Paul G. Oliver (University of West London, UK) Xiaoling Wu (University of the Highlands & Islands, UK)
BACK TO MAIN PAGE
Do-it-yourself (DIY) is a well-known ethic based on self-reliance and exceeding one’s own
expectations of what can be achieved with the tools available (Baker and Nelson, 2005). The DIY artist takes this definition further by using the tools at-hand, both physical and digital, to help sustain their creative practice (Oliver, 2010).
Over the last five years, the global recorded music industry’s annual revenues have continued to grow from $14.2bn to $19.1bn (Music Ally, 2019). This is mainly due to the innovative development and adoption of mobile technologies by artists and entrepreneurs of varying skills, experience and ethics (Guerra, 2018) who now have more opportunities, as well as challenges, to create their own content and interact with a potential audience through the use of specialised features within social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok (de Klerk, 2015).
From an entrepreneurial bricolage perspective this presents several advantages to the DIY artist, for example, as they can now completely manage their creative output by releasing music independently on streaming services without the support of a record label and then finding innovative ways to attract attention on social media (Bennett, 2018; Haenfler, 2018). However, this also presents new challenges: to constantly create new and engaging content; to organically develop as an artist; to generate a sustainable income; whilst, at the same time, protecting one’s mental and physical health (Snapes, 2018).
This paper explores these issues by adopting a qualitative research approach, consisting of 10 semi-structured interviews, which is conducted via Skype using only London-based DIY artists, and analysed using a thematic analysis. The overall aim of this research is to identify and better understand the challenges that DIY artists face, working within the music industry, and how they use social media in order to sustain and develop their creative practice independently.
Keywords
Entrepreneurial Bricolage, DIY Culture, Sustainability, Music Industry, Social Media
References
Baker, T. and Nelson, R. (2005) Creating Something from Nothing: Resource Construction
Through Entrepreneurial Bricolage. Administrative Science Quarterly, 50(3), 329-366.
https://doi.org/10.2189/asqu.2005.50.3.329
Bennett, A. (2018) Conceptualising the Relationship Between Youth, Music and DIY Careers: A Critical Overview. Cultural Sociology, 12(2), 140–155.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1749975517750760
de Klerk, S. (2015) The Creative Industries: An Entrepreneurial Bricolage Perspective.
Management Decision, 53(4), 828-842. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/MD-03-2014-0169
Guerra, P. (2018) Raw Power: Punk, DIY and Underground Cultures as Spaces of Resistance in Contemporary Portugal. Cultural Sociology, 12(2), 241–259.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1749975518770353
Haenfler, R. (2018) The Entrepreneurial (Straight) Edge: How Participation in DIY Music Cultures Translates to Work and Careers. Cultural Sociology, 12(2), 174–192.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1749975517700774
Music Ally (2019) The Report: The 42 Trends of 2019. Music Ally: Issue 426
O’Dair, M. and Owen, R. (2019) Monetizing new music ventures through blockchain: Four
possible futures? International Journal of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 20(4), 263-276.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1465750319829731
Oliver, P.G. (2010) Self-sufficiency and the DIY artist. Management Decision, 48(9), 1422-1432. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/00251741011082161/full/html
Snapes, N. (2018) James Blake speaks out about struggle with depression. The Guardian [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/03/james-blake-speaks-out-aboutstruggle-with-depression (Accessed: 12/02/2020)