Toby Bennett, "Corporate Life in the Digital Music Industry: Remaking the Major Record Label from the Inside Out" (Bloomsbury, 2024)
Dec 5, 2024
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Toby Bennett, a Senior Lecturer in Media, Culture & Organisation at the University of Westminster, dives into the inner workings of the digital music industry. He discusses the evolving challenges for major record labels in adapting to digital change. Insights include the impact of contemporary capitalism and the complexities of rights management. Bennett also sheds light on corporate culture, emphasizing the balance between professionalization and cultural integrity. Engaging anecdotes about the dynamics at fictional Soniverse Records reveal the industry's competitive nature and the significance of creativity.
The podcast emphasizes how digitalization has reshaped the music industry's revenue streams, transitioning from physical to digital sales and streaming services.
It also explores the complex hybrid identities of employees in record labels, balancing creativity and corporate responsibilities while facing ethical dilemmas and workplace challenges.
Deep dives
The Shift in the Music Industry Paradigm
The podcast discusses the significant transformation the music industry has undergone over the past 25 years, particularly in the aftermath of digitalization. This transformation includes a shift from traditional sales of physical products, like vinyl records and CDs, to a model reliant on digital presence and streaming services. Many industry professionals grapple with questions about the essence of the music industry and its economic bases as conventional revenue streams have dwindled. As a result, the concept of a unified music industry emerges, where various sectors, including recording and live performances, intertwine within a broader production system shaped by shared interests and communal culture.
Corporate Culture Within Major Labels
The conversation emphasizes the importance of corporate culture within major record labels, highlighting how employees across varying roles self-identify as part of the music industry, rather than as mere corporate workers. This shared identity fosters a sense of passion for music that drives employees to feel privileged and invested, despite the mundane tasks associated with their positions, such as legal and finance departments. The impact of this shared culture can be observed in workplace dynamics and decision-making processes, where employees often value creativity and individuality alongside corporate goals. However, this passion also raises concerns around potential exploitation, with employees sometimes tolerating toxic work environments due to their artistic affiliations.
Navigating Hybrid Professional Identities
The discussion delves into the hybrid professional identities that emerge as employees straddle the line between traditional bureaucratic roles and their passion for music. These identities often manifest in the form of administrators who must balance mundane tasks with the creative aspirations associated with being in the music industry. The complexity arises from needing to communicate effectively between technical systems and those who eschew such formal processes, emphasizing both administrative competence and a connection to creativity. This duality illustrates the challenges faced by employees who must remain engaged in a rapidly evolving industry while preserving their individuality and musical passion.
The Challenges of Professionalization and Transparency
The conversation surfaces the ethical dilemmas related to professionalization within the music industry, as new entrants often bring formal qualifications while established employees resist this shift. There is tension between the need for structured accountability and the preservation of a vibrant, innovative culture that often runs counter to bureaucratic norms. As industry standards evolve, employees find themselves negotiating these tensions while striving to balance analytics, market demands, and the essence of discovering and promoting good music. The discussion acknowledges ongoing societal critiques, such as those raised by movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter, as crucial factors in shaping the industry's direction and its commitment to transparency.
How does the music industry actually work? In Corporate Life in the Digital Music Industry: Remaking the Major Record Label from the Inside OutToby Bennett, a Senior Lecturer in Media, Culture & Organisation in the School of Media and Communications at the University of Westminster offers a deep ethnography of everyday life in a contemporary record company. The book examines the challenges facing music, both businesses and artists, as digital transforms every element of the industry. Offering a detailed theoretical framework for understanding these changes, as well as rich details on the ordinary organisational practices that keep the music industry running, the book will be essential reading across humanities, social sciences, and for anyone interested in music and culture industries.
Dave O'Brien is Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries, at the University of Manchester.