Tecnologia e sociedade: o trabalho com a música (in)dependente em tempos de rearranjo da indústria fonográfica

Abstract

This dissertation is interdisciplinary in nature and investigates the relationships and working conditions of freelance musicians, without contracts with large corporations in the music industry, who work in the municipality of Itajubá, Minas Gerais. The research is based on Actor-Network Theory and aims to map and make visible the associations and mediations that constitute the socio-technical network of freelance musicians working in the municipality, following the human and non-human actors involved in the dynamics of production, circulation, remuneration, and recognition of musical work in the local context. For its interdisciplinary structuring and broadening of understanding about the context of the investigation, the theoretical framework is organized into three axes: Actor-Network Theory, sociotechnical transformations of the music industry, and the precariousness of work. The methodology includes interviews, document analysis, and observation of events in the local music scene. As a result, the study identifies that the financial sustainability of musicians is strongly associated with live performances, while original production and digital platforms have low economic returns. Inequalities in remuneration, limitations in access to public support policies, and the centrality of digital strategies in maintaining professional trajectories were also observed. The research contributes to broadening the understanding of the working conditions of musicians in local contexts undergoing technological transformations and precarious working relationships.