The DIY artist: issues of sustainability within local music scenes

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this paper is to aid the DIY artist in moving towards sustainability through the use of new technologies, which will be achieved by defining DIY music culture, identifying the creative and business needs of an artist as well as establishing a model for artists to be self‐sufficient. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology consisted of a mixture of unstructured interviews, such as e‐mail, telephone and face‐to‐face. A total of 15 interviews were conducted with DIY artists from local music scenes around the UK. Findings The DIY musicology model is a foundation for the DIY artist to be self‐sufficient through the three main perspectives: artistic process, managerial process and information systems. Research limitations/implications Many artists and managers continue in their struggle to be independently sustainable, therefore it is necessary to continue this research on a wider scale. Practical implications By gaining a more in‐depth understanding of the sub‐sectors within the music industries, artists and managers can understand more about how to manage their own creative activities or projects. Social implications Through a strong DIY ethic, with an emphasis on creativity and self‐management, a clear understanding of local music scenes helps to identify one of the key sub‐sectors of the music industries as well as demonstrate that sub‐cultures have value. Originality/value The paper discusses issues of sustainability within local music scenes from the perspective of the DIY artist, which is a new area of academic research.

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