Popular Music and the Digital Shift: History, Economics, Listening, Organology, and Aesthetics
Philippe Le Guern and Paul J.F. Fleury
Translated by Mary Frances Knapp
Abstract: This essay reviews the state of the art of research on what might be called the “digital shift” in music. Somewhere between ontology and constructivism, our approach takes a particular interest in the pioneering work that has attempted to grasp the essence of the digital phenomenon and its many manifestations. In the first part of this article, we situate the digital shift historically, particularly in light of the controversies it has aroused: Is it an extension of the analog era or a radical disruption? In the second part, we examine the impact of the digital revolution on business models, the copyright system, and the architecture of the music industry: Has there been a complete reconfiguration of the value chain? What forms of regulation have been adopted to deal with illegal downloading? In the third part, we show that the digital shift is also affecting the experiences of music audiences and pay particular attention to recommendation algorithms. In the fourth part, we show how the digital shift introduces a new organological paradigm, redefining the relationship between instrument and musician. In the fifth and final part, we show how the development of tools such as the sampler and autotune have given rise to new forms of musical aesthetics. We also look at the crucial role of streaming platforms, such as SoundCloud and Spotify, in the spread of these new aesthetics.
How to cite this article: Le Guern, Philippe, and Paul J.F. Fleury. 2024–25. “Popular Music and the Digital Shift: History, Economics, Listening, Organology, and Aesthetics.” Music Research Annual 5–6: 1–57. https://doi.org/10.48336/SY7E-5Q82
About the authors: Philippe Le Guern is Full Professor of Art Theory and the Anthropology of Contemporary Worlds at Rennes 2 University. His work focuses on popular culture audiences and the sociology of fans, as well as innovations in technology and their effects on the world of art. He has devoted several articles to the impact of the transition from analog to digital in the field of popular music. Le Guern has directed two research programs funded by the French National Research Agency (Agence nationale de la recherche, or ANR). The first looked at the transformation of artistic professions (musicians and photographers) in the digital era and the second at the impact of the digital shift on audience tastes and everyday uses of music. Two of Le Guern’s edited books (En quête de musique: Questions de méthode de recherche à l’ère de la numérimorphose and Où va la musique? Numérimophose et nouvelles expériences d’écoute) take stock of these topics. Le Guern is also a research associate at the Observatoire interdisciplinaire de création et de recherche en musique, in the Faculty of Music at the Université de Montréal, and has been a Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh, a Visiting Scholar at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, and a Lecturer at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales. In addition to his academic work, he has been a musician, notably with Virgin Music.
Paul J. F. Fleury is a doctoral student at Rennes 2 University who is working on a thesis about music and artificial intelligence. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in music and social sciences from the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS). His research focuses on digital technologies and their impact on musical practice, as well as the aesthetics that emerge from these new modes of creation and reception. In addition to his academic pursuits, he has taught courses at Rennes 2 University and EHESS, and he conducts AI-assisted sound practice workshops at the École supérieur d’art et de design d’Orléans. Beyond his scholarly endeavors, Fleury performs as a musician and artist under the stage name Jeune Faune. He has served as a composer and sound designer for contemporary dance productions presented worldwide. Fleury is the co-founder of La Ligne Bleue Records, where he served as artistic director, and he now works independently, continuing to explore new intersections between music, technology, and creative practice.
ISSN 2563-7290