Toby Bennett
@tgpb.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer in Media, Culture & Organisation at University of Westminster
Wrote a book on the mundane work that makes Big Music work; do editorial bits at Journal of Cultural Economy; some other stuff...
https://tgpbennett.wordpress.com
Wrote a book on the mundane work that makes Big Music work; do editorial bits at Journal of Cultural Economy; some other stuff...
https://tgpbennett.wordpress.com
Pinned
Toby Bennett
@tgpb.bsky.social
· Jul 12
Corporate Life in the Digital Music Industry: Remaking the Major Record Label from the Inside Out
Toby Bennett This is my first book, published by Bloomsbury in late 2024. This page contains some information, extracts, reviews, further listening and so on. From the Back Cover Drawing on a deep …
tgpbennett.wordpress.com
A page collecting stuff about my book so far - an extract from ch.1, other people's reactions, podcast appearances, a playlist of tracks to "listen along" with, etc.
Reviews welcome! If you'd like a review copy, let me know...
tgpbennett.wordpress.com/corporate-li...
Reviews welcome! If you'd like a review copy, let me know...
tgpbennett.wordpress.com/corporate-li...
What most interested me here was about how to write about the co-mediation of ideas, people & organisations.
So this @jcultecon.bsky.social podcast is really about our shared interest in issuesof intellectual/institutional history - although Simone & I only really realised this after it finished...
So this @jcultecon.bsky.social podcast is really about our shared interest in issuesof intellectual/institutional history - although Simone & I only really realised this after it finished...
We chat about two papers:
1) "Undoing Cultural Studies: Cultural Economy at the Open University (1979-1997)" - a part-history of "workshopping" at the OU, associated with Stuart Hall and Doreen Massey (who I refer to as Jamesonian "vanishing mediators").
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
1) "Undoing Cultural Studies: Cultural Economy at the Open University (1979-1997)" - a part-history of "workshopping" at the OU, associated with Stuart Hall and Doreen Massey (who I refer to as Jamesonian "vanishing mediators").
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Undoing cultural studies: cultural economy at the Open University (1979–1997)
This introduction article establishes the territory for the Symposium What Was Cultural Economy? After setting out the reasoning behind the collection and its eight contributions, the introduction ...
www.tandfonline.com
December 5, 2025 at 4:39 PM
What most interested me here was about how to write about the co-mediation of ideas, people & organisations.
So this @jcultecon.bsky.social podcast is really about our shared interest in issuesof intellectual/institutional history - although Simone & I only really realised this after it finished...
So this @jcultecon.bsky.social podcast is really about our shared interest in issuesof intellectual/institutional history - although Simone & I only really realised this after it finished...
From the emergence of cultural economy to the culture of economic emergency, via bulletproof coffee, muffins and anchovies... Hey look - it's your new favourite academic podcast.
We are now LIVE with From Walkman to Polycrisis @ podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c... and www.youtube.com/@CulturalEco... and that other place with all the Wrapping @allartmarkets.bsky.social @tgpb.bsky.social @philiproscoe.bsky.social @addiemcgowan.bsky.social & Simone Pollilo
December 5, 2025 at 12:14 PM
From the emergence of cultural economy to the culture of economic emergency, via bulletproof coffee, muffins and anchovies... Hey look - it's your new favourite academic podcast.
This feels like it might be a @nickseaver.website question. And possibly a @will-davies.bsky.social one. (Apologies for picking you out as my go-to "what are the behaviouralists up to now?" people.)
Who doesn't want that?
I am just idly wondering what techniques, in the "age of big data", are used by economists, comp-sci people, statisticians, psych- types etc for getting at a more interpretive or contextual level of depth of "preference" than simply duration, frequency or expenditure.
I am just idly wondering what techniques, in the "age of big data", are used by economists, comp-sci people, statisticians, psych- types etc for getting at a more interpretive or contextual level of depth of "preference" than simply duration, frequency or expenditure.
December 5, 2025 at 8:10 AM
This feels like it might be a @nickseaver.website question. And possibly a @will-davies.bsky.social one. (Apologies for picking you out as my go-to "what are the behaviouralists up to now?" people.)
Reposted by Toby Bennett
ChatGPT is giving me metrics such as "burstiness" which I assumed is just the sort of rubbish it would make up but apparently not.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burstin...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burstin...
Burstiness - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
December 4, 2025 at 9:34 AM
ChatGPT is giving me metrics such as "burstiness" which I assumed is just the sort of rubbish it would make up but apparently not.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burstin...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burstin...
Reposted by Toby Bennett
OK Spotify Wrapped is about revealed preferences ("you posted those Quietus links but when your mum died you kept playing that Celine Dion album she liked, look how basic you really are! share & cringe lol" etc)
But genuine Q: are there good techniques for measuring revealed prefs *qualiitatively*?
But genuine Q: are there good techniques for measuring revealed prefs *qualiitatively*?
December 4, 2025 at 9:09 AM
OK Spotify Wrapped is about revealed preferences ("you posted those Quietus links but when your mum died you kept playing that Celine Dion album she liked, look how basic you really are! share & cringe lol" etc)
But genuine Q: are there good techniques for measuring revealed prefs *qualiitatively*?
But genuine Q: are there good techniques for measuring revealed prefs *qualiitatively*?
Reposted by Toby Bennett
How might the state evolve in the wake of today’s crises?
📅 11 December 2025, 17:00–19:00
📍 UCL (IAS Common Ground G11)
CCS is convening an innovative interdisciplinary workshop that brings together researchers, policy advocates, game designers & artists.
Details: www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...
📅 11 December 2025, 17:00–19:00
📍 UCL (IAS Common Ground G11)
CCS is convening an innovative interdisciplinary workshop that brings together researchers, policy advocates, game designers & artists.
Details: www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...
Utopia, Dystopia and the Post-Capitalist State
This Centre for Capitalism Studies workshop builds on last year’s series, The Capitalist State in the 2020s. Our new workshop looks to the future, assembling an interdisciplinary group of scholars to ask what might come after the capitalist state.
www.ucl.ac.uk
December 5, 2025 at 7:52 AM
How might the state evolve in the wake of today’s crises?
📅 11 December 2025, 17:00–19:00
📍 UCL (IAS Common Ground G11)
CCS is convening an innovative interdisciplinary workshop that brings together researchers, policy advocates, game designers & artists.
Details: www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...
📅 11 December 2025, 17:00–19:00
📍 UCL (IAS Common Ground G11)
CCS is convening an innovative interdisciplinary workshop that brings together researchers, policy advocates, game designers & artists.
Details: www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...
Reposted by Toby Bennett
The first episode, impeccably hosted by @philiproscoe.bsky.social & @addiemcgowan.bsky.social featuring @tgpb.bsky.social @allartmarkets.bsky.social & Simone Pollilo, goes live tomorrow. We expect you'll all be featuring in your 2026 Wrapped. www.linkedin.com/posts/philip...
December 4, 2025 at 4:33 PM
The first episode, impeccably hosted by @philiproscoe.bsky.social & @addiemcgowan.bsky.social featuring @tgpb.bsky.social @allartmarkets.bsky.social & Simone Pollilo, goes live tomorrow. We expect you'll all be featuring in your 2026 Wrapped. www.linkedin.com/posts/philip...
OK Spotify Wrapped is about revealed preferences ("you posted those Quietus links but when your mum died you kept playing that Celine Dion album she liked, look how basic you really are! share & cringe lol" etc)
But genuine Q: are there good techniques for measuring revealed prefs *qualiitatively*?
But genuine Q: are there good techniques for measuring revealed prefs *qualiitatively*?
December 4, 2025 at 9:09 AM
OK Spotify Wrapped is about revealed preferences ("you posted those Quietus links but when your mum died you kept playing that Celine Dion album she liked, look how basic you really are! share & cringe lol" etc)
But genuine Q: are there good techniques for measuring revealed prefs *qualiitatively*?
But genuine Q: are there good techniques for measuring revealed prefs *qualiitatively*?
Reposted by Toby Bennett
We have 7 PhD opportunities at the School of Policy and Global Affairs at City St. George's, Uni of London!
We are offering 4 PhD studentships & 3 fee waivers available across the Departments of Sociology & Criminology, International Politics & Economics www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/prospective-...
We are offering 4 PhD studentships & 3 fee waivers available across the Departments of Sociology & Criminology, International Politics & Economics www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/prospective-...
School of Policy & Global Affairs Doctoral Studentships | City St George's, University of London
Apply for studentships from the School of Policy and Global Affairs which includes an annual stipend, full UK tuition fee waiver and expenses.
www.citystgeorges.ac.uk
December 4, 2025 at 8:38 AM
We have 7 PhD opportunities at the School of Policy and Global Affairs at City St. George's, Uni of London!
We are offering 4 PhD studentships & 3 fee waivers available across the Departments of Sociology & Criminology, International Politics & Economics www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/prospective-...
We are offering 4 PhD studentships & 3 fee waivers available across the Departments of Sociology & Criminology, International Politics & Economics www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/prospective-...
Reposted by Toby Bennett
Its the annual holiday countdown for my @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social podcast! Over the next 24 days I'll be highlighting the episodes from this year as well as giving shoutouts to some of the books of the year too!
December 1, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Its the annual holiday countdown for my @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social podcast! Over the next 24 days I'll be highlighting the episodes from this year as well as giving shoutouts to some of the books of the year too!
Reposted by Toby Bennett
Spotify thinks I'm 48 years old, which I obviously felt outraged by - until I remembered how many times this year I got "Bad Bunny" mixed up with this guy:
December 3, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Spotify thinks I'm 48 years old, which I obviously felt outraged by - until I remembered how many times this year I got "Bad Bunny" mixed up with this guy:
Spotify thinks I'm 48 years old, which I obviously felt outraged by - until I remembered how many times this year I got "Bad Bunny" mixed up with this guy:
December 3, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Spotify thinks I'm 48 years old, which I obviously felt outraged by - until I remembered how many times this year I got "Bad Bunny" mixed up with this guy:
Reposted by Toby Bennett
Tomorrow!
CAMRI Seminar: The Technopolitics of Communication in Modern India
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
The Technopolitics of Communication in Modern India
CAMRI host a discussion with Pragya Dhital (SAS) on the historic communications infrastructures underlying political illiberalism in India.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
December 3, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Tomorrow!
Still true.
Never am I more exhausted than when I finish my Mandarin class. By this point, I've accepted that tiredness is just the general underlying condition of work, life, parenting etc. But man, those three hours every Wednesday are brutal. It's like high intensity circuit training made out of sudokus.
December 3, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Still true.
Tomorrow!
CAMRI Seminar: The Technopolitics of Communication in Modern India
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
The Technopolitics of Communication in Modern India
CAMRI host a discussion with Pragya Dhital (SAS) on the historic communications infrastructures underlying political illiberalism in India.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
December 3, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Tomorrow!
Reposted by Toby Bennett
CAMRI Seminar: The Technopolitics of Communication in Modern India
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
The Technopolitics of Communication in Modern India
CAMRI host a discussion with Pragya Dhital (SAS) on the historic communications infrastructures underlying political illiberalism in India.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
December 2, 2025 at 9:34 AM
CAMRI Seminar: The Technopolitics of Communication in Modern India
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
Reposted by Toby Bennett
Following this nice pic of 70s EMI, two images:
1) postwar Gramophone production line (from Miriam Glucksman's "Women Assemble")
2) Gramophone-themed seating in the current redeveloped site
& two sections from my book:
3) TGWU women's dispute over the Sex Pistols
4) West London gentrification
1) postwar Gramophone production line (from Miriam Glucksman's "Women Assemble")
2) Gramophone-themed seating in the current redeveloped site
& two sections from my book:
3) TGWU women's dispute over the Sex Pistols
4) West London gentrification
December 1, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Following this nice pic of 70s EMI, two images:
1) postwar Gramophone production line (from Miriam Glucksman's "Women Assemble")
2) Gramophone-themed seating in the current redeveloped site
& two sections from my book:
3) TGWU women's dispute over the Sex Pistols
4) West London gentrification
1) postwar Gramophone production line (from Miriam Glucksman's "Women Assemble")
2) Gramophone-themed seating in the current redeveloped site
& two sections from my book:
3) TGWU women's dispute over the Sex Pistols
4) West London gentrification
Reposted by Toby Bennett
PhD studentships available in: Creative and Cultural Industries, Media, and Arts Practice (EDI in Practice); Identity, Representation, and Social Justice (EDI in Theory and Experience); Humanities, Philosophy, and Literature (EDI in Knowledge and Method). More details in link below.
Oxford Brookes University has a huge raft of AHRC-funded PhD studentships in the Arts, Humanities and allied subjects! Both fees and a stipend covered. Take a look at the ad below - the closing date is 30th January 2026. Anyone interested at all, get in touch!
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPM937/p...
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPM937/p...
PhD Studentship : AHRC Landscape Award PhD Studentship in the Arts and Humanities at Oxford Brookes University
Start your UK & international job search for academic jobs, research jobs, science jobs and managerial jobs in leading universities and top...
www.jobs.ac.uk
December 2, 2025 at 10:28 AM
PhD studentships available in: Creative and Cultural Industries, Media, and Arts Practice (EDI in Practice); Identity, Representation, and Social Justice (EDI in Theory and Experience); Humanities, Philosophy, and Literature (EDI in Knowledge and Method). More details in link below.
CAMRI Seminar: The Technopolitics of Communication in Modern India
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
The Technopolitics of Communication in Modern India
CAMRI host a discussion with Pragya Dhital (SAS) on the historic communications infrastructures underlying political illiberalism in India.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
December 2, 2025 at 9:34 AM
CAMRI Seminar: The Technopolitics of Communication in Modern India
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
Open to all - registration essential
This Thursday 4th Dec, 5.30pm (Marylebone, London)
@camri.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-techno...
Reposted by Toby Bennett
Just been listening to an album that ended with very quiet static, punctuated by occasional pops/glitches. After about 20mins, I started thinking "hmm OK, I get it, how long does this go on for?"
Turns out the album finished 20mins ago. I was listening to my laptop screen tapping against the wall.
Turns out the album finished 20mins ago. I was listening to my laptop screen tapping against the wall.
December 1, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Just been listening to an album that ended with very quiet static, punctuated by occasional pops/glitches. After about 20mins, I started thinking "hmm OK, I get it, how long does this go on for?"
Turns out the album finished 20mins ago. I was listening to my laptop screen tapping against the wall.
Turns out the album finished 20mins ago. I was listening to my laptop screen tapping against the wall.
Following this nice pic of 70s EMI, two images:
1) postwar Gramophone production line (from Miriam Glucksman's "Women Assemble")
2) Gramophone-themed seating in the current redeveloped site
& two sections from my book:
3) TGWU women's dispute over the Sex Pistols
4) West London gentrification
1) postwar Gramophone production line (from Miriam Glucksman's "Women Assemble")
2) Gramophone-themed seating in the current redeveloped site
& two sections from my book:
3) TGWU women's dispute over the Sex Pistols
4) West London gentrification
December 1, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Following this nice pic of 70s EMI, two images:
1) postwar Gramophone production line (from Miriam Glucksman's "Women Assemble")
2) Gramophone-themed seating in the current redeveloped site
& two sections from my book:
3) TGWU women's dispute over the Sex Pistols
4) West London gentrification
1) postwar Gramophone production line (from Miriam Glucksman's "Women Assemble")
2) Gramophone-themed seating in the current redeveloped site
& two sections from my book:
3) TGWU women's dispute over the Sex Pistols
4) West London gentrification
Reposted by Toby Bennett
Cover of the day: from December 1973, a London Borough of Hillingdon consultation document on road improvements in Hayes. A great shot of the EMI factory, which dominates the scene.
December 1, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Cover of the day: from December 1973, a London Borough of Hillingdon consultation document on road improvements in Hayes. A great shot of the EMI factory, which dominates the scene.
Reposted by Toby Bennett
NEW PUBLICATION:
Digital Eating special issue co-edited with @jeremybrice.bsky.social and Karin Eli in @jcultecon.bsky.social
The special issue examines how digitalisation is transforming the conditions under which eating is organised, valued, and contested in everyday life,
Digital Eating special issue co-edited with @jeremybrice.bsky.social and Karin Eli in @jcultecon.bsky.social
The special issue examines how digitalisation is transforming the conditions under which eating is organised, valued, and contested in everyday life,
December 1, 2025 at 7:19 PM
NEW PUBLICATION:
Digital Eating special issue co-edited with @jeremybrice.bsky.social and Karin Eli in @jcultecon.bsky.social
The special issue examines how digitalisation is transforming the conditions under which eating is organised, valued, and contested in everyday life,
Digital Eating special issue co-edited with @jeremybrice.bsky.social and Karin Eli in @jcultecon.bsky.social
The special issue examines how digitalisation is transforming the conditions under which eating is organised, valued, and contested in everyday life,
Reposted by Toby Bennett
There are species that are successful in a geographical sense: they conquer the whole world in great numbers. And there are species that are successful in a historical sense; these have found a way of being in the world that requires few changes and will last long after humanity is gone.
November 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM
There are species that are successful in a geographical sense: they conquer the whole world in great numbers. And there are species that are successful in a historical sense; these have found a way of being in the world that requires few changes and will last long after humanity is gone.
Reposted by Toby Bennett
Two new arrivals: @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social on the effect of conglomeration on US publishing and Timothy Kuhn on the corporation, desire and communicative capitalism. Only flicked through so far but I wish I'd come across them before finishing my own take on passion and communication in "Big Music".
November 30, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Two new arrivals: @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social on the effect of conglomeration on US publishing and Timothy Kuhn on the corporation, desire and communicative capitalism. Only flicked through so far but I wish I'd come across them before finishing my own take on passion and communication in "Big Music".