Management matters

Thus, answering these questions is fundamental to understanding the evolving interplay between producers and intermediaries who operate beyond the firm in the digital era (LORENZEN and FREDERIKSEN, 2005) and the organizational structures of the creative economy more broadly (JEFFCUTT and PRATT, 2002). [...] The ‘MP3 Crisis’ and Industrial Restructuring In the late 1990’s the introduction of new digital technologies sparked a crisis in the music industry, weakened the power of the majors and radically altered the established system of music production, promotion, distribution and consumption (LEYSHON, 2009; HRACS, Forthcoming). [...] From the vinyl bootleg era of the 1960s and 1970s, to the “home taping is killing music” scare of the 1980s and the CD-R influx of the 1990s, music piracy has always been central to music industry but the ‘MP3 crisis’ of the late 1990s was unlike anything the industry had witnessed in the past. [...] The Rise of Digitally-Driven Independent Music Production The introduction of digital channels of distribution such as iTunes and MySpace have lowered entry barriers and allowed independent musicians to enter the world of global marketing and distribution for the first time. [...] Unlike the standardized packages that managers offered during the corporate era, contemporary managers are flexible, innovative and able to adapt to the evolving needs of their clients and the dynamics of the marketplace.