Inventing the Music Industry

Today's American music industry may seem like the epitome of a modern, technology-based business, but it's shaped by a history that goes back to the early nineteenth century. Inventing the Music Industry seeks to illuminate the connections between the industry's past and present, offering a dynamic overview of the music industry's development. From the first mass-produced pianos to the electric guitar, from the origins of copyright to digital piracy, and from sheet music sales to online streaming, this book explores continuity and change over two centuries. Showing that the music industry has long been locked in a pattern of disruption, damage control, and reluctant change, Inventing the Music Industry is essential reading for students and anyone seeking to understand the origins of today's music business.