Disruptive Distribution in the Music Business, Part 1: An Historical Perspective

Abstract

The current digital disruption to music distribution, while extensive, is not without historical precedent. The introduction of the phonograph, radio broadcasting, and a combination of several recording and distribution technologies in the 1940s all caused disruptions to the music industry. These periods were followed by long phases of consolidation. This paper attempts to examine previous technological changes in the business of recorded music and identify several patterns that they have induced.