Music as Art and Craft

This chapter explores the fluid boundary between art and craft in music and its implications for music entrepreneurship. The distinction matters because it shapes how music is valued and whether musicians are recognized as artists expressing unique intentions or as craftspeople applying skills to meet functional needs. Conventional definitions frame art as intentional and expressive work, in contrast to craft, which is defined as the skilled execution of established techniques. Drawing on Marx’s concepts of abstract and concrete labour, it examines why artistic work resists commodification and substitution relative to craft-based production. In addition, it examines keyKey differences between artistic and craft-oriented entrepreneurship, focusing on how each approach affects production methods, collaboration styles, and business strategies in the music world.