ABSTRACT
In Plot Point on the Space-Time Continuum, the reader finds the broadest context for the book. The music industry is delineated from music. This chapter explores the history and evolution of technology and science as the background for the emergence of our industry, and its changes over the last century. Four technological eras are defined, with the fourth one being futurist conjecture based on best guesses from our current era. Complexification offers insights into the inverse relationship between increased access to technology and contraction of the record industry. Music piracy, bad decisions made by the RIAA and major labels, and the rise of Apple as the leader in the new music retail market lead into discussion of the “celestial jukebox.” The last section of Chapter 2 defines the word “producer.” Various uses of the word are given and explored, and the term “de facto producer” is presented to clarify increasingly common situations in indie/DIYmusic worlds. Electronic music producer and classic music producers are compared and contrasted. The chapter concludes by defining and exploring the meaning of “professional” in our independent and DIY era.
