Music and power. Power relations in today's independent/ niche music industry through a global production network perspective
Creators: name: Janowska, Anna Anetta
name: Henriksson, Tove
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: global production networks
GPN
music sector
independent music industry
jazz music
Poland
Sweden

description: By employing a global production network (GPN) approach the object of the study is to investigate how small independent actors navigate and build a career through the actors they interact with and how these actors interact with each other. Understanding the mechanism for these production networks in terms of relationships and power distribution, the object of this study is to analyse how a theoretical global production network lens can help understand how actors within the independent music industry build up careers bridging risks by building networks of actors with influence and merit within their respective genres. The research questions of the study are as follows: Who are the main actors and what is their role in the independent/ niche artists’ GPN? How do the actors produce and reproduce production networks? How are power relationships established between actors in the production network of independent and niche musicians? The main conclusion of the study is that emerging artists and niche artists build their networks primarily on the perceived quality of the music they create (merit) and on the relationship of trust with the various actors in the network. In their case, cultural value, especially artistic value, prevails over economic value. Even if they interact with leading industry actors (e.g. majors in the recording field), non-economic factors such as reputation or artistic output are of vital importance in shaping power relationships. Reputation is built and rewarded through actors in the production networks and over time reputable actors become powerful influences of how the production networks are structured, and which actors that are included in a production network.
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