The aim of the paper was to analyze the collaborative development of classification systems in the field of popular music and discuss how they may differ from those established and guided by the music industry so far. Therefore, we compare the collaborative classification of music that emerges on the Internet with that used by the Phonographic Industry based on the data collected at two websites: Last.fm and AllMusic. Through this comparison we found differences between the classification criteria used by users and the commercial principles of classification found in the catalogues of record labels and music publishers. The results indicate a discrepancy between the criteria used by the industry to classify artists who belong to the same musical genre and/or market segment, and those associated by the users and actually perceived, appreciated and consumed by this public.
Collaborative classification; Phonographic industry; Popular music; Classification systems