Crowdfunding and the DIY Artist: The Influence of Web 2.0 on DIY Music Communities

Abstract

completed the cake is sold to friends, family and other interested people to make enough money to cover the cost of the ingredients (Oliver, 2009). 2.2.1 Local Music and Art Scenes Local music and art scenes are sub-sectors of the music industries in the UK, but local in terms of a small locality, not necessary personnel. The local-or DIY-artist that inhabits a local music scene has a strong ethic that relates back to the punk ideals of being creative and having fun whilst remaining independent at the same time (Bennett and Peterson, 2004). In terms of infrastructure the local music scenes are extremely difficult to define as they are quite fluid and free flowing and are not like a typical organisation. They function in a completely different way, in that the people who inhabit these scenes consist of "performers, support facilities and fans come together to collectively create music for their own enjoyment" (Bennett et al., 2004, pp.2-4). These ideals of community and creativity are important aspects a self-sufficient DIY community of practice (Kuznetsov and Paulos, 2010). 2.3 Communities of Practice Due to its ever-evolving, flexible nature, there are many proposed definitions of communities of practice (COP). One notion is that COP's are: "Groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis." (Wenger, 2002: 4) Using this definition, it can be argued that the punk movement consisted of many DIY communities of practice. These were small communities of people who all shared the same frustration at the corporate, manufactured music industry and all had a passion to create their own alternative by pooling together their own resources, skills and knowledge. These communities during the punk movement were more than likely limited to geographical location: local groups of musicians and fans gathering at physical locations such as music venues. However, it should be noted that the term "community" is not a physical entity and "may not necessarily have to be defined by location" (McLean, 2014). The advent of the internet and web 2.0 completely changed the perception of community and really brought to light its non-tangible nature (McLean, 2014). The internet allows people the tools and means to share ideas around the world (Torrey, 2009). Web 2.0 and social networking sites allow people to form virtual communities online, with members of the communities living in different locations. It is noted by Holmes, Greenhill and McLean (2014: 279) that "there are also parallels between web 2.0 culture and the DIY ethos as both present opportunities for members to shape, contribute towards and build their own (be it media or craft)". This helps to explain the natural gravitation of DIY artists towards web 2.0 and social networking sites, as web 2.0 nurtures and encourages involvement and collaboration, providing a virtual space where anyone can share their ideas, knowledge, skills and experiences. In compa...