Mique, Annabelle

Freshman, School of Music

Major: Performing Arts Management

Minor: Business Administration

Honors Course: HON 100: Rhetoric and Critical Inquiry

Faculty: Michael Raleigh, Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse

Abstract: Recently developed technologies have allowed for seemingly monumental shifts within the music industry and its processes. Literature examines these innovations and prescribe responses industry participants should take considering this transition onto the digital playing field. This paper examines the effect of these developments, investigating how common dichotomies have adapted to the digital age, especially that between major and independent musicians/labels. Despite the notable empowerment of the individual during this era, major labels maintain their upper hand in power dynamics, revealing the fundamentally unchanged condition of today’s music industry.