Module 1: Defining the Music Industry Universe

Objective: To acquaint readers/students with the depth and breadth of the music industry so that,
as they continue their studies and personal investigations of the industry, they begin focusing on
career, employment, and internship opportunities that particularly interest them.

Definition: The music business is the business and processes of putting together all the
details, rights, and permissions necessary to connect music to a product or usage. It
encompasses many people working together to make that process happen, resulting in
goods and services that we want and need.

What all encompasses the “music business”??

Obviously has great depth and breadth
 Recorded music (and the steps necessary to make that happen
 Music in films and television production
 Music used in advertising
 Music used in products (greeting cards, cups, apparel)
 Musical instruments (manufacturing and retail)
 Musical performance (radio, concerts, personal appearances, tours)
 Printed/published music
 School music programs
 Recorded music heard in stores, businesses, amusement parks, etc.

The concept of tectonics: The Earth is inhabited on the seven continents, which are situated on a
series of seven major interconnected plates thousands of feet under the earth’s surface. The
tectonic plates aren’t stable but occasionally shift positions. Metaphorically, similar tectonic
shifts occur in the music industry.

The Cycle of Life in the Music Industry

Questions determining success/failure of any venture and are not unique to the music industry:
1. Is there are market for this product/service?
2. Is my product/service good enough?
3. Do I have the proper means by which to put this product/service into the marketplace?

The role of History in the Music Business:

“You can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been”
 Guttenberg… the Steve Jobs of the 15th Century
 Player Pianos and early star power (late 19th and early 20th centuries)
 Tin Pan Alley and the State of Music Publishing
 The rise of radio
 Recorded music
 The movie business
 World war 2
 Baby-boomer generation (Part 1, 50s-early 60s)
 The growth of Music Education in the US
  Baby-boomer generation (Part 2, mid-60s-70s)
 Digital music and hurricane napster
Two Critical aspects that remain dependable constants in the pursuit, maintenance, and
growth of careers: Relationship and Information