Making the record skip

The rise of new online platforms has changed the music industry dramatically and has been a hot topic in cultural economics. By focusing on the gatekeeper role of the intermediary, this study wants to shed some light on the changes that have occurred for an actor that plays a vital role in the independent music industry. By implementing a case study that is placed in the independent electronic music industry of Rotterdam, this study suggests that that the gatekeeper role of the intermediary is not changing dramatically since the emergence of new online platforms. However, online platforms due start to filter out music themselves as well, even though this gatekeeper function is still done by the intermediaries themselves. The case suggests that online platforms will grow and become important intermediaries and gatekeepers in the future.