Influence of platforms in a digitalized world: a focus on the music industry.

Abstract

Following the framework of Wendy Griswold’s “Cultural Diamond” and Bakhshi & Throsby’s “Value chain model for cultural institutions”, I explore the relationships between the different actors in the ever-changing contemporary music industry. Due to the digitalization and the functioning of the platforms, changes are happening in multiple aspects of traditional music. My review starts with the new perception of music: the importance of the platform and its functionalities, focusing on the importance of playlists as the main tool for music fruition. Moving forward, I explore the role of the new gatekeepers who shape the market together with the issues of artists’ royalties payment from streaming platforms. Then, I focus on visibility, virality, and innovation in communication that artists need to embrace in their strategies. Finally, I explore the impacts that the issues aforementioned have had on the creative process of artists. Furthermore, regarding my research contribution, I took the ISTAT review over consumption habits in digital media, and given the results they have had, I conducted a qualitative interview of a focus group within the demographics returned by the ISTAT review. Finally, I cross-checked through the semi-structured interview the results I obtained and the results of the ISTAT research, drawing my conclusions.