Why isn’t there an Uber for live music? The digitalization of intermediaries and the limits of the platform economy

Abstract

Online platforms have disrupted parts of the capitalist economy, but assessing the magnitude of this effect is difficult. Much is known about major platforms, but less about the conditions under which they take over—or fail to take over—a given market. Unlike explanations emphasising slow take-up by entrepreneurs or worker resistance, we argue that historical and organisational characteristics of markets make them resistant to the platform model. In Germany and the UK, intermediaries have digitalised to varying degrees. Three market characteristics have combined to limit ‘platformisation’: (1) irreducibly qualitative assessments of value; (2) the complexity and contingencies inherent in the task that resist unbundling (3) fragmentation of the organisational field. Hence we show how the dynamics of work in live music limit the traction of the platform model. However, partial and hybrid forms of digitalisation still contribute towards intensified discipline over live music workers, threatening pay and working conditions.

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Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Azzellini, D Greer, I Umney, C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5757-920X
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information:	© 2021 Brian Towers (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Azzellini, D, Greer, I and Umney, C (2022) Why isn’t there an Uber for live music? The digitalization of intermediaries and the limits of the platform economy. New Technology, Work and Employment, 37 (1). pp. 1-23. ISSN 0268-1072, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12213. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
Keywords:	creative work; digitalisation; freelancers; marketisation; musicians; platforms
Dates:	Published: March 2022 Published (online): 12 September 2021 Accepted: 3 August 2021
Institution:	The University of Leeds
Depositing User:	Symplectic Publications
Date Deposited:	27 Aug 2021 10:20
Last Modified:	12 Sep 2023 00:13
Status:	Published
Publisher:	Wiley
Identification Number:	10.1111/ntwe.12213
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID):	oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:177493

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Why isn’t there an Uber for live music? The digitalization of intermediaries and the limits of the platform economy

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