I heard it on the network: Recent Transformations in Online Music Fandom

  • Nancy Baym | University of Kansas

Music fans have always been enthusiastic internet users, building community through mailing lists, news groups, and web site. In the last two years, however, there have been dramatic changes in how music fandom is practiced and with what consequences for fans, artists, and industries. Music-based social networking sites, MySpace, mp3 blogs, and the success of fan-authored webzines such as Pitchfork Media have given fans new ways to act as promoters, critics, and even culture importers and exporters.

Speaker Details

Nancy Baym (nbaym@ku.edu) is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas. Her research focuses on online fandom, community, and personal relationships. Her book on qualitative research methods, co-edited with Annette Markham, is forthcoming from Sage, and she’s at work on a book for Polity Press called Personal Connections in a Digital Age. She’s also a co-founder and past-president of the Association of Internet Researchers.

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