Decentralization and Growth in the U.S. Music Industry, An Emerging Paradigm: A Longitudinal Comparative Analysis

Phillip A. Terrell

Alabama State University

Abstract

A 2004 study by Frederick J. Taylor and Phillip A. Terrell concluded that, despite a trend of declining record sales from 2000 to 2003, multiple sub-sectors of the music industry within its five capital cities were experiencing positive growth at the same time. The authors point to factors such as the ascension of the internet as a means of record distribution, deregulation in the radio industry, and advancements in recording technology to strengthen their argument that the music industry within these cities is decentralizing. Here, the author attempts to expound upon the data obtained in the previous study to prove that the music industry is also decentralizing on a national level. Data relative to the growth of nine industry sub-sectors throughout the U.S., including recording studios, live music, and publishing and licensing services is examined for similar patterns of growth. With the number of businesses, number of employees, and total sales serving as the main growth indices, the author finds that the U.S. music industry, on the whole, appears to also be undergoing a significant period of decentralization.

Keywords: music business, music industry, decentralization, NAICS

Terrell, Phillip A. “Decentralization and Growth in the U.S. Music Industry, An Emerging Paradigm: A Longitudinal Comparative Analysis." Journal of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association 5, no. 1 (2005): 33-57. https://doi.org/10.25101/5.3

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