Introduction

This chapter discusses the nature of music as a general personal and social phenomenon and more specifically as a commodity which can be brought to market. Music in the general sense may be conveniently divided into that which is performed and that which is recorded. The chapter provides a distillation of the elements of music as catalogued over time in various musicological, psychological and other writings. Movies might be venerated or even successful because of an authenticity component, for example, such as in the current vogue for real life stories which have been fictionalized for impact. Music in many countries and genres has its origins in essentially spiritual or religious uses. The music market is part of the leisure industry. People buy these products and services to engage in such things as rest, relaxation and even escapism. Musical consumption may form part of an individual's identity but this may also have tendency to foster sociability.