In studies of the popular music industry, there has been much interest in the market share of the leading firms (majors), and the apparent connections between a high level of concentration and musical innovation and diversity. Peterson and Berger argued that in the United States the majors lost...

Little business history has been written on the popular music industry while sociological study has tended to focus on the effect of the industry on society. This paper concentrates on how recorded popular music reached the customer, charting the evolution of the industry in the UK from a cartel...