The music industry is in control of popular music and therefore the music itself is homogeneous (a formula to make profit). According to Shepherd* it has been described as ‘ one of the gatekeepers positioned between the music industry and its audience’. Therefore the audience of popular music must be increased by the industries marketing but does it create the audience? Hirsch* describes the music press as an ‘institutional regulator of music industry output that acts as a filter between the recording industry and its audience’. So, there is an important link between the two (the output), the audience could be down to marketing. However audiences may purchase popular music because they enjoy it. Homogenised music isn’t always a success and is sometimes a one off hit. Overall, the music industry creates the market but not necessarily the audience, it depends upon what the consumers like and the availability of it.
* Hirsch in Shepherd
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