cfp: “Music Economy 20|20 – Current Discourses and Challenges”

Interdisciplinary symposium June 25th-27th 2020

Location: University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar, Institute of Musicology Weimar-Jena / Bauhaus University Weimar, Department of Media Management

Organizer: Prof. Dr. Steffen Höhne, Dr. Wolf-Georg Zaddach (Institute for Musicology Weimar-Jena – Cultural Management, HfM Weimar) Prof. Dr. Jutta Emes, Prof. Dr. Christopher Buschow, Prof. Dr. Matthias Maier (Department of Media Management, Bauhaus University Weimar)

The music industry is ever changing. In the past decade alone and since the first conference on the music industry in Weimar in 2011 (conference proceedings: Musikwirtschaft 2.0, Leipzig University Publishing 2014), the developments have become even more dynamic: For instance, music streaming has become a major form of reception, new topics and legal regulations have become established in the context of music exploitation and debates on publicly-funded music culture became more intense. In addition, there is a progressive ongoing digitization among further growing societal challenges. The conference aims to examine certain current developments in the music industry with an interdisciplinary approach that brings together both research and practice. We would like to invite papers about the following topics:

1. Changes in the labor market

a. Working and living conditions of actors in the music industry

b. Influence of digitization on the requirement profiles of the music industry

c. Education and training concepts with regard to new profiles of production, distribution and reception as well as new qualifications

d. Legal framework (for instance copyright and digitization)

2. Changing ways of reception: listening to music in the 21st century

a. Influence of digitization on reception and generational differentiation

b. Market research and adaptation strategies of the music industry

c. Live music & concerts: systemic change, audience / visitor research

d. Research approaches and methods for the research of reception change

e. Ethics of digitization and reception: sustainability, digitization and music production, appreciation and willingness to pay

3. Agents, Actors & Actants: Innovations and mediation processes in the music industry today

a. Erosion and establishment of power structures (gatekeeper, cultural intermediaries, prosumer, etc.)

b. Digital actants: Application examples and future visions of AI, application, processes and usage of algorithms, block chain & big data

c. Support structures and systems (creative economy, evaluation & evaluation)

d. The music industry as a laboratory of digitization: testing, adaptation and learning processes in the digital society

Please send an abstract (300 words maximum) and a short CV (100 words maximum) in one document by December 9th 2019: wolf-georg.zaddach@hfm-weimar.de  

You will receive feedback by January 15th 2020 at the latest. A publication of selected contributions is planned.