nep-cul New Economics Papers
on Cultural Economics
Issue of 2025–11–10
two papers chosen by
Roberto Zanola, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale


  1. New methods to compensate artists in music streaming platforms By Gustavo Berganti\~nos; Juan D. Moreno-Ternero
  2. Cultural exception? By Christos Genakos; Lorien Sabatino; Tommaso Valletti

  1. By: Gustavo Berganti\~nos; Juan D. Moreno-Ternero
    Abstract: We study the problem of measuring the popularity of artists in music streaming platforms and the ensuing methods to compensate them (from the revenues platforms raise by charging users). We uncover the space of popularity indices upon exploring the implications of several axioms capturing principles with normative appeal. As a result, we characterize several families of indices. Some of them are intimately connected to the Shapley value, the central tool in cooperative game theory. Our characterizations might help to address the rising concern in the music industry to explore new methods that reward artists more appropriately. We actually connect our families to the new royalties models, recently launched by Spotify and Deezer.
    Date: 2025–10
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2510.25275
  2. By: Christos Genakos; Lorien Sabatino; Tommaso Valletti
    Abstract: Why book publishing contradicts conventional wisdom about competition.
    Keywords: competition, fixed book price, prices, regulation, cultural goods, resale price maintenance, book market
    Date: 2025–10–21
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepcnp:718

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