Massimiliano Raffa
Biographic Data
| ID | 308048 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Massimiliano Raffa |
| GIVEN NAMES | Massimiliano |
| FAMILY NAME | Raffa |
| SIGNATURE | RAFFA M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Insubria |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1264-3460 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 5 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 7 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 5 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Creative city narratives vs. lived realities: An ethnographic study of Unesco designation in Como, Italy
Introduction This study examines how cultural producers perceive and interpret the UNESCO Creative City designation, focusing on Como, Italy, following its 2021 inclusion in the network. Anchored in critical urban theory and cultural sociology, the research investigates how institutional narratives of creativity intersect with the interpretive frameworks through which cultural actors understand their work. Methods The research employed ethnograph…
Platformed indie: Poptimism in Italian digital music culture
This ethnographic study examines the transformation of Italian indie culture under platform capitalism, tracing how digital infrastructures have reconfigured the relationship between independence and mainstream commercial logic. Drawing on fieldwork with musicians, industry professionals, and audiences across Italy, it argues that the semantic and aesthetic coordinates of indie have shifted from oppositional autonomy to a stylised modality compat…
The Social Life of an Optimised Song: Reconstructing the Networked Cycle of Digital Music-Making
Music streaming platforms are complex socio-technical infrastructures that co-construct cultural production, distribution, and reception. Different contributions have highlighted that artists, producers, and operators may implement optimisation processes, based on their algorithmic imaginaries, to align their music to the modes of listening and categorisation imposed by algorithmic media. Drawing on thirty-nine semi-structured interviews with pro…
Self-Brand or Be Branded Out: The Convergence of Mainstream and Independent Music Talent Scouting Under Platform Capitalism
While extensive scholarship has examined how platformisation has transformed music distribution and consumption, relatively little attention has been paid to its impact on talent discovery and artist development processes. This study investigates how the increasing dominance of digital platforms as mediators of musical circulation has reconfigured talent-scouting practices across different market segments. A first round of interviews focusing on …
Make-Do-With Listening: Competence, Distinction, and Resignation on Music Streaming Platforms
In an age where music streaming platforms have become the primary media for music listening, the experiences of musically competent users are often overlooked. Employing a mix of research methods (semi-structured interviews, reflective diaries, and analysis of on-platform-activity metadata provided by Spotify's APIs), this contribution aims to explore the viewpoints of musically competent users from Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands …
Make-Do-With Listening: Competence, Distinction, and Resignation on Music Streaming Platforms
In an age where music streaming platforms have become the primary media for music listening, the experiences of musically competent users are often overlooked. Employing a mix of research methods (semi-structured interviews, reflective diaries, and analysis of on-platform-activity metadata provided by Spotify's APIs), this contribution aims to explore the viewpoints of musically competent users from Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands …
Self-Brand or Be Branded Out: The Convergence of Mainstream and Independent Music Talent Scouting Under Platform Capitalism
While extensive scholarship has examined how platformisation has transformed music distribution and consumption, relatively little attention has been paid to its impact on talent discovery and artist development processes. This study investigates how the increasing dominance of digital platforms as mediators of musical circulation has reconfigured talent-scouting practices across different market segments. A first round of interviews focusing on …
The Social Life of an Optimised Song: Reconstructing the Networked Cycle of Digital Music-Making
Music streaming platforms are complex socio-technical infrastructures that co-construct cultural production, distribution, and reception. Different contributions have highlighted that artists, producers, and operators may implement optimisation processes, based on their algorithmic imaginaries, to align their music to the modes of listening and categorisation imposed by algorithmic media. Drawing on thirty-nine semi-structured interviews with pro…
Make-Do-With Listening: Competence, Distinction, and Resignation on Music Streaming Platforms
In an age where music streaming platforms have become the primary media for music listening, the experiences of musically competent users are often overlooked. Employing a mix of research methods (semi-structured interviews, reflective diaries, and analysis of on-platform-activity metadata provided by Spotify's APIs), this contribution aims to explore the viewpoints of musically competent users from Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands …
Creative city narratives vs. lived realities: An ethnographic study of Unesco designation in Como, Italy
Introduction This study examines how cultural producers perceive and interpret the UNESCO Creative City designation, focusing on Como, Italy, following its 2021 inclusion in the network. Anchored in critical urban theory and cultural sociology, the research investigates how institutional narratives of creativity intersect with the interpretive frameworks through which cultural actors understand their work. Methods The research employed ethnograph…
Platformed indie: Poptimism in Italian digital music culture
This ethnographic study examines the transformation of Italian indie culture under platform capitalism, tracing how digital infrastructures have reconfigured the relationship between independence and mainstream commercial logic. Drawing on fieldwork with musicians, industry professionals, and audiences across Italy, it argues that the semantic and aesthetic coordinates of indie have shifted from oppositional autonomy to a stylised modality compat…
The Social Life of an Optimised Song: Reconstructing the Networked Cycle of Digital Music-Making
Music streaming platforms are complex socio-technical infrastructures that co-construct cultural production, distribution, and reception. Different contributions have highlighted that artists, producers, and operators may implement optimisation processes, based on their algorithmic imaginaries, to align their music to the modes of listening and categorisation imposed by algorithmic media. Drawing on thirty-nine semi-structured interviews with pro…
Self-Brand or Be Branded Out: The Convergence of Mainstream and Independent Music Talent Scouting Under Platform Capitalism
While extensive scholarship has examined how platformisation has transformed music distribution and consumption, relatively little attention has been paid to its impact on talent discovery and artist development processes. This study investigates how the increasing dominance of digital platforms as mediators of musical circulation has reconfigured talent-scouting practices across different market segments. A first round of interviews focusing on …
Music History and Culture (3 works) · Art (2 works) · Computer Science (2 works) · Cultural Industries and Urban Development (2 works) · Diverse Musicological Studies (2 works) · Ethnography (2 works) · Literature (2 works) · Mainstream (2 works) · Sociology (2 works) · Active listening (1 works)