The Three Cs of Key Music Sector Trends Today: Commodification, Concentration and Convergence

Abstract

Drawing upon a recent examination of contemporary trends in the music industry, this chapter explores the evolving relationships between new digital media technologies, socio-economic factors and media cultures as we enter the second decade of the twenty-first century. We examine the implications of these trends with regard to three fundamental concepts in the analysis of culture, namely commodification, concentration and convergence. We draw upon these concepts to guide our study of a music industry that is widely perceived as a leading site for new media developments. In this study we question the extent to which the music industry is experiencing transformations or significant disruptions resulting from technological innovations, or whether it is actually much more a case of ‘business as usual’ in the commercial music industry. Thus, this chapter interrogates and challenges the dominant framing of current debates around the notion of ‘crisis’ in the music industry. Furthermore, it considers how the concepts of commodification, concentration and convergence remain crucial to an informed and thorough understanding of current trends in the media and cultural industries.