ABSTRACT
Providing an opportunity for getting instant exposure and building a large fan base, contests and talent shows have often been considered by young artists as a potential shortcut to a successful music career. Addressing the potential gap in research, this chapter aims to define the role of live contests and talent shows in today's music industry, both as a stage of the artist development process, and as a potential form of business, through the perspectives of both music artists and entrepreneurs. The research has a very specific, and quite unusual, multifaceted nature, which combines topics related to both the artists' perspectives on talent development, and the entrepreneurs' motivation as contest organisers – including the profitability of these projects – which is considered the business aspect most relevant to the aim of the study. Therefore, a well-developed strategy is required in terms of the study's design and methodology, and the appropriate choice of specific methods to be used.
