Call for contributions

Permanent call

Proposals for CNMlab publications may be sent to us at any time. Please send a note of intent in the following format: biography of the author(s), the proposed subject and the methodology applied, and a bibliography (or webography) listing the sources used. Proposals should not exceed 3,500 characters (including spaces).

The CNMlab has two types of priority topics: those that deal with phenomena having a current impact on the practices of the music industry professionals, and those that will have a future impact on the music industry.

Each contribution will contain a maximum of 35,000-50,000 characters (including spaces). The work and the writing of the article can be carried out by a single contributor or by several contributors.

Work is remunerated at €1,000 incl. VAT per contribution (not per contributor).

Call for the book “Artist and entrepreneur: towards new forms of organization in music”

Theme of the book

For many analysts, recent changes in the music industry have led to the advent of an “artist’s era”[1] in which artists have to do more and do it alone: sound engineering, arranging, production, administration, acquiring audiences online[2] , and so on. Transformations in the music economy are as much a risk for artists as an opportunity for them to gain independence and even negotiating power; an opportunity that the tools of a new era of digital disintermediation (or “web3”) would only reinforce. Thus, the growing influence of “independent artists”[3] seems to be shaping the organizational model for tomorrow’s musicians.

However, the tendency to place the artist at the center of the equation covers polymorphous realities, with their own strengths and limitations. Thus, while the contemporary context tends to leave artists with full or partial ownership of their rights, they are at the same time encouraged to rely on more complex professional entourages, artist service providers or “toolbox” structures[4] : far from being alone, the self-produced artist is surrounded by his or her own ecosystem[5] and evolves at the heart of new power relationships. Similarly, calls for a “creator economy”[6] or “artist-centric” economies[7] , in which direct links between artists and fans are strengthened[8] , correspond to a lowering of barriers to entry into the music market, as well as a strengthening of competition in access to online visibility. Finally, the figure of the entrepreneurial artist, independent, resourceful and adept at “Do it yourself”, finds its counterpart in professional statuses that are sometimes highly precarious: in this sense, self-production can be both chosen and suffered[9] .

Thus, this collection will rather ask the question in these terms: how is the music industry being restructured around artist-centered organizational schemes? To go beyond the surveys already carried out on the subject, the aim will be to delve deeper into the mutations of the artistic activity, but also of the professions surrounding it, and to ask more broadly what are the new forms of organization in the music industry.

Any topic related to this issue is welcome, but the following guidelines may help position contributions.

Defining, delimiting and characterizing the phenomena of artists’ “emancipation”

What does artist independence mean in music? And what proportion of music production is self-production? Does it represent a large number of artists? Is it particularly linked to the[10] self-distribution phenomenon, or does it concern a growing number of professional artists? How are contractual relations between artists and labels evolving? What are the differences between self-production in live and recorded music? Quantitative approaches to these issues are most welcome.

Between “independent artists”, “self-produced artists” and “entrepreneurial artists”, how can we describe the refocusing of organizational models on artists? What does self-production actually mean, and what forms of organization does it take? Should it be defined as the simple ownership of rights by artists, or can a broader definition[11] be applied? How can we even define professional artists?

What can we learn from international comparisons or comparisons with other cultural industries or other digital players such as influencers?

Analyze changes in work organization in the music industry

How do you explain the craze for artist-centric models? Is it linked to the weakening investment of traditional players such as record labels and entertainment producers? Is it linked to the democratization of market access and the democratization of musical practice? Is this democratization a reality, and if so, to what extent? Is it linked to a boom in entrepreneurship?

How are non-artist players recomposing themselves around these configurations? Are we witnessing a shift in the industry’s center of gravity from recording production to artist support? What are the new music professions and practices? Which professions are being internalized by artists, and which are not? How are support professions such as artist management changing? Here, historical approaches are welcome to put recent developments into perspective with older situations: for example, hasn’t entrepreneurship structured the professions of opera singer or symphonic music composer?

What tensions are emerging between intermittent employment (well-known in France), salaried employment and self-employment?

Assessing the impacts and risks of artist-centered models

How empowering are artists? What legal and professional obstacles do they encounter? For example, what negotiating power do entrepreneurial artists have with distributors?

What opportunities are there for artists starting their careers in a sea of content? What impact will this have on their working conditions and career length? Is the age of the artist one of increasing psycho-social risks?

To what extent are established players bypassed or forced to reposition themselves? Are there stronger impacts for dominant players and independents?

What impact on diversity? What place for women and gender minorities? What conclusions can be drawn for public policy?

The rules of the call for contributions

The call is open to contributors from all backgrounds, both French and international, with two main profiles: researchers (including doctoral and post-doctoral students), and specialists and experts from the professional sphere. The CNMlab is open to all disciplines, with different methodologies and approaches, both qualitative and quantitative: history, philosophy, economics, sociology, musicology, management, information sciences, geography, anthropology, statistics, political sciences, data sciences and more.

The first phase of evaluation of proposals (see calendar), is undertaken by the Scientific Council and the CNMlab team. The latter will ensure the relevance and complementarity of the proposed articles. They will also pay particular attention to the rigor of the work undertaken: for researchers, the note of intent will describe the method used (although the description of the research protocols will not be reproduced in the article), the fields investigated and the material collected (or to be collected); for professionals who have developed an expertise, the seriousness and precision of the subject matter will be examined.

For contributions derived from research, it can be a way to valorize and reframe existing work in a novel way. However, CNMlab will be particularly attentive to new research projects and original contributions: the proposed text must not have been published before. In the context of new research work, the institution does not reserve any exclusivity on the materials and results produced: they can subsequently be published and developed further in scientific publications.

Twelve propositions will be retained for publication.

At the end of the project, a review will be organized with a committee composed of the CNMlab teams, the president of the institution and members of the Scientific Council (see Agenda).

Format

Each contribution will contain a maximum of 35,000–50,000 characters (including spaces). The work and the writing of the article can be carried out by a single contributor or by several contributors.

Agenda

Before July 15, 2023, contributors are invited to send a note of intent to the following address: cnmlab@cnm.fr. Not exceeding 3,500 characters (including spaces), it should briefly present the authors, the proposed subject, the method employed and a short indicative bibliography (or webography).
In October 2023, the CNMlab will announce its selection of proposals.
By May 2024, the writing work should have been completed and submitted for a first phase of substantive proofreading.
In the second half of 2024, the selected contributions will be published in French and in Englsih on the CNMlab website, and the collection will be printed in French in hard copy.

Compensation

Work is remunerated at €1,000 incl. VAT per contribution (not per contributor).

[1] Midia Research (2020), https://midiaresearch.com/blog/welcome-to-the-age-of-the-artist

[2] Improta França, G. (2018). One man band: The Rio de Janeiro instrumentalist in the age of platforms. Cahiers d’Outre-Mer, 71(277), 165-190. https://doi.org/10.4000/com.8933

[3] Midia Research (2021), https://midiaresearch.com/blog/smaller-independents-and-artists-direct-grew-fastest-in-2020

[4] Pôle de coopération pour les musiques actuelles en Pays de la Loire (2020), https://lepole.asso.fr/posts/2131/etude-nationale-sur-le-developpement-dartistes

[5] Réguer-Petit, M., Monfort, M., & Audran, M. (2019). Exploratory study on self-production by music artists (p. 125). Agence Phare.

[6] Jin, L. (2020). The Creator Economy Needs a Middle Class. Harvard Business Review, 14.

[7] Music Business Worldwide (2023), https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sir-lucian-grainge-music-needs-a-new-streaming-payout/

[8] Hu, C. https://www.waterandmusic.com/the-creator-economy-is-growing-much-faster-than-music-streaming/

[9] Réguer-Petit, M., Monfort, M., & Audran, M. (2019). Exploratory study on self-production by music artists (p. 125). Agence Phare.

[10] Music Business Worldwide (2023), https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/record-companies-3900-tracks-every-day-problem/

[11] The Agence Phare study defines it as follows: “the control and responsibility for production, both legal and financial, by an artist or group of artists, in both live performance and recorded music”. The Bargeton report distinguishes between two types of self-production: the democratization of the distribution of potentially amateur productions thanks to digital technology, and the approach of established artists who switch to a logic of retaining their rights and providing a service to the music industry.

The “Music and Data” collection of contributions

Goals :

to render new ideas accessible and promote them to a wide audience ranging from the general public to professionals, including those working in music and entertainment, the media and experts in the sector. The contributions must strike a balance between accessibility and intellectual rigor. The aim is to make technical and theoretical concepts, and scientific vocabulary, accessible by focusing in particular on concrete practices and examples that are specific to music and the industry. But it also aims to take a step back from the immediate realities of the sector in order to provide a broader and longer-term view ;
to help the CNM better understand the issues at stake, by mapping the current situation (key players, tools, applications etc.), as well as reporting on the existing or potential consequences for the music sector ;
projecting into the future and exploring new fields. Without necessarily placing it at the centre of their subject, the contributions must include an exploratory dimension, providing keys to understanding the future. This exploratory dimension can take the form of genuine predictions, an open-ended conclusion, a sketch of current trends, or even avenues of reflection for advancing the subject (in the form of public policy recommendations, for example). Historical approaches fit largely into this framework, as long as they shed light on present and future situations.

It should be noted that the CNMlab team is a resource center for contributors, making its expertise available and facilitating contact with key actors in the field, as well as access to data and documentation.

The rules of the call for contributions

The call is open to contributors from all backgrounds, both French and international, with two main profiles: researchers (including doctoral and post-doctoral students), and specialists and experts from the professional sphere. The CNMlab is open to all disciplines, with different methodologies and approaches, both qualitative and quantitative: history, philosophy, economics, sociology, musicology, management, information sciences, geography, anthropology, statistics, political sciences, data sciences and more.

The first phase of evaluation of proposals (see calendar), is undertaken by the Scientific Council and the CNMlab team. The latter will ensure the relevance and complementarity of the proposed articles. They will also pay particular attention to the rigor of the work undertaken: for researchers, the note of intent will describe the method used (although the description of the research protocols will not be reproduced in the article), the fields investigated and the material collected (or to be collected); for professionals who have developed an expertise, the seriousness and precision of the subject matter will be examined.

For contributions derived from research, it can be a way to valorize and reframe existing work in a novel way. However, CNMlab will be particularly attentive to new research projects and original contributions: the proposed text must not have been published before. In the context of new research work, the institution does not reserve any exclusivity on the materials and results produced: they can subsequently be published and developed further in scientific publications.

Twelve proposed contributions will be retained for publication.

At the end of the project, a review will be organized with a committee composed of the CNMlab teams, the president of the institution and members of the Scientific Council (see calendar).

The “Music and Data” project

Topics

As the digital revolution advances, digital data collected on a large scale (Big Data) has become a strategic resource, sometimes unavoidably so, and has largely penetrated the music industry. The new uses that result from it are gradually becoming established in professional practices, while often remaining obscure for some in the field as well as for the general public. In other words, if the use of digital data in music brings opportunities, it also raises questions.

Any topic related to the links between the music ecosystem and digital data is welcome, and the ‘Music and Data’ collection of contributions aims to address a wide variety of data-related issues:

The first line of inquiry will concern the collection and qualification of data. This data can come from consumption or from information provided by the various actors involved in the creation, production, distribution and performance or broadcasting of music, both in the field of entertainment (eg ticketing, interactions with the public) and of recorded music. The data can also be related to the structure of songs, their musical genre, their rhythm and metre, timbre etc Once this data is collected, it is used to supplement the metadata used by platforms, distributors, collective management organisations and so on.

Some questions can illustrate the issues to be addressed: how does the collection and qualification of data concerning live or recorded music work? What are its strengths and blind spots? Who are the key players and how do they compete with each other or, conversely, collaborate in the establishment of common practices? What are the legal stakes involved? How is the ever-increasing amount of collected data managed? How does it converge with metadata processing? How can common databases and metrics be established at local, national and European levels? To what extent do public bodies have a role to play in the collection and exploitation of such data?
The second line of inquiry will focus on the use of the data. Once collected and processed, the data can be used in a number of ways: in algorithmic form, to detect similarities between tracks or to improve recommendations to users, for listening to music or for personalising recommendations, including in the performing arts, or in the form of assistance in creating musical works.

A few questions and issues may cross this axis: how can musical creators make best use of these technological tools? What is the current state of algorithmic recommendation, what are the influences, the potential for discoverability, the obstacles, the existing or possible regulations? In terms of rights management, what progress has there been and what limits still exist regarding the transparency of distribution of the revenue? What developments and possibilities are there in the uses of digital data, notably in the context of the emergence of Web3?
The third and final axis will consist in examining the risks and the different concerns triggered by the uses of data linked to music. Any contribution focused on the previous lines of inquiry can naturally also include concerns and critiques, but this section will be particularly dedicated to them.

Some possible questions and issues are: what are the potential barriers for the actors in the sector, for example concerning the level of investment and the cost of data exploitation? Does digital data risk formatting listening habits and musical creation? What are the dangers and requirements for the management of personal data circulating in the context of music consumption? How can it be protected? How can a fair use of data be guaranteed? How can we ensure transparency? What are the environmental issues underlying the production chain, and what regulation could be envisaged?

Format

Each contribution will contain a maximum of 35,000–50,000 characters (including spaces). The work and the writing of the article can be carried out by a single contributor or by several contributors.

Agenda

Before September 21, 2022, contributors are asked to send a note of intent to the following address: cnmlab@cnm.fr. Not exceeding 3,500 characters (including spaces), it should briefly present the authors, the proposed topic, the methodology used, and a short indicative bibliography (or webography).
At the end of April 2023, the selected contributions will be published on the CNMlab website and the collection will be printed.