ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on a case study of independent musicians in Toronto to explore the interrelated spatial, organizational, and commercial strategies that some musicians are developing to overcome the inefficiencies of the Do It Yourself (DIY) model and mediate the risks associated with the global and hyper-competitive marketplace. After outlining the research methods and situating the case of Toronto, it demonstrates that independent musicians are exchanging their bohemian identities and spatial preferences for professional personas and banal live/work spaces in Toronto's suburbs. The chapter highlights how musicians are fusing sonic and visual styles and harnessing the construct of 'exclusivity' to generate distinction, value, and loyalty in the crowded marketplace. Ultimately, this chapter contributes to existing literature on music, creative entrepreneurship, and geography in the digital age. It explores some of the innovative commercial strategies that independent musicians are using to market and monetize their products in the increasingly competitive and global marketplace.
