Music in the Digital Age

This book is a wirk in progress. A living document, o’ sorts. Start reading noo, and it’ll grow month by month.

Music is bayth culture an’ commerce. Those twa hings ir inextricably linked. In different periods o’ histry, music culture an’ music commerce ir profoundly different.

In the age o’ print, the main wye at music was produced, distributed an’ consumed wis on paper. Music wis dots on a page. The electric age, wi’ its introduction o’ recordings an’ broadcastin’, radically transformed the wyes in which music made meanin’ for fowk, an’ consequently the wyes in which it made money.

And jist as the electric age was profoundly disruptive to the musicians, businesses and fans o’ music fan it first came along, so an a is the digital age.

The wye tae navigate sick changes is tae understand them. In order tae adapt tae the new environment an’ thrive it’s important tae mak informed, deliberate an’ progressive responses that are appropriate tae the opportunities new context – rither than fearful, reactive an’ conservative eens that view the new environment simply as a threat and as chaos.

This book aims tae provide a guide tae those changes – nae to tell ye fit ye should dee – but sae that you can mak intelligent, rational an strategic choices aboot yer ane music business, or sae that ye can come tae understand the changes in the wyes in which music is used an’ understood as part o’ our new an’ increasingly dominant music culture.

This is a work in progress

Ah’ve decided tae publish Music in the Digital Age as a book under construction. I intend tae update it regularly (though nae that frequently) an’ build up towards a completed work by the ine o’ 2012. A updates’ll be free tae purchasers o’ the book.

Kenin’ that there’s fowk reading the book - some of fa that’ve paid money to do so - will be mair than enough motivation for us to continue on ma quest tae pit thigithert the maist coherent an’ comprehensive expression o’ ma thochts, observations an’ conclusions aboot music in the digital age.

Understanding popular music commerce and culture online

For the past decade, Ah've socht tae understand an’ articulate principles o’ online music commerce an’ culture for the digital age. This book captures an’ condenses those ideas - an’ provides a road map for thinking aboot independent music business an’ popular music culture online.

This book winna tell ye how tae get famous on the internet, nor which marketing techniques are the best eens tae use tae sell yer record. Neither dis it pretend tae predict the future. Instead, it steps back fae the media environment, an’ tries tae answer the bigger questions aboot 'fit’gan on?' and 'fit’s it mean?'.

I believe that only fae the base o’ a solid understanding o’ the digital environment an’ the wyes in which fowk mak meaning fae music can reliable an’ sustainable strategies an’ practices be developed fir music business. There is nae single wye o’ 'deein’ music online' successfully.

‘At said... the book contains practical suggestions as weel as philosophical reflection on general principles. The idea is that understanding the context an’ the opportunities inherent in the digital age will help ye formulate yer ane wye o’ doing music online successfully.

Revisiting old material

The vast majority o’ Music in the Digital Age is spleet new. However, I use as its starting pint an’ raw material nearly a million words published on New Music Strategies and on my personal blog ower the years as weel as a wealth o’ research in ma role as Reader in Music Industries Innovation at Birmingham City University.

It revisits, develops an’ comments upon ma free ebook The 20 Hings Ye Must Ken Aboot Music Online - but also goes into greater depth aboot the nature o’ online media an’ the wyes in which popular music culture an’ popular music commerce work in the new technological environment.

This book has been written as a general introduction to the music industries online, an’ focuses on innovation & entrepreneurship, the media environment, an’ a demystification o’ fit it means that music is on the internet.