Creativity Vs Commerce

Smartphones, laptops, desktops—as these products are mentioned, one may think of Apple, an American company that sells technological goods, known for being the industry leader for music sales (Brodbeck). Through its input of human creativity, ranging from computer programmers to engineers who create intellectual property, and symbolic meaning, Apple has established itself as a dominant company in the creative industries. However, as the world shifts to a knowledge-based economy reliant on innovation, the relation between creativity and commerce becomes a prevalent topic. While it is tempting to “romanticize artistic creativity”, the realistic approach argues that such talent will succumb to commerce, losing its intention in the process (Davies and Sigthorsson, 22). As material goods, such as the iPhone, further transform into powerful cultural symbols and well-known brands are regarded as “commodities”, the global accumulation of capital becomes increasingly a plight—potentially leading to capitalism (Lash and Lury). Nevertheless, in any scenario, profiting from creativity …show more content…
iTunes, Apple’s multimedia marketplace, allows consumers to purchase digital albums and individual songs; however, at $1.29 a song and $9.99 for a standard album, 57 million Americans have resorted to downloading illegally from unlicensed sources. When asked why, 80% of those surveyed stated that they “didn’t want the songs badly enough” to pay for them (Geddes). In this case, the same issue is raised regarding the price of a creative product. When romanticism meets realism, realism is ultimately the conquering factor: one cannot simply enjoy the art of music at a multitude without depleting their wallets, refusing to purchase songs on iTunes. Therefore, Apple faces challenges when streaming services come into