From a Music Industry to Sound Industries

Commodification has been an inherent aspect of music for many centuries. The aggregation of the diverse commodification practices could be described as an "industry," but this is an industry that has always been in a state of transition. New technologies, media formats, and practices appear regularly, requiring swift responses by the incumbent music industry. Although periods of relative stabil- ity have existed, where economic structures become established, the field has always been characterised by intense innovation following changes in music technology. Currently, specific features of digital technologies are overturning musical practices that have proven extremely successful, both culturally and eco- nomically.