Northern comfort: Geographical scale, locality and the evolution of networks in the Finnish metal music genre

Abstract

There is a limited geographical literature on the evolution of networks in distinct music genres. This gap is addressed here through an analysis of empirical evidence on the Finnish metal music genre, specifically utilising a questionnaire survey of Finnish metal music bands. The results show that, in terms of networking, local buzz is more important for bands that reside in large cities compared with those from small localities. However, even small towns can host creative teams, as the bands in smaller (peripheral) localities network through extra-local (global) pipelines. Consequently, extra-local networks are at least as important as local ones for this music genre to thrive in a particular location. In addition, record deals are more important than geographical scales in explaining variances in networking within the genre. Thus, contrary to the recent literature underlining the role of geographical proximity in the creative industries, locality and geographical scale do not play such a significant role in the evolution of networks in the Finnish metal music genre.