Riding the Rollercoaster - by Keith Jopling (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Riding the Rollercoaster tells the story of how artists and bands carve out long and successful careers in the music business, despite the numerous pitfalls and pratfalls.

Who lasts in the music industry -- and why?

The music business is defined by volatility. For every artist who sustains a career, many more fall away, despite talent, acclaim, or early success. Riding the Rollercoaster examines why some musicians endure while others fade away.

Drawing on in-depth interviews with more than seventy artists and industry insiders, Keith Jopling provides a clear-eyed, behind-the-scenes account of how careers in music are built, tested, and sustained. These are artists who have been dropped by labels, lost bandmates, experienced both commercial failure and success, broken up and re-formed -- and still found ways to continue.

Looking beyond individual stories, Riding the Rollercoaster situates artistic longevity within the wider structures of the modern music industry, from the attention economy to the growing concentration of power among platforms and corporations. Why do so few musicians retain control over long-term careers in a global industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars?

An insider's guide to survival in modern music, Rollercoaster offers a grounded, accessible account of what it really takes to last.

Review Quotes

"If the music industry had a survival manual, Riding the Rollercoaster could well be it."
- Rob Sealy, Co-founder, Openstage

"Keith Jopling's Riding the Rollercoaster is an essential, clear-eyed guide to the realities of today's music industry."
- David Martin, CEO Featured Artists Coalition

"The most useful book on the modern music business in years."
- Sven Ahrens, ex-CEO Yousician, ex-Spotify Head of International Markets

About the Author

Jopling has worked for Sony Music, Spotify and EMI, and UK and global music trade associations. He has lectured at Henley Business School, NYU, BIMM, ACM, Belmont, Syracuse, Westminster and the University of Krems, Austria. He started the music podcast The Art of Longevity in 2021 and recently produced a documentary episode based on his in-depth podcast interviews with renowned musicians.