Scaling Up Broken Systems? Considerations from the Area of Music Streaming

We discuss the effects and characteristics of disruptive business models driven by technology, exemplified by the developments in music distribution and consumption over the last 20 years. Starting from a historical perspective, we offer insights into the current situation in music streaming, where technology has not only changed the way we access music but also has important implications on the broader ecosystem, which includes the consumers, the authors, the record industry, and the platforms themselves. The discussion points to potential benefits, as well as to the risks involved in the currently deployed systems. We conclude that the increased profitability of the disruptive business models in the music domain and beyond is largely generated at the expense of the providers of the goods or services being brokered. Using the platforms as a consumer further subsidizes their value and might lead to mono- and oligopolies. While technology allows companies to effectively scale up business, the resulting systems more often amplify existing injustices than mitigate them.

Cultural Divergence in popular music: the increasing diversity of music consumption on Spotify across countries

The digitization of music has changed how we consume, produce, and distribute music. In this paper, we explore the effects of digitization and streaming on the globalization of popular music. While some argue that digitization has led to more diverse cultural markets, others consider that the increasing accessibility to international music would result in a globalized market where a few artists garner all the attention. We tackle this debate by looking at how cross-country diversity in music charts has evolved over 4 years in 39 countries. We analyze two large-scale datasets from Spotify, the most popular streaming platform at the moment, and iTunes, one of the pioneers in digital music distribution. Our analysis reveals an upward trend in music consumption diversity that started in 2017 and spans across platforms. There are now significantly more songs, artists, and record labels populating the top charts than just a few years ago, making national charts more diverse from a global perspective. Furthermore, this process started at the peaks of countries’ charts, where diversity increased at a faster pace than at their bases. We characterize these changes as a process of Cultural Divergence, in which countries are increasingly distinct in terms of the music populating their music charts.

Radio, music and podcast in the consumption agenda of Colombian adolescents and youth in the digital sonosphere

This article identifies the peculiarities of audio consumption (radio, music and podcast) by Colombian adolescents and youth on their screen devices, especially the smartphone. The irruption in the digital ecosystem of radio and sound platforms redefines the industry’s relationship with new audiences. The body of research, classified into three age groups (puberty –10 to 14 years–, middle –15 to 19 years–, and full –20 to 24 years–), is made up of students in basic secondary education and university students who were consulted through a quantitative methodology (700 surveys) and a qualitative one (8 focus groups with 48 participants), which made it possible to recognize the routines and the sound agenda of the subjects of study. The results of the research outline the profile of the Colombian audio consumer, whose habits of listening to the radio alternate times of attention to the broadcast on air with the consumption of apps, websites and music distribution platforms, which evidences their digital skills and the creation of a menu that combines music, sports and entertainment content. It is a media diet built on the mediation of technological devices and the influence of family and virtual communities. The sound component is the backbone of the relationship between industry and listener, but visual and iconographic elements are added to reinforce the bonds with brand, media and producer, regardless of where audio meets audience.

Contextual Marketing

The online distribution of music has altered its materiality, its presentation, and the practices of its interpretation. Participatory online environments empower listeners to rank, review, and classify music, adding new layers of meaning and context to the works in question. At the same time, popular streaming platforms provide the means for compilations by listeners, once again creating new and often arbitrary connections. This approach to music is accompanied by the concept of “contextual marketing” introduced in this chapter. The professional online contextualization of music complements the amateur approaches, leading to a new network of references and pop-cultural connections. The chapter shows how some of these labeling techniques work and how some of the related platforms are organized to provide a snapshot of the status quo of online music distribution and the resulting consequences for the way we perceive and construct musical affiliations in the digital age.

THE DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM AND ENTREPRENEURIAL MUSIC DISTRIBUTION: A FORCE FIELD PERSPECTIVE

The world of business has evolved from the 19th century (steam, rail and electricity) to the 20th century (telephone, radio, television and, especially, the computer as the greatest information technology that converts analogue signals into a digital form including binary digits), and the 21st century (the fourth industrial revolution (4th IR) – described as the advent of “cyber-physical systems” involving entirely new capabilities for people and machines). Digital entrepreneurship is an emergent phenomenon in which new digital artefacts, platforms and infrastructure are used to pursue innovative and entrepreneurial opportunities, which, to a certain extent calls into questions the relevance and applicability of traditional understandings of entrepreneurship. The study on which this article is based investigated digital entrepreneurship’s impact on the dynamic social networking market in light of the infusion of disruptive and innovative technology. It aimed to determine the entrepreneurship capability and competence that impact on digital music change management; and to examine the extent to which digital music distribution balances the driving forces of digitisation and the restraining forces from disruptive technology. An exploratory research design was adopted using univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis techniques to analyse the data collected from 217 musicians. The study found that the Internet is capable of reliable delivery of music processes, products and services, thereby enhancing supply chain distribution competence and capability. Digital entrepreneurial innovations enable independent artists to create music according to their tastes and customer demand. Independent music production and creation drive the economic entrepreneurial dimension while technological advancements encourage digital independent music distribution.

Cultural Divergence in popular music: the increasing diversity of music consumption on Spotify across countries

The digitization of music has changed how we consume, produce, and distribute music. In this paper, we explore the effects of digitization and streaming on the globalization of popular music. While some argue that digitization has led to more diverse cultural markets, others consider that the increasing accessibility to international music would result in a globalized market where a few artists garner all the attention. We tackle this debate by looking at how cross-country diversity in music charts has evolved over 7 years in 51 countries. We analyze two large-scale datasets from Spotify, the most popular streaming platform at the moment, and Itunes, one of the pioneers in digital music distribution. Our analysis reveals an upward trend in music consumption diversity that started in 2017 and spans across platforms. There are now significantly more songs, artists, and record labels populating the top charts than just a few years ago, making national charts increasingly different from one another. Furthermore, this process started at the peaks of countries' charts, where diversity increased at a faster pace than at their bases.

The Impact of Perceived Ease of Use towards Perceived Enjoyment and Customer Experience to Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase Intention (Case Study Among Spotify Premium Users)

The purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of Perceived Ease of Use towards Perceived Enjoyment and Customer Experience to Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase Intention. The digital world offers many business opportunities to companies that run platforms turning web-users into subscribers. The high trend of digital music distribution affects music sales in the physical form, seen from the income which decreases from year to year. From this point we can see that it is undeniable Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase Intention plays an important factor in music streaming service. In this research, the data analysis method used is Structural Equation Model Partial Least Square (SEMPLS) method. To conduct analysis using PLS method, this research is using smartPLS 3.0 software.The hypothesis of the research are H1:Perceived Ease of Use has a positive effect to Perceived Enjoyment, H2: Perceived Ease of Use has a positive effect to Experience, H3: Perceived Enjoyment has a positive effect to Customer Experience, H4: Perceived Enjoyment has a positive effect to Customer Satisfaction, H5: Customer Experience has a positive effect to Customer Satisfaction, H6: Customer Satisfaction has a positive effect to Repurchase Intention. H7: Perceived Enjoyment mediates the relationship between Perceived Ease of Use and Customer Satisfaction. H8: Customer Experience mediates the relationship between Perceived Ease of Use and Customer Satisfaction. H9: Customer Satisfaction mediates the relationship between Perceived Enjoyment and Repurchase Intention. H10: Customer Satisfaction mediates the relationship between Customer Experience and Repurchase Intention. The result of this research shows that H1, H3, H4, H5, H6, H7, H9 and H10 are accepted but H2 and H8 are rejected.Keyword: Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Enjoyment, Customer Experience, Customer Satisfaction, Repurchase IntentionReferences:Traver, L. &. (2017). E-Commerce 2017, 13th Edition. Pearson.McCourt T., & P., B. (2003). When Creators, Corporations and Consumers Collide: Napster and The Development of On-line Music Distribution. Media, culture & society 25(3), 333-350.Viviero, & Nakano. (2008). Cadeia de produção da indústria fonográfica e as gravadoras independentes.Davis F D, Bagozzi R P, & R., W. P. (1992). .Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation to Use Computers in the Workplace. Journal of Applied and Social Psychology, 22(14):1111-1132.Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology. IT usefulness and ease of use, 4.Lovelock, C., & Wright., H. L. (2011). Manajemen Pemasaran Jasa. Jakarta: PT. Indeks (Gramedia Group).Lu, C. L., Chang, H.-H., & Yu, S.-T. (2013). Online Shoppers: Perceptions of E-retailers’ ethics, cultural orientation, and loyalty. An Exploratory study in Taiwan, Internet Research, and Vol. 23 Issue: 1,, 47-68.Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing Management. Harlow, Boston MA: Pearson Education.Sugiyono. (2014). Metode Penelitian Pendidikan Pendekatan Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D