The music industry has been faced with numerous challenges. However, the revenue from music shows, social events, clubs as well as gatherings has improved both the economic status of the United Kingdom, the artists as well as the music industry at large. The thesis for this paper, therefore, will try and explain the impact the United Kingdom’s government has music industry affecting music shows, social events and gathering. The main reason for doing this, however, is to fill the gaps left behind by the past studies and determine to what degree the government influences the music industry. Prior studies, in particular, focus on the economic influence of the government on the music sectors and do not provide how that affects music shows, social events, and gatherings in turn. This thesis aims to explore the United Kingdom’s government influence on the music sectors and how the weight affects music shows, social events, and gatherings. For this study is vital to both primary and secondary sources are used to meet the stated aim. The sample used for this study was 15 which comprised of nine male and six female from the university and from whom data were collected using the semi-structured interview. The data collected was then analysed through statistical software (SPSS). The findings such the government does influence the music industry which then affects the factors under investigation. The research was however without any challenges as there were limitations which open the door for future study on the same subject and its constituents.
Keywords: Brexit, Music Shows, Social Events, Youth Gatherings, Clubs, Music Industry,
Economic Status, Cultural Values
Contents
CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION.. 6
1.1 Background. 7
1.3 Aims and Objectives. 9
1.4 Research Question. 9
1.5 Overview of the Research Methodology. 9
1.6 Organisation of the Report. 10
CHAPTER TWO – LITERATURE REVIEW... 11
2.1 Introduction. 12
2.2 Impact of Music Industry on Economy and Its Effect on Music Shows, Social Events, Youth Gathering, Clubs. 12
2.3 Impact of the Music Industry on Cultural Values and Its Effect on Music Shows, Social Events, Youth Gathering, Clubs. 14
2.4 Government influence on Music Industry in the United Kingdom affecting Clubs, Social Gathering, Music Shows and Social Events. 16
2.5 Research Gap. 18
2.6 Conclusion. 18
CHAPTER THREE – METHODOLOGY. 20
3.1 Introduction. 21
3.2 Research Approach. 21
3.3 Research Methods. 22
3.4 Data Collection. 23
3.5 Data Analysis. 24
3.6 Ethics. 29
3.7 Validity and Reliability. 30
CHAPTER 4 - FINDINGS. 31
4.1 Introduction. 32
4.2 Finding from Descriptive Statistics on the influence of government on Music Shows, Social Events, Clubs and Youth Gathering. 32
4.3 Finding from the Chi-Square Interpretation and Analysis. 33
4.4 Findings from Correlation of the Sample in Regards to Music Shows, Social Events, Clubs and Youth Gathering and Piracy. 33
4.5 Discussion. 34
4.5.1 Before Brexit 34
4.5.2 After Brexit 38
4.5.3 Effects of Piracy on Music Showa, Clubs, Social Gatherings/ Events. 40
4.6 Emerging Issues. 41
CHAPTER FIVE - CONCLUSION.. 42
5.1 Overview of the Study. 43
5.2 Limitations of the study. 44
5.3 Future Research. 45
References. 46
APPENDIX I. 50
APPENDIX II. 52
CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Music is universal and appeals to all culture as well as people of all ages. Over the past few centuries, the dynamic of music had changed significantly to the extent that multiple people are seeking a career on it which was not the case when music was first introduced to human beings. Though its origin is associated with the Biblical times, music has remained relevant throughout time, and its purpose has not changed despite the changes in tune as well as its delivery. Currently, music employs a lot of people around the world and not only in the United Kingdom, and its impact has been enormous. Imagining a world without music then one would think it would have been the most boring place on the Universe.
The music industry has been faced with numerous challenges. However, the control it has on the economy is unmeasurable. The revenue from music shows, social events, clubs as well as gatherings has improved both the economic status of the United Kingdom, the artists as well as the music industry at large (Page and Carey, 2011, pp. 1-9). In that case, therefore, the music industry in the United Kingdom has been under study especially when it comes to living music which forms the basis of all events and shows which has coincided with an era of austerity as well as cuts in regards to spending by the government and publicly funded arts companies. The latter mainly develop and promote live music in the UK as well as ensure that the cultural values are upheld (Bakhshi, 2012, p.2). The spending cuts by the government are just one way through which it affects the music industry, and despite that, it is imperative to note music is something everyone relates to as well as ascertain with, and such formulation of policies that favour it are regarded as paramount.
1.2 Rationale
The United Kingdom’s music sector is currently thriving, and at the same stretch, the figure of licenses for social events shows and gatherings has increased. The proportion of people especially adults attending the same shows has also grown over the years, and during the same time, the number of professional musicians has increased significantly. However, there is no adequate research to determine how the government influences such events with regards to music and other factors. The impact the results have had on the economy of the country has also grown, but this has not been achieved without backlashes from the people as well as various organisations. The government, in particular, has been accused of focusing on the economic impact of the music industry while forgetting the essence of culture which keeps on deteriorating day in and day out (Holden, 2004, p. 20). The thesis for this paper, therefore, will try and explain the impact the United Kingdom’s government has music industry affecting music shows, social events and gathering. The main reason for doing this, however, is to fill the gaps left behind by the past studies and determine to what degree the government influences the music industry. Prior studies, in particular, focus on the economic influence of the government on the music sectors and do not provide how that affects music shows, social events, and gatherings in turn. At the same time, the paper will seek to determine whether the influence is positive or negative. The governing question, on the other hand, would be to determine whether the government is concerned with only establishing the economic worth of the music sector as reported by the UK Music (2013, p.1).
1.3 Aims and Objectives
This thesis aims to explore the United Kingdom’s government influence on the music sectors and how the weight affects music shows, social events, and gatherings. To get clear answers and for the report to be conclusive as well as fill the gaps left behind by the previous studies the following objectives will guide it:
To determine how music shows, social events and gatherings benefit from the government impact on the music industry in the UK.
To find out the degree to which the UK regime influences such events (Positively or negatively).
To define the Brexit Impact on the music industry in the UK.
To meet the aim of the Thesis and formulate a final report.
1.4 Research Question
The aims and objectives lead us to develop a research question for this paper. Therefore the research question is as follows:
What influence does the government have on the music industry that affects music shows, social events, and clubs and youth gatherings?
1.5 Overview of the Research Methodology
The methodology section of this report will provide the tools and techniques used during the research. However, it is vital to note that this is both primary and secondary analysis thus will rely on the study conducted by others to try and relate the thesis with common findings. This section, therefore, will illustrate the tools and techniques used in the investigations and whether they were viable for the study they conducted. The limitation of the different instruments as well as design will be taken into consideration to illustrate their strengths and weakness which may hinder our findings for this paper.
1.6 Organisation of the Report
This report will have five segments which are an introduction, literature review, research methodology, findings, and analysis as well as a conclusion. The opening will provide the overview of the thesis while the secondary literature will be reviewed in the second section. The methodology section will provide step by step on how the research was conducted and whose outcome would be discussed in the fourth section. The last part would be to summarise the other four chapters and provide limitations to the research.
CHAPTER TWO – LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
In this chapter or section, past studies will be reviewed as well as discussed to provide adequate information of what to expect at the end of the report. This secondary literature offers the benchmark or foundation of this study and therefore understanding those gives sufficient information to interpret the thesis. This section marks the beginning of meeting the purpose of the paper. Some of the topics that will be discussed include how the music industry has impacted the economy of the United Kingdom, the influence of the government laws governing the copyrights in the music industry and the impact Brexit has on the music industry in the same county.
2.2 Impact of Music Industry on Economy and Its Effect on Music Shows, Social Events, Youth Gathering, Clubs
Whenever music shows, social events are gatherings are referred to it evident that revenue will be collected which are then used to improve the country’s infrastructure as well as create employment which then enhances the economy of the country. In the United Kingdom, these types of events have led to the emergence of live music has been the area of focus for policymakers as reported by the UK Music (2013, p.1). According to Cloonan (2011, pp. 406), arguments have risen about the regulation as well as deregulation of such events, with the areas of concern for the policymakers being the ticketing of the events and the black economy. Lee (2016, p. 187) reports that live music which is the norm for almost all social gathering has become a significant part of the economy as it contributes to the GDP of the country apart from providing entertainment for the locals and everyone who attend them. The revenue generated from the music industry regarding taxes make it an important area of exploration and therefore why it is an industry of concern for the government.
Wikstrom and DeFillipi (2016, p. 14) concur with the authors above by confirming that indeed the government acquires revenue from the industry which is in turn used to boost the economic well-being in the country. On one or more occasions it has been reported that a music show is capable of generating income worth millions of dollars depending on the size of the stage as well as the musician being brought on board. The generated revenue is what is used to pay the event organisers, sound engineers and all the people who participate in the creation of such events. Therefore apart from taxes paid to the government, the music industry employs thousands of people thus reducing the rates of unemployment which impact the economy negatively (Chaney, 2012, p. 7). In most instances, the music industry has been associated with the attraction of tourist whom generate income for the government through foreign exchange and other means as stated by Hyder (2017, p. 4) who researched the influence of music on tourists’ attraction.
The economics about the music industry is not limited since the impact is massive and can be illustrated by different economic terms. Behr, Negus use some of these financial terms, and Street (2017, p. 2) to interpret this sector as an economic phenomenon. The two words used by the authors refer to music as a cultural capital and consumer goods which are a classification of other industries offer to the UK in regards to an economic boost. As a cultural capital, music restores and transmits cultural values which is an essential tool for cultural heritage thus, in turn, attract tourists to be part of the experience (Brandstrom, 1999, pp. 50). As a cultural capital, music is transferred from generation to generation thus ensuring that its economic worth or value increases and that it is a long-term income generator. In this perspective, therefore, music through cultural interaction is referred to as a lifetime investment primarily in the United Kingdom (Getz & Page, 2016, pp. 593). The previous statements are further echoed by Wlomert and Papies (2016, pp. 319) who argue that like all the other capitals, music has a measurable economic value using the available economic patterns apart from playing a significant role in the addition of cultural values. With regards to music as a good consumer Dobusch and Schubler (2014, pp. 30) reports that it allows the understanding that it is not just a form of cultural expression but instead can be used as a tool for economic development like other goods are in the market. Any government policy the influence the commercial aspect of music affect both the cultural capital and consumer good which results in the decline or increase of music shows, clubs music, social events as well as youth gatherings (Dobusch & Schubler, 2014, pp. 30). The latter is the foundation for economic growth for any particular country such as the United Kingdom. The economy of the music industry will not even exist if the events mentioned above do not exist.
2.3 Impact of the Music Industry on Cultural Values and Its Effect on Music Shows, Social Events, Youth Gathering, Clubs
Whenever music is referred too, there are cultural aspects attribute to that fact. In the recent past for instance a study was sponsored by the UK's Arts in conjunction with AHRC (Humanities Research Council) to find out the impact of United Kingdom’s music on cultural values especially the live music at social events and pubs (Cloonan, 2011, pp. 405; Brennan & Webster, pp. 15; Frith, Brennan & Webster, 2016, p.13). According to AHRC (2013), cultural engagement is essential and when expressed through music is not only beneficial to the individual but the society at large. However as mentioned earlier it has been noted that the cultural aspect of music in the UK has been lost and the government has done nothing yet to restore it. Cultural values form the basis of any music show, social events, youth gatherings and clubs according to the findings on AHRC (2013). These events are conducted depending on the theme or occasion which in most cases is governed by the values in the culture. In other terms, these events are termed as festivals to celebrate a given culture or a given heritage.
According to Holden (2004, p. 20), the government is more concerned with the commercial benefits it receives from the music industry and does not pay much attention to the cultural heritage being lost. Music since its invention has been used to address the morals of the society while at the same time protect the way of life for any given community (Lang, 2015, pp.1-3). However, this has changed significantly as now music is used to make money even if they are undermining the cultural values. According to Frith and colleagues (2013, p. 15) the new event promoters for social events and shows put up the same to make money instead of upholding the cultural morals in the society. Apart from that music has been influenced by the politicians who utilise it for their gain and as a result of that music no longer condemn the evils presented by the same individuals. The cultural aspect of music has therefore been interfered with thus resulting in the decline of the people attending these shows and events which are either social or held in the clubs (Garfias, 2004, p. 37). In the UK music is very essential in maintaining the value of different cities as each has different cultural experiences and which has had an influenced on the attendance of people. According to BOP Consulting (2013, p. 2), various cities in the United Kingdom experience different cultures as well as values except for the standard ones. As a result of this music allows them to reach out to the surrounding cities or areas to display their values and heritage thus the reason why it is an attraction for most tourists.
The live music shows across different Cities in the UK including social gathering, events and pubs are planned for one purpose only apart from entertainment. The aim is to display what the country is capable of offering and at the same time condemn the injustices taking place in the name of culture. It is never sufficient to organise an event of any gathering for entertainment only as the education of the public through such activities is paramount (BOP, 2013, p. 2). Music is an art just like a painting which has been mandated to provide the recommended standards that the society is living in as well as make them productive. With that in mind, therefore, the impact of the music on culture and its values cannot be ignored as they go hand in hand to address issues that somehow could be impractical for the society to do or engage it. Just like its impact on the economy, the music industry also has a crucial role to play in addressing the deficits in the society. To support the latter Cook (1998, pp. 129) states that if music can affect the changes illustrated in the previous statements and speak across the various barriers, then it can offer intercultural cohesion among the cities in the United Kingdom and give them a greater understanding as well as identity.
2.4 Government influence on Music Industry in the United Kingdom affecting Clubs, Social Gathering, Music Shows and Social Events
The government plays a significant role in the music industry and which in turn influences the sector in various ways. From an economic perspective, music is a consumer good. However, it differs from other physical goods by how it is produced and marketed (Pedersen, 2010, p.1). In other cases as reported by Quinn (2017, pp.53) music can be provided and sold as a tangible product regarding albums or music records and as such the government needs to put regulations to protect the product as well as those involved in producing the same. The government apart from that needs to come up with ways they can generate revenue from it to ensure economic growth and employment creation. The music industry in the UK provides a large market, and as such there is need to own a copyright for the music being produced since it is an intellectual property and therefore its acquisition is subordinated to broadcasting rights and payment reproduction including live performance, rentals and recording rights (Hardcastle et al., 2015, pp. 321).
The UK’s government has ensured that the copyrights are protected and that no unauthorised work is duplicated or used commercially. However, this has changed in the recent past since the advancement of technology as brought multiple problems with it. In particular, the increased level of piracy is one of such issues which has, in turn, reduced the cost of the musical produces and its marketability (Stafford, 2010, pp. 114; Terrill, 2015, p.7; Borja, Dieringer & Daw, 2015, pp.69). The government therefore in addressing this problem has brought forth numerous legislations which will influence the music industry positively by protecting the intellectual property rights of the composers as well as writers in the music industry. The government acknowledges the need to address this problem since the music industry in the UK is among the top revenue-generating sectors in the country (UNCTAD, 2001, p.4). According to Getz and Page (2016, pp. 603) with the legislation to protect both composers and writers in place, the consumers of music will have access to authentic, creative as well as appreciate the originality of the music composed and published for them.
The decision by the government to exist form the European Union is likely to impact the music industry positively as well as negatively. If the UK’s government does not reach a favourable trade agreement with the European Union according to Illott and Rutter (2017, p. 2) the price of the music is likely to go higher which will be beneficial to the composers and the rights. At the same time, the revenue from music shows, social events, youth gatherings and the club will rise. On the other hand, the decision will also affect the music industry negatively since the high prices will lead to the decline of the people who attend the same musical events thus reducing the overall profit that such activities contribute. For the composers having their music as a tangible product which they can sell during these events will most likely decline since most of the tools used to store music in the United Kingdom are mass-produced in other nations but within European Union. Therefore increasing the import tariffs will see the music industry pay higher costs to access the recording tools which will result in a price hike for the consumers attending music shows, social events, youth gatherings and clubs (Dhingra et al., 2018, pp. 14). In general, this will result in a decline of the total sale and the live music is likely to increase their entrance charges to compensate for the higher costs which may result in low attendance thus affecting the social events and gatherings even further. It is therefore clear that the government plays a vital role when it comes to the well-being of the music industry. The higher prices will affect how frequent the music shows, social events, youth gathering and live music in clubs are held as a result of increased entrance fees.
2.5 Research Gap
. The gap that needs to be filled is, therefore, that left by previous studies which only focus more on the government influence on the music industry in general and the revenue generated. The literature discussed also focus on the deteriorating culture of music when it comes to addressing the values and connecting them to the reduction in the attendance of music activities discussed for this paper. There a no much literature connecting the various government policies to the decline in the number of people attending these events and therefore the thesis of this paper try to fill the gap by investigating how much influence the government has on the music industry and its effect on the study variables.
2.6 Conclusion
The music industry in the United Kingdom is a universal factor as illustrated by the above subsections. For instance, it has the capability of influencing the economic stature of a country positively and ensure its growth. On the other hand, it is a tool used to address social injustices in the society apart from instilling the required values. As a contributor of economic growth, the music industry in the UK offers employment to multiple people especially during a live performance which significantly reduces the rate of unemployment thus influencing the entire economy of the country apart from being a revenue generator for the government. The government also plays a substantial role in ensuring that the standards of the music are maintained and that the composers, as well as the writers, have intellectual property protection.
CHAPTER THREE – METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
This section of the report will illustrate the steps taken to conduct the research. The research will rely on primary as well as secondary sources to meet the objectives of the research question. At the same time, both the alternative and the null hypothesis for this research will be discussed. The secondary research of this paper was conducted in the literature review section, and therefore the primary analysis will be based on the findings subjected to the same reports. During the study, it is essential to note that the procedures, techniques, and approaches have been tested for reliability as well as validity. A set of philosophies have also been utilised to provide answers to the thesis.
3.2 Research Approach
Conducting primary research requires adequate knowledge of the research subject and therefore with that in mind it is significant to note the kind of approaches that will be used. Determination of the approach to be used is crucial in determining the direction which the study will take in other words it shapes the way the research is carried out and thus determining how the results of the same survey will be interpreted. The author of a report in different cases hold two distinct viewpoints and are classified as ontological or even better epistemological. The two perspectives also determine the paradigms which are suitable for any given report. The three main paradigms include positivist, critical theory and interpretive. Positivist is sometimes referred to as quantitative approach while interpretive is referred to as a qualitative approach.
The positivist approach was brought to light by Auguste Comte a philosopher who argues that the world exists externally and as such should be viewed objectively (Easterby – Smith et al., 2002, p.18; Hughes & Sharrock, 2016, p.5). The philosopher believes that the operation of the society is based on their laws which are fact-based. In research, therefore, the approach is used to deduce hypothesis to try and establish a relationship between various variables using the quantitative method. The interpretive approach, on the other hand, suggests that the reality is not external or objective and the perspective it is created from personal meaning (Creswell, 2003, p.6). The latter therefore rely on the qualitative methods to analyse the experiences as well as behaviours of external factors. Critical theory as an approach is rarely used since they seek to find contradictions and alternative in the societal reality by removing ideological biases. For this study, the first two approaches are utilised to meet the intentions of the study while using the survey study design.
3.3 Research Methods
The primary data for this study is both qualitative as well as quantitative. The qualitative method involves collecting data from smaller samples to give more conclusive result according to the research question. The second research method, however, is aimed at using statistical data which are numerical and which are obtained from large samples. The type of data collected from such research method is statistically analysed to confirm or reject a given set of hypotheses (Bryman & Bell, 2015, p.41). The two ways are appropriate for this study since the majority of the work reviewed on the influence of government on the music industry incorporate them. Apart from that, they are capable of providing answers on how the influence affects music performance, social events and gathering as well as the music played in the clubs or pubs. The same data is capable of providing information on how some of the government policies or decisions such as Brexit affect the music industry with regards to piracy and consumer perception of the same. Apart from that, there are three types of research regarding the initial report, and they include interviewing, observing and questionnaires both which the two research methods take into consideration (Kumar, 2010, p. 2; De Langen, 2009, p.2).
3.4 Data Collection
The research methods discussed above provide the basis of data collection, and for this study, the most used methods of data collection included observation and interviewing. The quantitative method of data collection used for the survey was questionnaires however before these can be discussed in details it is vital to elaborate the sampling techniques used to acquire the sample. The sampling technique used was non-probability in nature since it made it easier to select the sample based on the validity and accessibility of information on research context (Bernard, 2017, p. 13). The sample used for this study was 15 which comprised of nine male and six female from the university. The number of males was higher for the study because they tend to take advantage of strict laws and use it to their advantage. The participants were approached individually and asked for permission before they could participate in a scheduled interview. During this period it was easier to ask each of the participants the convenient time to conduct the interview and out of the 30 asked only 15 agreed to attend the interview.
The semi-structured question was then prepared as an interviewing strategy (see appendix I) based on some of the literature reviewed for this report on the impact of government on the music industry as well as the Brexit. Based on the interpretive approach, the questions formulated for the research were open-ended rather than standardised. On the day of the interview, the participants raised concerned about making records as they wished to remain anonymous; after engaging them, they agreed to continue with the meeting as they were promised that none of their personal information would be shared. The quantitative data was collected from end to end by the use of questionnaires which were circulated after the interview to follow up on the interview especially for those who were not willing to verbally share the needed information. The data was then collected and analysed using various tools and instruments which will be mentioned in the subsequent sections.
3.5 Data Analysis
The data collected were analysed through statistical software such as the SPSS and other methods. The analysis is meant to meet the purposes of the study and answer the question of the research. The results and data analysis are presented in the tables that follow.
Table 1: Descriptive Statistics (Frequency)
Gender
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Valid
Male
9
60.0
60.0
60.0
Female
6
40.0
40.0
100.0
Total
15
100.0
100.0
a) Gender Frequency
Music_Show_Frequency
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Valid
Rarely
2
13.3
13.3
13.3
Often
5
33.3
33.3
46.7
Very Often
8
53.3
53.3
100.0
Total
15
100.0
100.0
b) Music Shows Attendance Frequency
Social_Event_Frequency
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Valid
Often
5
33.3
33.3
33.3
Very Often
10
66.7
66.7
100.0
Total
15
100.0
100.0
c) Social Events and Youth Gathering Attendance Frequency
Club_Pub_Frequency
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Valid
Rarely
2
13.3
13.3
13.3
Often
5
33.3
33.3
46.7
Very Often
8
53.3
53.3
100.0
Total
15
100.0
100.0
d) Club Attendance Frequency
Mean
Std. Deviation
N
Monthly_Income_
3659.7333
246.31758
15
Monthly_spending_on_the_Events_involving_Music_
1181.3333
494.62636
15
Since_Bretix_how_much_have_you_spent_on_musical_events_eg_social
811.6667
363.01646
15
e) Spending on Music Activities
Descript
