Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 1-25-2013 12:00 AM Promotional Ubiquitous Musics: New Identities and Emerging Markets in the Digitalizing Music Industry Leslie Meier The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Jonathan Burston The University of Western Ontario Joint Supervisor Alison Hearn The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Media Studies A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Leslie Meier 2013 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Mass Communication Commons, Public Relations and Advertising Commons, Social Influence and oliticalP Communication Commons, and the Sociology of Culture Commons Recommended Citation Meier, Leslie, "Promotional Ubiquitous Musics: New Identities and Emerging Markets in the Digitalizing Music Industry" (2013). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 1096. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1096 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PROMOTIONAL UBIQUITOUS MUSICS: NEW IDENTITIES AND EMERGING MARKETS IN THE DIGITALIZING MUSIC INDUSTRY (Spine title: Promotional Ubiquitous Musics) (Thesis format: Monograph) by Leslie M. Meier Graduate Program in Media Studies A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada © Leslie M. Meier 2013 THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies CERTIFICATE OF EXAMINATION Joint-Supervisor Examiners ____________________________ ____________________________ Dr. Jonathan Burston Dr. Matt Stahl ____________________________ Joint-Supervisor Dr. Norma Coates ____________________________ ____________________________ Dr. Alison Hearn Dr. Jonathan Sterne Supervisory Committee ____________________________ Dr. Jay Hodgson ____________________________ Dr. Matt Stahl The thesis by Leslie Marie Meier Entitled: Promotional Ubiquitous Musics: New Identities and Emerging Markets in the Digitalizing Music Industry is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Date ____________________________ Chair of the Thesis Examination Board ii ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the intensifying relationship between the digitalizing music industry and corporate brands. It analyzes the ‘crisis’ and recuperation of popular music’s commodity form in the digital era; in an increasingly post-CD music marketplace, it argues, ‘artist-brands’ tied to multiple revenue streams and licensed to brand partners constitute the foundation of music’s capitalization. Contemporaneous with key shifts in music marketing and monetization strategies, advertising firms have taken increased interest in branded entertainment strategies that employ popular music. These colliding commercial dynamics have produced a proliferation of what I term ‘promotional ubiquitous musics’: original music by recording artists used by consumer and media brands with the intent of promoting something other than the featured artist or music. The attendant collapse of popular music into marketing is interpreted through a neo-Adornian theoretical frame: it is argued that the ‘culture industry’ thesis assumes new and important relevance in the digital era, even as the ubiquitous circulation of diverse musics exemplifies post-Fordist flexibility. The instrumentalization of music under this branding paradigm has produced new levels of recording artist subordination and stratification, and has placed firm limits on popular musical expression. Deploying cultural and social theory and political economy, this critical analysis also draws on an interview program with executives at record labels, music publishers, advertising firms, and music supervision companies based in Toronto, New York City, and Los Angeles; rigorous tracking of trade press; and attendance at industry conferences. Keywords: music industry; digital media; cultural industries; popular music; brands; advertising; promotional culture; digital capitalism; post-Fordism; Adorno iii DEDICATION For Liv iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to extend my sincerest appreciation to my two supervisors, Dr. Jonathan Burston and Dr. Alison Hearn. Jonathan’s critical perspective and his tremendous dedication to my work have made my doctoral studies exceptionally rewarding. Alison’s significant contributions and advice have enriched and sharpened my thinking and my approach. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. Matt Stahl for his incisive input on my dissertation research and for the opportunity to collaborate with him on related projects in addition. I would like to thank Dr. Norma Coates for her feedback and guidance over the course of my doctoral studies. This dissertation would not have been possible without the generous support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program. This funding enabled me to expand my interview program to New York City and Los Angeles, and in so doing, to greatly deepen my research. I would like to extend my thanks to Dr. Ted Magder and New York University’s Department of Media, Culture, and Communication for my invaluable Fulbright exchange. I am so very grateful to my family and closest friends. Thanks to my parents, Don and Judy Meier, my brother and sister-in-law, Ian and Karissa Meier, and my grandmothers, Nicki Soiseth and Kay Meier, for their steadfast support. I also want to express my gratitude to Melanie Preston, Jérôme Bertrand, Kerstin Cornell, Allyson Wiemken, and Em Rounding. Thanks also to my cat, Feather, who kept me company as I logged countless hours at home. Most of all, I wish to recognize my partner in all things, Liv Bonli. v My experience at Western’s Faculty of Information and Media Studies has been enriched by the faculty, staff, and students I have met. I wish to thank Dr. Sasha Torres, Cindy Morrison, and the many friends I made: Kyle Asquith, Brian Brown, Trent Cruz, Christopher Cwynar, Michael Daubs, Wendy Daubs, Raul Jose Feliciano-Ortiz, David Jackson, Owen Livermore, Vince Manzerolle, Jenn Martin, Jill McTavish, Henry Svec, and Geraldo Toledo Ramirez. Thanks also to my friends from Simon Fraser University, Naomi Perks and Ben Woo, and to Fulbrighters Maciej Kassner and Visnja Rogosic. This work would not have been possible without the participation of my interviewees, who generously shared their thoughts, experiences, and time with me. I was provided with a one-of-a-kind education on the music and advertising industries. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF EXAMINATION ......................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ............................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................. vii LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................... xi LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................... xii 1 POPULAR MUSIC AS UBIQUITOUS PROMOTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE ............................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Key Concepts and Terminology: Branded Entertainment, Music Branding, and Promotional Ubiquitous Musics ................................... 4 1.3 Arguments ......................................................................................................... 11 1.4 Theoretical Frame ............................................................................................ 14 1.5 Research Methodology ..................................................................................... 16 I. Interviews ........................................................................................................... 18 II. Industry Conferences ........................................................................................ 21 III. Print Research and Political Economy Analysis ............................................. 22 1.6 Description of Chapters ................................................................................... 24 2 LITERATURE REVIEW: POPULAR MUSIC, ADVERTISING, AND CONSUMER CULTURE ............................................................................ 28 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 28 2.2 Industrial Origins: Commodified Popular Music as Promotion .................. 30 2.3 Studying Popular Music as Promotion ........................................................... 37 vii 2.4 Introducing Consumer Culture Studies ........................................................