Much recent economic work on the music industry has been focused on the impact of technology on demand, with predictions being made of digital copyright infringement leading to the demise of the industry. In fact, there have always been profound cyclical swings in music media sales owing to the fact that music always has been, and continues to be, a discretionary purchase.

This entertaining and accessible book offers an analysis of the production and consumption of music from a social economics approach. Locating music within the economic analysis of social behaviour, this books guides the reader through issues relating to production, supply, consumption and trends, wider considerations such as the international trade in music, and in particular through divisions of age, race and gender.

Providing an engaging overview of this fascinating topic, this book will be of interest and relevance to students and scholars of cultural economics, management, musicology, cultural studies and those with an interest in the music industry more generally.