Classical music and identity construction in the digital age A Consumer Culture Theory research Master Thesis by Mirabay Romero Martínez 121940 Management of Creative Business Processes Msc in Social Science Copenhagen Business School Date of submission, 14th May, 2020 Supervisor: Szilvia Gyimothy Mørup-Petersen Standard pages: 76, characters: 172.316 1 Acknowledgments I would like to thank the people that have somehow contributed to the development of this paper. First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Szilvia Gyimothy, for her guidance through each stage of the process. Her encouragement and interest on the topic have given me the necessary motivation to make this thesis process an engaging journey. I would like to thank also all the great interview participants, for their time, their valuable insights, and the interesting discussion about music. Last but not least, I would like to thank all my beloved ones, for moral support and patience during these months of work. Especially, I need to mention my great friend Silvia because this accomplishment would not have been possible without her, “compañera, we did it!”. 2 Abstract This research attempts to shed light on the consumption of classical music in the digital age. Several studies have shown concern about the limitations of algorithm-based streaming services regarding music niche genres compared with mainstream genres. The purpose of this study is to contribute to consumer culture research in the music industry and analyze the role of music streaming platforms as a marketplace resource for the construction of classical music enthusiasts’ identity. For that purpose, a qualitative research process has been carried out based on interviews with classical music enthusiasts as the primary data collection method. Classical music enthusiasts have provided valuable information about preferences, habits of consumption, and reflections about streaming platforms’ functionalities for the consumption of classical music. The results have shown some patterns of consumption and characteristics of the classical music enthusiasts identity, such as omnivorous taste, role normative ways of consumption, individualism, the relevance of live music, and the identification with musical instruments. Results have also revealed that classical music enthusiasts appreciate the accessibility to classical music that streaming platforms provide but highlight the lack of variety of versions, accurate searching tools, and quality content. From a Consumer Culture Theory approach, this study reflects on the role of the digital platforms in the consumer’s identity construction but also aims to point out the relevance of the consumer role for the improvement of streaming platform features. 3 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Problem formulation ................................................................................................................. 7 1.2. Research question .................................................................................................................... 9 1.3. Terminology ........................................................................................................................... 10 1.3. Research context: Scope and delimitations. ......................................................................... 11 2. Background ................................................................................................................................... 12 2.1. Classical music in the streaming era .................................................................................... 12 2.2. Classical music streaming platforms ................................................................................... 15 3. Theoretical Foundation ................................................................................................................ 17 3.1 Postmodern Consumption ..................................................................................................... 17 3.1.1. Hyperreality ...................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.2. Fragmentation ................................................................................................................. 18 3.1.3. Reversal of production and consumption ..................................................................... 19 3.1.4. Decentred subject ........................................................................................................... 20 3.1.5. Juxtaposition of opposites ............................................................................................... 21 3.1.6. Towards a theoretical model .......................................................................................... 22 3.2. Consumer Culture Theory .................................................................................................... 23 3.2.1. Consumption and Identity – Identity Projects and the marketplace.............................. 24 3.2.1.1. Identity roles and self-narratives ................................................................................ 25 3.2.1.2. Musical Taste and Identity .......................................................................................... 26 3.2.1.3. Identity, Self-Presentation, and Consumption ......................................................... 28 3.2.2 Marketplace – Consumption tribes and collective performance .................................... 30 3.2.2.1. Consumption tribes, sub-cultures, and scenes .......................................................... 31 3.2.2.2. The role of spaces: online vs. offline .......................................................................... 32 3.3. Limitations of CCT research ................................................................................................. 33 4. Method .......................................................................................................................................... 34 4 4.1. Overall methodological approach ......................................................................................... 35 4.1.1. Philosophy of science ....................................................................................................... 35 4.1.2. Qualitative and abductive research. .............................................................................. 36 4.2. Methods of Data Collection ................................................................................................... 37 4.2.1. In-depth interviews ......................................................................................................... 37 4.2.2 Limitations to the data collection methods ................................................................... 39 4.3. Data Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 40 4.3.1. Grounded Theory ............................................................................................................ 41 4.3.1.1. Coding stages in Grounded Theory ............................................................................ 42 5. Results ........................................................................................................................................... 43 5.1. Use of streaming platforms .................................................................................................. 44 5.1.1. Browsing and searching activities .................................................................................. 45 5.1.2. Classical music platforms ...............................................................................................46 5.1.3. Sharing and following practices ..................................................................................... 47 5.2. Omnivorousness in classical music consumption ..............................................................49 5.2.1. The landscape of musical taste .......................................................................................49 5.2.2. Role-normative ways of consumption .......................................................................... 51 5.3. Paradoxical consumption moments ..................................................................................... 53 5.3.1. Real vs. Digital ................................................................................................................. 54 5.3.2. Neophilia vs. Neophobia ................................................................................................. 55 5.3.4. Collective vs. individual .................................................................................................. 57 5.4. The role of objects in classical music consumer’s identity ................................................ 59 5.4.1. Instruments ...................................................................................................................... 59 5.4.2. Physical records ............................................................................................................. 60 5.5. Classical music enthusiasts as producers of value .............................................................. 62 5.5.1. Creation of playlists ........................................................................................................