music industry being dominated by large agencies by equipping with market competitive power.

Persepsi Musisi Folk Surabaya Berlabel Independen Terhadap Media Baru Sebagai Sarana Komunikasi

ABSTRACTIn the music industry, record labels are divided into two. The first is the independent record label better known as the indie label, and the second is the major record label known as the major label. Major labels are known as a huge record labels in the music industry, while indie labels are associated with smaller industries. Indie labels, the distribution tends to be uneven and not in official distribution stores or through communities. Indie musicians do more publications through new media, especially social media. Few of the independent musicians is Yuvi and Briliyan, who are personnel from the band Humi Dumi. Social media is used, among others, Instagram and Twitter, facebook, spotify, Youtube, and soundcloud. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze perception of the folk musicians in independent label about new media as a communication medium. This study is a qualitative study using the case study method. This type of research is descriptive research that is supported by the data collection technique through observation, interview, and documentation. The result of this study demonstrate the use of new media that include Instagram, Twitter, Soundcloud, Spotify, Youtube, and website as a medium to communicate. With new media, the interaction between Briliyan and Yuvi and fans becomes easier. With a good interaction, the awareness of the audience to independent musician will also increase.Keywords: Perception, New Media, Independent Music, Communication

Industry-Based Popular Music Education: India, College Rock Festivals, and Real-World Learning

Until recently, opportunities for formal music education in India were few. Music education at large universities concentrated exclusively on Indian classical music. Western popular music was largely the domain of Bollywood. With the rise of the Indian middle-classes in the 1990s, more Indian families began sending their children to school to study a range of disciplines. These students joined rock bands and major Indian colleges began to host rock festivals for student rock bands. Today, nearly every significant rock band in India originated in these festivals. Our research investigates the development, cultural significance, and educational importance of college rock festivals. Interviews were undertaken with established and emerging independent musicians, educators, and music industry professionals. Given the importance of learning within the informal communities of universities and college rock festivals, we adopted a communities of practice theoretical framework informed by grounded theory methodology. We find that, despite the emergence of popular music education in India, college rock festivals continue to educate young Indian musicians on technique, performance, songwriting, and music business.

From Record Contract to Artrepreneur? Musicians’ Self-Management and the Changing Illusio in the Music Market

This article contrasts present conceptions of pop musicians’ career development with ideas from the 1960s to 1990s. It identifies two divergent key concepts: the artrepreneur and the record contract. As a counterpart, the article evaluates empirical findings from an interview study with German and US-American musicians to answer the following research question: How are concepts of career management advocated and how are they related to the musician’s practices? This research suggests that in the 1970s to 1990s, self-management was regarded as a necessary evil before getting a recording contract, which was seen as a central aim for musicians. This widespread concept stood in stark contrast to the actual conditions of work in the field and can thus be described as forming an important part of the illusio (in Bourdieu’s sense), motivating participation while at the same time masking the actual working conditions. Today, in the age of digital communication networks, the record contract is no longer as crucial as it used to be. Instead, self-management is presented as a new, central, and legitimate strategy to push musicians’ careers forward even though studies show that the chances for independent musicians have not grown. The concept of the musician as artrepreneur replaced the hopes that were connected with the record contract. This shift is part of a new illusio that now motivates the musician’s participation in the music market. This paper attempts a small contribution toward unmasking the illusions that are connected with the illusio, which for Bourdieu is among the central functions of sociology.

La organización de los jóvenes músicos independientes de rock de la Unión de Músicos de Avellaneda —Argentina— y su vínculo con el Municipio entre 2012 y 2017

This article addresses the relation between young independent rock musicians from the Musician’s Union from Avellaneda and the Municipality of Avellaneda, located in the southern area of the Buenos Aires’ outskirts, Argentina, during the years 2012-2017. This process articulates with a new kind of relationship between Rock and the State, and the innovative organizational movement that young independent musicians assume in order to improve their activities —in a context of unequal opportunities—. The purpose of this work is to explore, through ethnographic and data compiling analysis, the social movement process, organizational experiencies and political compromise of the young Rock musicians of Avellaneda, through the link established with the city government —municipality—. The importance of relating musicians, and young political militancy is thus suggested in this piece of paper work.

Technological Advances Have Changed the Music Industry in a Way That Potentially Benefits Independent Musicians.

Technological advances in the music industry have changed the bargaining power independent musicians possess in contracts. This has taken two forms: independent musicians have obtained more bargaining power when negotiating contracts with major label record companies and they may no longer need to enter into a contract with a major label. This is due to social media giving artists access to consumers; recording and production costs diminishing; and music distribution becoming more accessible to independent artists. Although technology has provided musicians with more power and opportunities, an artist must make effective use of the technology to succeed.

Challenging the Narrative of “Arab Decline”: Independent Music as Traces of Alexandrian Futurity

This essay examines the lives and music of Alexandrian independent musicians to demonstrate how looking at the city’s independent music scene offers an alternative vision of Alexandria as a future-oriented city. With so much scholarly and popular focus on Alexandria’s past, how does looking at the city’s independent music scene challenge a decline narrative and present us with notions of a distinctly Alexandrian future? Drawing from approximately 24 months of ethnographic research conducted in Alexandria since 2010, as well as the work of feminist scholars Jill Dolan and Kathleen Stewart, it argues that independent musicking is a type of performance that allows many young Egyptians to feel traces of an alternative future in the present.

Beyond Posted Prices: the Past, Present, and Future of Participative Pricing Mechanisms

Driven by the low transaction costs and interactive nature of the internet, customer participation in the price-setting process has increased. Today, platforms such as eBay have popularized online auctions on a global scale, Priceline has made headlines with its name-your-own-price (NYOP) business model, and Humble Bundle has enabled independent musicians and game developers to market their works through pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing. Advertising exchanges conduct several hundred million individual auctions per day to sell online advertising slots. The present paper contributes to the literature on participative pricing in three ways. First, we propose a definition of participative pricing mechanisms, as well as a useful taxonomy. Second, we discuss the current understanding by synthesizing conceptual and empirical academic literature. Third, we outline promising research questions with a key focus on the related behavioral aspects of buyers and sellers.

Turnês de Guerrilha: as estratégias de empreendedorismo musical nos circuitos do rock no exterior

This article aims to analyze the strategies employed by Brazilian rock bands with regard to touring abroad from an entrepreneurship perspective (Schumpeter, 1982; Timmons, 1985; Dornelas, 2007), in order to understand how the formation of an international audience occurs. In this context, we seek to discuss the concept of “independent musician” and introduce the notion of “entrepreneurial musician”. The methodology used involved bibliographical revision, interviews with a musician from the band Autoramas, as well as monitoring of social networks and the press in matters related to the tours of such group. Keywords: entrepreneurship, music, rock.

The Roots of Electronic Jazz, 1950–1970

ABSTRACTThe history of jazz is one of cascading events and styles that continually inform and influence what follows. This transformation is an accumulation over time of styles, methods, and techniques. During the 1950s and 1960s, electronic music gradually left the confines of the institution and migrated into the hands of independent musicians. Among the early explorers were jazz musicians who laid a foundation of experiment for later musicians to model and emulate. This article discusses two types of such experiments: (1) Jazz incorporating prerecorded electronic music on tape (1960–1970) and (2) Jazz using live electronics other than synthesizers (early years from 1965–1970). A discography is provided.

The digital distribution of music and its impact on the business models of independent musicians

ABSTRACTThis article analyses the impact of digital distribution of music on business models developed by independent musicians. More specifically, it aims to analyse the main changes in the network of relationships between musicians and record companies, and between musicians and consumers; and to analyse how independent musicians’ business models have been evolving as a response to increasing change in the distribution of music. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with independent musicians, music journalists, and small independent record labels. The article discusses empirically the main results regarding changes in the network of relationships under study and analyses the evolution of business models, concluding that independent musicians follow a diversification strategy, aiming to capture the business opportunities provided by technological changes in the distribution of music. The implications of such an option, including its main challenges, are discussed.

Menegosiasi Otentisitas: Kancah Musik Independen Indonesia dalam Konteks Komodifikasi oleh Perusahaan Rokok

0 0 1 120 685 unpad 5 1 804 14.0 96 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE Big Businesses’ intrusion into the Indonesian independent music scene does not harm the authenticity of the independent musicians’s wlrks as long as creative autonomy still can be maintained. It is important to maintain creative autonomy to make sure that songs produced by these independent musicians remain political and reflective—represent the quality of a high culture. The commodification of Indonesian independent music scene by tobacco companies is an interesting phenomena to be explored because it condraticts the ideology of independent music scene—that is the Do it Yourself (DIY) attitude. The scene actors within the scene compromise the presence of sponsors because they are able to fulfill the scene’s material needs. This lets what Hesmondhalgh calls cultural commodification possible.

Beats and tweets: Social media in the careers of independent musicians

While mainstream accounts of the impact of internet technologies on the music industry have emphasised the crisis of the major-dominated mainstream recording industry, a more optimistic discourse has also been promoted, emphasising the opportunities that the Internet creates for independent musicians. These same new technologies, it is argued, enable artists to reach new global audiences and engage with them in ways that can facilitate more stable, financially self-sustaining independent careers. Little research has been conducted, however, on the effect of new Internet technologies on the careers and practices of independent musicians. This article, part of a pilot project on the working experiences of independent musicians, examines how musicians signed to small labels in the South-west of England use social media in their careers and discusses their understanding of its benefits and disadvantages. It concludes that social media use is an essential tool in the arsenal of an independent musician, and does provide advantages for them, but significant disadvantages have also emerged and thus the benefits of social media for independent musicians have likely been overstated.

Beyond Posted Prices: The Past, Present, and Future of Participative Pricing Mechanisms

Driven by the low transaction costs and interactive nature of the internet, customer participation in the price-setting process has increased. Today, platforms such as eBay have popularized online auctions on a global scale, Priceline has made headlines with its name-your-own-price (NYOP) business model, and Humble Bundle has enabled independent musicians and game developers to market their works through pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing. Advertising exchanges conduct several hundred million individual auctions per day to sell online advertising slots. The present paper contributes to the literature on participative pricing in three ways. First, we propose a definition of participative pricing mechanisms, as well as a useful taxonomy. Second, we discuss the current understanding by synthesizing conceptual and empirical academic literature. Third, we outline promising research questions with a key focus on the related behavioral aspects of buyers and sellers.

Independent music production: how individuality, technology and creative entrepreneurship influence contemporary music industry practices

ABSTRACTIndependent music production, often viewed as a niche-driven and genre-specific practice restricted to isolated and fragmented communities lacking financial and technological resources, generates a wealth of creative work and opportunities for entrepreneurship. Independent producers, artists and musicians refine their recording and promotion skills through intense dedication, creative marketing and a deep want to connect their personal ideologies with a global audience. The modest project studio, a source of creative inspiration, and cultural study, exert a powerful influence through its accessibility, simple functionality and connectivity to the Internet. The author examines some of the multifaceted cultural, ideological, technical and entrepreneurial factors contributing to a significant evolution in do it yourself (DIY) music production and distribution. The rise of this independent ‘recording class’ anticipates the many changes in the contemporary music industry and offers new production and cooperative business models.

The Promise of Kickstarter: Extents to Which Social Networks Enable Alternate Avenues of Economic Viability for Independent Musicians Through Crowdfunding

Since its inception in 2009, Kickstarter, a crowdsourced funding site, has been a platform for independent creative projects to get funding, ostensibly providing alternate routes of economic viability outside of a traditional framework of creative production and distribution. Kickstarter comes onto the scene after the proliferation of online social networking sites, through which bridging social capital ties are more easily maintained. This article investigates the ways in which independent musicians have used Kickstarter in conjunction with pre-existing social networks to fund their album and sustain themselves and their artistic endeavors economically while also exploring how social networks provide ways for these “Kickstarter campaigns” to reach potential backers (funders). Through three online surveys targeting musicians, their backers, and general Kickstarter backers, yielding a total of 61 respondents, this article finds that pre-existing personal social networks and relations are imperative to the successful funding of Kickstarter campaigns.

Access, Place and Australian Live Music

The role of place in cultivating artistic practice, communities and audiences is well established and the economic, social and cultural benefits that flow from this are becoming better understood. By contrast, the factors impacting and influencing access to these places is poorly theorised. This paper identifies and examines these factors as they apply to live music in Australia, through a qualitative survey of live music patrons and venues. We compare the themes identified from our data with existing theories of access in the arts, with a particular focus on the ways in which place-based music scenes may encourage or exclude participation. We address the question of how access affects participation within these scenes, as well as how access might be improved.