Digital music and the “death of the long tail”
Title: Digital music and the “death of the long tail”
Author(s): José Zorro Mendes, Manuel Pacheco Coelho
Publication Date: 2019
Publisher: Elsevier
Quotation: "Coelho, M., Mendes, Z. (2019). “Digital music and the “death of the long tail”. Journal of Business Research, 101, 454-460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.01.015"
Abstract: Digital distribution is a new technology that is revolutionizing the pop-rock music market. Extensive debate exists on the long tail theory that predicts a niche strategy in the pop-rock market versus the conventional wisdom of a “superstar effect” that predicts skewness in the market outcomes for artists. This research tests the empirical evidence of such effects and elaborates on how the firms respond to this disruptive technological revolution and how this response changes strategic management.
Identifier: ISSN 0148-2963
Category: Outras publicações
Abstract:
The new technology of digital distribution is changing the pop-rock music market. In the middle of the last decade Chris Anderson (Anderson, 2006) stated that the death of the CD and the dematerialization of music had created a long tail of marginal non-hits. The aggregate demand for these non-hits gave birth to important and valorized niches of pop-rock songs and memorabilia. This phenomenon has promoted the democratization of the access to cultural goods. But, growing evidence exists on the persistence of the so-called superstar effect. The impact of live music has renewed the relevance of highly extravagant outcomes for the privileged group of really great stars. The “winner takes all” effect dominates the music market, and streaming as a form of digital distribution fuels this effect. This new technology is posing several new issues to the development of the market and cultural policy. Our fundamental research questions then are: Is there empirical evidence of the long tail or superstar effect in the pop-rock music market? How did enterprises adapt their business strategies to this online technological revolution? Therefore, in Digital music and the “death of the long tail”, we examine different sources of data on the pop-rock market, such as the revenues from digital music sales and live music performances, to confirm the importance of the “winner takes all” effect and the persistence of important niches in alternative pop-rock music.
Quotation:
“Coelho, M., Mendes, Z. (2019). “Digital music and the “death of the long tail”. Journal of Business Research, 101, 454-460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.01.015“
