Music Declares an Emergency: Music Industry Studies in the Context of a Changing Climate

This chapter makes a modest introduction to one of the most pressing challenges facing society today—climate change—in the context of music industry studies. I begin by reviewing some recent projects and initiatives led by activists, industry insiders, and musicians that, in their own way, attempt to draw attention to environmental issues in the context of the music industry. This encompasses projects such as Music Declares Emergency and the Music Climate Pact, as well as climate research commissioned by artists and sustainability reporting for touring operations. I review a cross-section of academic literature to introduce some scholarly work on the topic, as a primer for students who may want to engage in these debates themselves. Finally, I offer some practical suggestions for embedding issues of climate and the environment in the classroom and beyond.