Music industry - Definition and Overview

The music industry is the industry that creates and performs music, both in the form of compositions and performances.

The music industry is made up of:

• singers
• songwriters
• musicians
• Musicians' Unions
• composers
• publishers
• Writers' rights organizations like ASCAP and BMI
• record industry
  • record producers
  • record companies
  • record labels
  • record distributors
• A&R
• band managers
• tour promoters
• bookers
• roadies
• and so on...

History

In the 19th century the music industry was dominated by sheet music publishers. The group of music publishers and songwriters which dominated popular music in the United States was known as Tin Pan Alley. In the early 20th century the phonograph industry grew greatly in importance, and the record industry eventually replaced the sheet music publishers as the industry's largest force.

The advent of file sharing technologies may change the balance between record companies, song writers, and performing artists.

Music industry organizations

• Recording Industry Association of America
• Recording Artists' Coalition
• American Federation of Musicians
• Musicians' Union
• Country Music Association
• Academy of Country Music
• MCPS
• Performing Right Society