Let's Face the Music...and Dance: Music's lessons for research in the big data age

This paper discusses some of the problems market researchers face in understanding how to utilise Big Data, and draws parallels with the music industry to show how the challenges around Big Data can be embraced.

Let's Face the Music...and Dance: Music's lessons for research in the big data age

Will GoodhandTNSOlly NelkenMornington Media

Introduction

"Writing about music," observed musical comedian Martin Mull, "is like dancing about architecture". Talking about big data is arguably not much more appropriate: "The trouble with big data is nobody quite knows what it is" (as per a number of commentators). Nonetheless, my collaborator, rock musician Olly Nelken, and I have doubled-down and decided to write about both. At least we are well-suited: composer and performer Mike Oldfield's slant is that 'talking about music is like singing about...

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