Will algorithmic playlist curation be the end of music stardom? On changing value creation models in the music economy

• Room 208, Joyce Ackroyd (#37)
• 1pm - 2pm

It is 2015 and there are no indications that the relentless digital transformation of the music economy is about to slow down. Rather, the music economy continues to rapidly reinvent itself and industry powers, positions and practices that were redefined only a few years ago are being questioned once again. In this talk I will examine the most recent changes of the music economy as it moves from a product-based towards an access-based logic. The talk starts out by recognising the essential role of technology in the evolution of the music economy. I then move on to a discussion about the rise of so-called access-based music business models and points out some of the controversies and debates that are associated with these models and online services. With this as a background I will explore how access-based music services and the algorithmically curated playlists developed by these services transform the relationship between artists, music and fans and challenges the music industrial power relationships and established industry practices once again.

Associate Professor Patrik Wikström is a principal research fellow at the QUT Digital Media Research Centre. Dr. Wikström uses and develops computational methods to examine changing creative practices, usage patterns and social interaction in the digital creative economy. He is the author of ‘The Music Industry: Music in the Cloud’ at Polity Press and has published his research in journals such as Technovation, International Journal of Media Management, Journal of Media Business Studies, Journal of Music Business Studies and Popular Music & Society.