CS250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Warner Music Group, Risk Aversion, 360 Deal
13 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Readings for this class
Hogan - How much is music really worth?
● Musicians make most of their money thru life performance - most money only going to
tiny elite
● Money made from song/album has decreased over the past several decades
● Issues regarding streaming services like spotify - no one wants to pay for music
● Economic value of individual song or album is not clear
● Artists do not get much of the revenue of sales
● What is considered a unit?
● Recorded music has gone beyond measurable units, does this mean it is priceless or
worthless?
● Publishing (rights to a songs sheet music composition rather than the finished track) also
brings in revenues
● Another way of cashing in on music - celebrity economy
● Brand partnerships
● We create the value of music through a sort of community consensus - emotional impact
or monetary worth
Meier - Popular music making and promotion work inside the ‘new’ music industry
● Tendency to overlook fact that music makers are cultural workers - time/finances/labour
goes into work
● Ability to self produce/release music has allowed for autonomy in expression
● Unsigned music makers assume greater control over ways they choose to
finance/market/generate revenue from their music
● Working outside of record label system = role juggling
● Diversity in range of sectors involved in production and circulation of popular music
● Idea of recording ‘artist’ evokes romantic notions of inspired cultural creation
● Record companies sign with recording artists compensated thru advances and royalties,
whereas music publishers work with songwriters and exploit (convert to revenue) rights
associated with these compositions
● Diy technologies = bypass middlemen to reach audiences → however results in
competition for audience attention
● 3 corporations control overwhelming share of global market for recorded music →
universal music group, sony music entertainment, warner music group
● Income potential for most artists using spotify etc is low
● Branded merch, licensing, sponsorship, endorsement deals = money and marketing
● Artist-brands
● Making a living = selling the whole package
● Small scale music makers expected to take on a range of promotional tasks that used to
be handled by record companies / artist managers / marketing departments
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Musicians make most of their money thru life performance - most money only going to tiny elite. Issues regarding streaming services like spotify - no one wants to pay for music. Money made from song/album has decreased over the past several decades. Economic value of individual song or album is not clear. Artists do not get much of the revenue of sales. Publishing (rights to a songs sheet music composition rather than the finished track) also brings in revenues. Another way of cashing in on music - celebrity economy. We create the value of music through a sort of community consensus - emotional impact or monetary worth. Meier - popular music making and promotion work inside the new" music industry. Tendency to overlook fact that music makers are cultural workers - time/finances/labour goes into work. Ability to self produce/release music has allowed for autonomy in expression.
