1st Edition

Music in the Marketplace A social economics approach

By Samuel Cameron Copyright 2015
    258 Pages 3 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    258 Pages 3 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Much recent economic work on the music industry has been focused on the impact of technology on demand, with predictions being made of digital copyright infringement leading to the demise of the industry. In fact, there have always been profound cyclical swings in music media sales owing to the fact that music always has been, and continues to be, a discretionary purchase.

    This entertaining and accessible book offers an analysis of the production and consumption of music from a social economics approach. Locating music within the economic analysis of social behaviour, this books guides the reader through issues relating to production, supply, consumption and trends, wider considerations such as the international trade in music, and in particular through divisions of age, race and gender.

    Providing an engaging overview of this fascinating topic, this book will be of interest and relevance to students and scholars of cultural economics, management, musicology, cultural studies and those with an interest in the music industry more generally.

    1. Introduction 2. Adele-o-nomics 3. The Never Ending Death of Music 4. Does Anyone Know Anything About Anything? 5. The Production and Supply of Music 6. Consumption of Music 7. Age 8. Gender 9. Race and Ethnicity 10. International Trade 11. Conclusion

    Biography

    Samuel Cameron is Professor of Economics at the University of Bradford, UK

    This book will interest anyone who wants to understand the role of music in society. The first chapter provides an overview of the issues, in which the author sets forth the key social elements of music: authenticity, dance, therapy, spirituality, recreation, and tribal affiliation. This is followed by a case study of the artist Adele to introduce themes explored later in the book. Cameron (Univ. of Bradford, UK) then explains why the never-ending debate over the death of music is misguided. In the next three chapters, the author presents and critiques the empirical work done on the music industry and the standard economics approach to production and consumption in the industry. He explains why the social economics approach is needed to fully understand such issues as serendipity, drugs, cooperation, snob effects, and rational addiction. In the final chapters, Cameron explores the social elements of music within the context of age, gender, race, and international trade. This is an important contribution to the field and should be required reading for all who seek to utilize economic analysis to understand the role of music in society.

    --R. J. Phillips, emeritus, Colorado State University, Highly Recommended by CHOICE