Mapping and Measuring the Scottish Music Industry

his project aims to explore several key research questions: How much money does the music industry in Scotland generate annually in sales of music and services? How much does the public sector contribute to the music economy in Scotland? How can this data be gathered and measured and what are the methodological problems surrounding this? How many full-time and part-time workers make up the Scottish music industry? What sectors of the music industry are represented - and under-represented - in Scotland? Using Sweden as a comparative case study, what can the Scottish music industry learn from successful 21st century music economies in other small nations? How do workers in the Scottish music industry navigate and adapt to technological disruptions in the wider digital economy?

The thesis will address all of the above issues to provide the most methodologically robust map of the music industries in Scotland to date, reflecting the wider changes since 2003 and the lack of Scottish-specific data. It will assess challenges and opportunities for growth, providing data and insights that the SMIA will be able to use in presenting arguments for funding of the sector to the Scottish Government.