American Popular Music and Its Business in the Digital Age

American Popular Music and Its Business in the Digital Age: 1985-2020 by Rick Sanjek is the sequel to his father Russell Sanjek's American Popular Music and Its Business: the First 400 Years. This book offers a detailed and objective history of the popular music industry from the introduction of the compact disc to the shift to streaming, with particular emphasis on the creators, the consumers, and the music business professionals who, in Sanjek's telling, form the three major axes of the industry. Each of the book's three sections--1985-1995, 1996-2006, and 2007-2019--has five chapters covering the same areas and issues. The first chapter in each section outlines the competition between the Big Six music conglomerates, their corporate structures, leadership, finances, and market share. The second chapter traces the synergy between the labels, the retail sector, radio, and the trade magazines whose charts are the pacemaker for the entire industry. Third comes music publishing, licensing, copyright, and legal issues including legislation, litigation, and infringement, followed by a focus on creators and how they earn their money. Each final chapter examines how, how much, and where consumers--who lead in adopting new technology--spend their money. Underlying it all is an insider's perspective on the role that the CD, Napster, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, SoundScan, electronic ticketing, and other innovations had in redefining the business structure and revenue flow of the entire industry. Digital technology also affected the regulations, contracts, and financial transactions that define the complex business of music, as live performance transitioned from clubs, concert halls, and theaters to arenas, amphitheaters, and stadiums. Concurrently, recorded music evolved from analog to digital sound carriers through MP3 downloads and then to on-demand streaming files, ultimately affecting consumers, creators, and the music business infrastructure that connects them. Finally, an epilogue includes the effects of COVID-19 in 2020 on all involved, closing with a glimpse into the digital future with the emergence of TikTok, livestreaming, immersive media, and artificial intelligence.

Rick Sanjek is a former BMI Vice President of writer/publisher relations, national trustee and chapter president of the Recording Academy®, A&R director at Atlantic Records, artist manager, independent publisher, label operator, and currently licensing consultant. He learned the music business basics working directly with five Hall-of-Fame mentors: BMI's Frances Preston; Atlantic Records' Jerry Wexler; the incomparable Willie Nelson; legendary Sun Records producer, publisher, and songwriter Jack Clement; and producer, label owner, and steel guitar legend Pete Drake. Over his career he has worked as a producer, music supervisor, publisher, songwriter, and/or licensing consultant on hundreds of music, film, and television projects. Preface Acknowledgments Illustrations Contents Prologue Part One: 1985 to 1995 Chapter One: The Game of Musical Thrones Chapter Two: Records, Retail, Radio, and the Charts that Bind Them Chapter Three: Publishing, Copyright, Legislation, and Litigation Chapter Four: The Creators of Music: Getting Paid Chapter Five: The Consumer: From Whom, How, and Where the Money Flows Part Two: 1996-2006 Chapter Six: From Big Six to Big Four Chapter Seven: Digital Technology Rocks the Record/Radio/Retail Relationship Chapter Eight: Publishing, Copyright, Legislation, and Litigation Chapter Nine: The Creators' Side of the Money Equation Chapter Ten: Emergence of the Digital Consumer: 1996-2006 Part Three: 2007 to 2019 Chapter Eleven: The Game of Musical Thrones: Riding the Digital Wave Chapter Twelve: Records, Radio, Retail, Streaming, and the Charts Chapter Thirteen: Publishing and Copyright: The Digital Effect Chapter Fourteen: The Creators: A Bigger Piece of a Bigger Pie Chapter Fifteen: The Consumer: Leading the Digital Transition Epilogue: 2020--Into the Future Acronyms Bibliography Index

Preface Acknowledgments Illustrations Contents Prologue Part One: 1985 to 1995 Chapter One: The Game of Musical Thrones Chapter Two: Records, Retail, Radio, and the Charts that Bind Them Chapter Three: Publishing, Copyright, Legislation, and Litigation Chapter Four: The Creators of Music: Getting Paid Chapter Five: The Consumer: From Whom, How, and Where the Money Flows Part Two: 1996-2006 Chapter Six: From Big Six to Big Four Chapter Seven: Digital Technology Rocks the Record/Radio/Retail Relationship Chapter Eight: Publishing, Copyright, Legislation, and Litigation Chapter Nine: The Creators' Side of the Money Equation Chapter Ten: Emergence of the Digital Consumer: 1996-2006 Part Three: 2007 to 2019 Chapter Eleven: The Game of Musical Thrones: Riding the Digital Wave Chapter Twelve: Records, Radio, Retail, Streaming, and the Charts Chapter Thirteen: Publishing and Copyright: The Digital Effect Chapter Fourteen: The Creators: A Bigger Piece of a Bigger Pie Chapter Fifteen: The Consumer: Leading the Digital Transition Epilogue: 2020--Into the Future Acronyms Bibliography Index