In recent years, technological developments have transformed the cultural and creative sector. In particular, the music and games sectors have been affected to a great extent and at different levels due to their relationship with technology and digitalisation. In addition to their positive effects, these developments have also led to asymmetries and inequalities.
A new study focuses on these inequalities through the examination of three case studies, not only by documenting them but also by attempting to highlight the mechanisms through which they are produced. To this end, the research adopts the Global Production Network approach, which allows for a holistic understanding of inequalities at different stages of CCS in a detailed and causal manner. Three types of inequalities are discussed: market access, gender and intersectionality, and working conditions.
The research was carried out by researchers from four universities - University for Continuing Education Krems, University of Vienna, Austria, University for Music and the Performing Arts Vienna, Austria , Stockholm University, Sweden, Warsaw School of Economics, Poland and was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
According to the results of the survey, market access is characterised by significant barriers, especially for new artists, but in some cases also for established artists. This appears to be due to the gatekeepers, as the authors of the study call them, who not only control access but also claim the majority of the value generated.
Gatekeepers are associated with inequalities related to reputation, trust, long-term relationships and structural conditions. The role of gatekeepers is to select artists with a high chance of success and reject those who may not fit into a particular market.
The findings make clear that inequalities in the music sector arise throughout the network, as power is concentrated in gatekeepers at each stage. Gatekeepers help to create or maintain inequalities, appearing at most stages of production, but are most concentrated at the production and distribution stage, when major publishers and labels select certain products, services or partners and reject others.
Although the digital nature of music and games products means that the barriers to creating and producing them are low, the research shows that without access to gatekeepers within the local-regional ecosystem, these products are less likely to attract attention. Building relationships and trust with gatekeepers is therefore key; access to them can take years to develop, with negative consequences for creative careers in the meantime.
Lack of role models, discrimination, stereotypes and prevailing economic trends where men often hold higher positions are common mechanisms that keep women at a distance or in lower positions of responsibility in the music and games sectors.
The research found a marked absence of women in all the case studies examined, in both the music and games sectors.
In terms of stereotypes in the games industry, the testimony of a young female member of a start-up company is representative: “Personally, we also experienced a fair share of sexism … Our game only had female characters, mostly because our artist prefers drawing female characters. But people thought we were pushing a political agenda. And we had to hear a lot of stupid stuff from our male colleagues at school who actually accused us of sexism - which is quite ridiculous, because consider how many games there are without any female characters. Since we’re women in a male dominated field, people will just assume it is political”.
In contrast to the games sector, the findings from the music sector do not explicitly reflect many of the struggles of being part of an underrepresented group, simply because the respondents in the survey were almost exclusively male.
The results of the study on the music sector show that the difficulty of entering the sector is not limited to artists in the creative phase. It occurs throughout the network. Actors in the production and distribution phase also described the difficulties of breaking into the sector, working gruelling hours to build contacts and networks, and building relationships with gatekeepers over time.
Building a reputation, working with people who have a good reputation, is key for new actors at all stages to enter the sector. As one interviewee put it, "You're in a world where if you do things well enough, the people you work with will talk about it. I'd never get a job by putting an advert somewhere".
Power in the music sector is built through trust, reputation and longterm relationships, leaving newer actors with little leverage.
People working in the games sector are highly educated and skilled, but salaries do not always correlate with the level of education, skills and knowledge of professionals compared to other sectors, which is why there is often a higher turnover of staff. In addition, professionals are often expected to work internationally, travelling and moving to other cities, which can be challenging for their personal lives.
You can read the whole study here
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Photo credit: CptJacc
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