Abstracts

The following are excerpts from an annotated bibliography I'm working on, placed here for your edification.


Burkart, Patrick, and Tom McCourt. Digital Music Wars: Ownership and Control of the Celestial Jukebox. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. Digital Music Wars deals with the potentially unstable structure of the music industry in the context of file sharing sites and the concept of copyright. According to the book, the industry would like the public to believe that the concept of a “Celestial Jukebox” is a good idea and would benefit the general public. What they don’t tell you, however, is the fact that the owners of the jukebox control who gets what for how much, meaning that they can impose separate levels of subscriptions, and retain certain media for those willing to pay higher prices. The authors, both professors at separate universities, seem to be aiming at people already in the music industry, or academics interested in it. While the prose is clear and quite readable, the book is set up in a somewhat boring, academic-themed way. The authors cite their works religiously, providing a large index and in-depth bibliographies at the end of each chapter and at the end of the book. Readers of the book will find it useful for finding other sources on the music industry in general and the future of digital music in particular. The authors seem slanted towards the artists and opposed to the conglomeration of music labels that currently exists. However, here is something to think about before I continue to the next book: despite all the support the authors seem to give to the concept of free speech, Digital Music Wars is copyrighted.


Kusek, David, Gerd Leonhard, and Susan Gedutis Lindsay. The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution. Boston: Berklee Press, 2005. The Future of Music attempts to chart a map of where the digital music boom is headed, claiming that in ten or fifteen years, music will be as ubiquitous as water. The authors also detail the reasons for the record label’s troubles, share legal downloading sites and “inside” information about the music industry, and explain the psychology behind how labels market the music and how consumers choose what to buy. Kuesk, a musician, inventor, software developer, and professor, and Leonhard, a speaker, musician, business and technology expert, and self proclaimed “futurist” are experienced in the ways of writing. Everything about this book, down to the font itself, is designed to make it marketable to anyone who owns any type of music playing device. Although the authors obviously aimed for people who are already interested in the music industry, anyone who picks it up would probably find it interesting and easy to read, due to the short paragraphs, inclusive prose, and multiple journeys through the authors’ imaginations. Readers will benefit from the suggestions the authors give about finding the best sites and software for digital downloading, and from the “insider” viewpoint of the industry. They also share interesting facts, such as how instrumental video games have been in the promotion of certain artists’ work. The authors’ emphasis on this “music like water” theory almost makes one wonder if they’re planning on releasing a beta version of it soon. That aside, though, the book is enjoyable and informative, with interesting information and a great voice.

I especially liked The Future of Music. As of this writing, I haven't finished reading either book, but I'm looking forward to exploring more of Kusek and Leonhard's imaginations.