The structure of international music flows using network analysis

Abstract

Using network analysis, this study examines the current structure of international music trade flow and its determinants. International music trade data from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics database are employed to describe the international music flow network and how it changed between 2002 and 2006. Network analysis reveals the imbalance of international music trade between the core and the periphery. Specifically, the USA and European countries including Germany, the UK and the Netherlands are at the core, dominating international trade of music products. Over the five-year period, the international music trade network remained relatively stable. Regression analysis indicates that a country’s economic development, the language(s) its people speak and technological development are influential factors that determine the global structure of international music flows.