My Friend p2p : Music and Internet for the Modern Entrepreneur

Abstract

The music industry is undergoing an extensive transformation due to the digital revolution. New technologies such as the PC, the internet, and the iPod are empowering the consumer and the musician while disrupting the recording industry models. The aim of my thesis was to acknowledge how spectacular these new technologies are, and what kind of business structure shifts we can expect to see in the near future.

I start by presenting the underlying causes for the changes and go on to studying the main effects they have developed into. I then analyze the results of these changes from the perspective of a particular entrepreneur and offer a business idea in tune with the adjustments in supply and demand.

Overwhelmed with accessibility caused by democratized tools of production and distribution, music consumers are reevaluating recorded music in relation to other music products. The recording industry is shrinking but the overall music industry is growing.

The results strongly suggest that value does not disappear, it simply relocates. It is important that both musicians and industry professionals understand what their customers value and how to provide them with precisely that.