#4 American led global music industries VS Canadian music - Ella Fitzpatrick

The global music industry is mostly controlled by a few corporations, the majority of which are American, putting a hold on performers and limiting their chances. The music production and publishing sector is dominated by three major record labels: Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, and Warner Music Group, which account for the large amount of the market. LiveNation, which controls Ticketmaster, and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) have market control on live concerts and ticket sales, owning major venues and events while placing restrictions on musicians. 

In radio, a few American businesses, such as iHeartMedia and SiriusXM, hold the majority of terrestrial and satellite radio stations, combining power and reducing variety. Even internet radio, which once promised greater variety, is now dominated by corporations such as Liberty Media, which owns holdings in other large music-related organizations. Although streaming services offered greater chances, in reality, they have mostly boosted the power of large corporations in the music industry.

Music-streaming platforms (MSPs) have grown a lot since 2008, expanding even more in 2015. Although MSPs are in the technology industry, they rely on music licensed in major rights-owning companies, mainly Universal, Sony, and Warner, as well as certain independent rights holders. These licenses are negotiated and renewed, creating a competitive relationship between MSPs and the music business.

• David Hesmondhalgh, Raquel Campos Valverde, D. Bondy,

Valdovinos Kaye, Zhongwei Li “Critically Analyzing Platform Interfaces: How Music-Streaming Platforms Frame Musical Experience”. International Journal of Communication 18(2024), 3257-3280 (MyLS)

Andrew deWaard , Brian Fauteux and Brianne Selman, “Independent
Canadian Music in the Streaming Age: The Sound from above (Critical
Political Economy) and below (Ethnography of Musicians). Popular

Music and Society, 2022, 1-28 DOI: 10.1080/03007766.2021.2010028