The advent of music streaming has made it increasingly important for actors in the music industry to understand if tracks are going to succeed or not. This study investigates if it is possible to accurately classify the growth of the listener base of a music track based on multivariate time series with listener behavior data. 18 popular time series classification algorithms were used to build predictive models which were evaluated in a 10-fold cross-validation. We also examined the algorithms’ potential to deliver business value for a record label. Lastly, the possibilities and challenges of applying a data-driven business model in the music industry were investigated by performing a comparative analysis of a modern and traditional record label. Six algorithms were found to significantly outperform the baseline. Two algorithms based on convolutional kernels, RR and AMini, were found to present the biggest business value because of their accuracy and low time complexity. While it may be necessary for record labels to adopt data-driven business models to flourish in the modern market, there are difficulties regarding the competitiveness of digital solutions and complications in moving the focus from networking to developing technology. / Spridningen av musiktjänster har gjort det alltmer viktigt för aktörer i musikbranschen att förstå vilka låtar som kommer att lyckas och inte. Denna studie undersöker om det är möjligt att klassificera tillväxten av en låts lyssnarantal baserat på multivariata tidsserier innehållandes data om lyssnarbeteende. 18 populära algoritmer för tidsserieklassificering användes för att bygga prediktiva modeller som utvärderades med 10-delad korsvalidering. Vi undersökte sedan algoritmernas potential att skapa affärsvärde för ett skivbolag. Slutligen studerades möjligheter och utmaningar som datadrivna affärsmodeller presenterar i denna bransch genom en komparativ analys av ett modernt och traditionellt skivbolag. Sex algoritmer visade sig signifikant överträffa en baslinjeklassificerare. Vi fann att två algoritmer baserade på faltningskärnor, RR och AMini, kunde skapa störst affärsvärde på grund av deras noggrannhet samt låga tidskomplexitet. Det verkar vara nödvändigt för skivbolag att anamma datadrivna affärsmodeller för att frodas i den moderna marknaden, men det finns svårigheter som måste beaktas vad gäller konkurrenskraften för digitala lösningar samt förflyttandet av fokuset från nätverksbyggande till teknologiutveckling.

Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis explores the rise and development of electric bowed instrument groups in South Africa. The objective was to provide a history of the development of such groups in South Africa, as well as to compare the methods and musical products of these groups. Another aim was to explore the effects of the groups on the South African music industry and music education. An initial literature research on the history of electric bowed instruments and the phenomenon of classical crossover music as a genre provided the contextual information needed to understand the building blocks of this relatively young compartment of the music industry. Characteristics and marketing strategies of this genre are discussed as well as the impact of aesthetics and gender on classical crossover artists. A set of questionnaires was distributed amongst members of these groups, classical professional musicians in professional South African orchestras, members of electric bowed instrument groups in South Africa, tertiary music students and students at a music school, as well as audience members at an electric bowed instrument group concert. The questionnaires were taken to the Centre for Statistical Consultation at the Stellenbosch University Statistics Department and the processed results were applied to this study. The influence of such groups on South African music education as well as the South African music industry is then examined. The combination of electric bowed instrument and classical crossover music gave birth to the phenomenon of electric bowed instrument groups. In this thesis the “originality” of such artists was evaluated, as a distinct pattern or formula for forming and operating such groups has materialised. The South African electric bowed instrument groups attempt to incorporate a uniquely South African quality into their performances with varying levels of success. Members of such groups, as well as professional classical musicians in the country, believe that the existence and performances of these groups have had an impact on South African music education; however, this theory is proven incorrect in this thesis. Furthermore, it was found that electric bowed instrument groups could have a negative impact on classical music in South Africa, as their marketing directed at the public may unintentionally steer audiences away from classical music performances. The electric bowed instrument groups industry has shown enough growth to prove its sustainability in South Africa as well as internationally. It is a valuable additional occupation for bowed instrument players in South Africa, although it might have a detrimental impact on the South African classical music industry. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis word die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van elektriese strykinstrument groepe in Suid Afrika ondersoek. Die doel van die studie is om ʼn geskiedenis van sulke groepe te lewer, sowel as om die bestuur metodes en musiek van sulke groepe te vergelyk. Verder word die effekte van hierdie groepe in Suid Afrika op musiekopvoeding en die Suid Afrikaanse klassieke musiek bedryf ondersoek. ʼn Literatuur ondersoek van die geskiedenis van elektriese strykinstrumente en die fenomeen van klassieke “crossover” musiek as ʼn genre, het nodige agtergrond informasie ten opsigte van die boublokke van so ʼn relatiewe jong afdeling in die musiekbedryf verskaf. Kenmerke en bemarkingstrategieë van hierdie genre is bespreek, sowel as die klem van estetika en geslag op klassieke “crossover” musikante. ʼn Stel vraelyste is uitgedeel onder professionele klassieke musikante in Suid Afrika, lede van Suid-Afrikaanse elektriese strykinstrument groepe, tersiêre musiekstudente, studente by ʼn musiekskool sowel as ʼn gehoor by ʼn elektriese strykinstrument groep uitvoering. Die vraelyste was geneem na die Sentrum vir Statistieke Konsultasie aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch, en die verwerkte resultate was toegepas op die studie. Die invloed van hierdie groepe op Suid Afrikaanse musiekopvoeding, sowel as die Suid Afrikaanse musiekbedryf word in hierdie studie bespreek. Die kombinasie van elektriese strykinstrumente en klassieke “crossover” musiek het gelei tot die ontstaan van elektriese strykinstrument groepe. In hierdie tesis word die uniekheid van sulke groepe bevraagteken, oordat ʼn patroon of formule vir die formasie en bestuur van sulke groepe te voorskyn gekom het. Die Suid Afrikaanse elektriese strykinstrument groepe wend ʼn poging aan om ʼn unieke Suid Afrikaanse persona aan hulle optredes te gee, met wisselende vlakke van sukses. Lede van hierdie groepe, sowel as professionele klassieke musikante in Suid Afrika glo dat die bestaan van elektriese strykinstrument groepe en hul uitvoerings ʼn invloed het op die Suid Afrikaanse musiekopvoedkunde. In die studie is hierdie hipotese egter onwaar bevind. Verder, is dit bevind dat elektriese strykinstrument groepe ʼn moontlike negatiewe effek op die Suid Afrikaanse klassieke musiek bedryf kan hê, aangesien hulle bemarking tot die publiek mag onopsetlik gehore weg stuur vanaf klassieke musiek uitvoerings. Die elektriese strykinstrument groep industrie toon genoeg ontwikkeling en groei in Suid Afrika en op internasionale vlak om hul toekoms in die musiekindustrie te bevestig. Sulke groepe is waardevolle addisionele werksgeleenthede vir strykers in Suid Afrika, alhoewel die fenomeen moontlike negatiewe impak op die Suid Afrikaanse klassieke musiekindustrie mag hê.

<p>Abstract</p><p>Title: The New Type of Music Industry at AllEars.se (Den nya musikbranschen på AllEars.se)</p><p>Number of pages: 49 (53 including enclosures)</p><p>Author: Viktor Backemar</p><p>Tutor: Else Nygren</p><p>Course: Media och Communication Studies C</p><p>Period: Fall 2007</p><p>University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University.</p><p>Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare AllEars´ own view of the website AllEars.se to an observed view of the same site. The comparison is based on theories regarding the Internet in today’s society, convergence, communities and collective intelligence, interactivity and participation, and business in today’s society.</p><p>Method: Since the paper has a purpose to compare two views of the same website there are two main methods in use. AllEars´ own view has been created via an interview with the company’s CEO, a press release that was released in connection with the launch of the website and texts found on the website. The other view is based on an observation of the website, preformed in November 2007.</p><p>Main results: The views are different from each other seeing that AllEars´ own view is more positive than the observed view. The biggest and most crucial difference between the two views where found in the relationship between the producers and the users, in terms of who has got the actual power on the website. The users aren’t the ones who has got the actual power, instead the producers has the power and controls the activity on the website with predesigned rules and limitations. However there are some similarities between the two views: The website has a strong connection to the offline world, a good possibility for the users to interact with each other, and the fact that AllEars.se represents something new in the music industry.</p><p>Keywords: AllEars.se, music industry, Internet, convergence, communities, collective intelligence, interactivity, participation, SonyBMG, TV4.</p>

<p>This study has the purpose of looking at the current and future position of recordlabels from a context involving the technological developments, while theopportunities for the artists are changing. As the actors inside them music industryfind themselves in an ever changing climate where traditional supply chains arethreatened by new technology, the record labels need to change the way they workin order to maintain their existence in the music industry. The study has beenconducted by interviewing a number of people involved in the music industry, byusing a qualitative method approach. The conclusion of the study shows that thetraditional way of doing business by treating music as a product that makes revenueis gone. Instead the labels have to take on new roles formerly run by third parties inorder to survive and be profitable, especially since artists can now in control ofactivities that used to be controlled by the record label.</p>

早期獨立音樂因非歸屬在主流唱片公司旗下，因為自身資源稀少，缺乏行銷管道和預算，音樂人除了要努力以外，亦需要有運氣，才能抓到機會曝光其作品，至於要成為當代明星更是難上加難。然而，21世紀的數位時代改變整個音樂產業結構，不管是MP3技術或是網路的無遠弗屆，都直接影響到傳統音樂產業營銷模式；尤其是音樂檔案的共享讓消費者開始於線上聆聽和下載音樂，改變了傳統的音樂消費習慣，數位音樂收益也隨之上升。當音樂消費從線下轉為線上，能讓過去資源稀少的音樂人有更多的行銷管道和曝光機會；而網路也讓音樂作品更快速被全世界聽到，像是Adele、One Republic等目前當紅明星都是從過去獨立音樂創作開始，透過線上平台而曝光並崛起。反觀臺灣的音樂市場現況，卻未因應數位時代的轉變創造出更多音樂明星，而臺灣目前音樂市場上有影響力的主流明星多半仍為2000年左右出道的歌手，呈現出明星斷層問題。 為了探究以上問題，本次聚焦探討目前臺灣獨立音樂產業結構，過去臺灣獨立音樂產業相關文獻較多以單向探討為主，例如針對文化政策、大眾媒體、獨立廠牌、Live House等問題作線性研究，較少以整體產業作多向分析。而本次研究希望透過多面的交錯關係分析獨立音樂產業結構，並以Mollard （2002）所提出的文化體系來解釋決策者、創作者、中介者及群眾四大組群做各面向關係，試圖分析四大群組在獨立音樂產業的缺口，以了解臺灣目前獨立音樂與主流音樂的斷層缺口，並建構出臺灣獨立音樂文化體系運作之規則。 本研究發現，數位時代下的網路平台力量不足以帶動整個音樂市場需求，甚至有減緩創造主流的現象，包含缺乏守門機制、網路分眾、樂評需求降低等因素。另外，四大群組中的中介者則在獨立音樂文化體系中扮演最重要的角色，擔任創作者與群眾之間的橋梁，因此，如何去培養群眾對於獨立音樂的包容性和多元的聆聽習慣為必須思考的方向之一。此外，透過培養音樂市場需求刺激創作供給，讓環境能夠利於創作者成長，再加政府落實文化補助、擴增硬體建設及法規制定相關的文化政策才能真正建立穩固及永續的獨立音樂文化體系。然而，目前四大群組仍存在需填補的缺口，透過檢視四大群組的關係才能更順利鏈結人才、創作品質、傳遞文化等產業關鍵能力，進而拉近獨立音樂與主流音樂之距離，以創造下一波音樂流行的可能。

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

<p>The economic importance of design-intensive and cultural-products industries has grown in recent decades. One case in point is Sweden, where internationally competitive industries have emerged in areas such as multimedia, fashion, and music. During the 1990s, research in economic geography and related disciplines concerned with the link between geographical location and competitive advantage has found an important source of inspiration in the cluster approach. The thesis examines the relationship between spatial clustering and industrial competitive-ness by undertaking a series of empirical studies that explore various dimensions of the Swedish music industry. The thesis demonstrates that the Swedish music industry embraces a multitude of actors in a complex, spatially clustered production system characterised by dense social networks, which transcend individual firms. Processes and mechanisms that have enhanced the creation and diffusion of strategic knowledge as well as co-operative competition further promote the competitiveness of this cluster. Moreover, the thesis demonstrates that it is necessary to carefully consider the relation between the local milieu and the global music industrial production and distribution system in order to fully understand competitiveness in the music industry. Finally, the thesis examines how the cluster concept has been put into practice in Swedish industrial and regional policies concerning cultural industries.</p>

The economic importance of design-intensive and cultural-products industries has grown in recent decades. One case in point is Sweden, where internationally competitive industries have emerged in areas such as multimedia, fashion, and music. During the 1990s, research in economic geography and related disciplines concerned with the link between geographical location and competitive advantage has found an important source of inspiration in the cluster approach. The thesis examines the relationship between spatial clustering and industrial competitive-ness by undertaking a series of empirical studies that explore various dimensions of the Swedish music industry. The thesis demonstrates that the Swedish music industry embraces a multitude of actors in a complex, spatially clustered production system characterised by dense social networks, which transcend individual firms. Processes and mechanisms that have enhanced the creation and diffusion of strategic knowledge as well as co-operative competition further promote the competitiveness of this cluster. Moreover, the thesis demonstrates that it is necessary to carefully consider the relation between the local milieu and the global music industrial production and distribution system in order to fully understand competitiveness in the music industry. Finally, the thesis examines how the cluster concept has been put into practice in Swedish industrial and regional policies concerning cultural industries.

This study has the purpose of looking at the current and future position of recordlabels from a context involving the technological developments, while theopportunities for the artists are changing. As the actors inside them music industryfind themselves in an ever changing climate where traditional supply chains arethreatened by new technology, the record labels need to change the way they workin order to maintain their existence in the music industry. The study has beenconducted by interviewing a number of people involved in the music industry, byusing a qualitative method approach. The conclusion of the study shows that thetraditional way of doing business by treating music as a product that makes revenueis gone. Instead the labels have to take on new roles formerly run by third parties inorder to survive and be profitable, especially since artists can now in control ofactivities that used to be controlled by the record label.

In 2007, Radiohead released a downloadable album, In Rainbows, allowing consumers to pay what they thought the album was worth. The band responded to a moment of change in the music industry. Since then, other bands, like Nine Inch Nails and Coldplay, have made similar moves. Radiohead's capability to release an album and let the fans decide its worth relied on the image they built, which foregrounded their commodification. The historic move redefined the boundaries between art and commodity, a well know tension in popular music studies. The thesis focuses on popular music as communication in the changing industry. Using Radiohead’s album as a case study, it looks at the changing boundaries in the tension between art and commodity. The thesis examines Radiohead's performance, its mediation by the press, and what the album’s distribution method meant to the fans.