From Discord to Harmony: Connecting Australian Music and Business Through the Experience Economy

Abstract

It is argued that connecting music and business presents some challenges. There is the primary issue of the different values of people who inhabit separate worlds; the music set oriented towards expressive, identity affirming creativity and their business counterparts driven by instrumental values underpinned by personal commercial gain. By analysing the way access to music has evolved for Australian audiences, a process shaped by rising affluence and technology, it is possible to see the mutual intersecting interests which reside in creating enabling environments where audiences can enjoy diverse musical styles. This sense of co-production, a covert liaison between music entrepreneurs and the musical audiences, can be further understood by analysing the component parts of experience including an appreciation of the sensory, relationship, affective and personal capital components of listening to music. The players in the music and business sector may be different but it is possible to depict their points of harmony through an appreciation of the dimensions of the modern experience economy.