Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The common practice of song licensing for advertisements provides a unique window into the contentious relationship between popular music and commerce. Perhaps the most interesting result of the ubiquity of the practice is that what formerly might have provoked a blanket negative reaction now draws a range of responses. Through surveys and short interviews, I explore how individuals in various positions within the music industry, including independent label owners and musicians, as well as serious fans conceive of song licensing and how they distinguish appropriate from inappropriate uses of popular music in television commercials.