The Music Export Business: Born Global

The Music Export Business examines the workings of the fast-changing world of music industry exports. The music industry is in a state of flux, resulting from changes in technology, markets, government policies and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic.

Streaming and competitive global markets have forced musicians to be agile and internationally focused. Referring to the "born global" phenomenon, which describes the ability of businesses to access international markets more readily from inception, this book assesses global trends and changes in music industry business models and the effectiveness of various nation state policies for export. The Music Export Business analyses cultural and economic value creation in the global value chain of the music industry; provides insight into the entrepreneurial export activities of artist’s managers, labels, publishers and explores the concept of ‘export readiness’. It compares the effectiveness of various national music export programs through a series of case studies.

This book is based on interviews with music industry actors (musicians, managers, promoters, labels and publishers); international export offices; international government surveys; and interviews on the export experience. The Music Export Business concludes with a re-examination of the term "born global" within the context of the complex relationship between the music industries, national economies, policy and cultural identity.