Press Releases
Creative Destruction in the Music Industry
PRESS RELEASE
December 1st 2006
Britain's music industry is in crisis; sales of singles and albums are collapsing while digital downloads - often illegal - are exploding. Meanwhile UK artists are failing to exploit the new technologies and sales channels that could give them a competitive edge and the record companies continue to work on a pre-digital redundant business model - one where they have a monopoly of recording, releasing and distributing music.
The Economic Research Council, Britain’s oldest economic think-tank, has commissioned music technology expert Andrew Ian Dodge, and a published author, blogger and rock musician to explore how the UK could regain its past glory in the music industry. Jo-Anne Nadler, former Radio 1 producer and now an established political commentator and author has written the foreword. The paper describes the current crisis, how artists and the recording labels could adjust to the new digital era and what policy changes government should enact to make this possible.
Please find below a quote from Dodge based on his paper, which is entitled, “Creative Destruction in the Music Industry - THE WAY AHEAD”
Dodge, highly critical of the BBC's monopoly of the airwaves which has stymied musical innovation says:
"Still top-quality British music is ignored in favour of BBC-approved bland pap."
Furthermore, Dodge bemoans the music industry's failure to adjust to the new digital era:
"Choice for consumers to access music and for bands to promote and produce their wares continues at an impressive rate. The music business continues to stare at the oncoming future like a deer in headlamps."
