Abstract
Following on the previous discussion, this chapter provides an in-depth empirical investigation on INgrooves and addresses the reintermediation process that took place on the digital music distribution networks. It details INgrooves’ innovation process that parallels the process; digital music distribution networks have become reintermediated. Tracing the history from the beginning of the business sparked by iTunes to the partnership with Universal Music Group, this chapter illustrates the process of emergence of new intermediaries and the resurgence of the market control. The detailed process involved in reintermediating distribution infrastructure will reveal the missing link between the prediction and what has happened in the digital music distribution networks.
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- 1.
Robb McDaniels resigned CEO in December 2014 and remains on the company’s board of directors. The position was replaced by Bob Roback, former Head of Music at Yahoo, in August 2015.
- 2.
This figure is based on the interview conducted in 2013.
- 3.
In 2017, Sony further merged its independent distribution unit RED into the Orchard (Christman 2017).
- 4.
According to a recent report by Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), independent market share arose to 40% but the issue of “distorted” market share driven by distribution-based calculation still continues (WIN 2017).
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Sun, H. (2019). Case Study—INgrooves. In: Digital Revolution Tamed. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93022-0_7
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