A groundbreaking research project reveals how digital platforms like TikTok and Netflix are transforming the landscape of global cultural production, with Nigerian and South Korean creative industries emerging as powerful new forces in the international media market.
Published in Goethe University Frankfurt Research News | Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The traditional dominance of US cultural production is giving way to a more diverse global creative ecosystem, powered by digital transformation and emerging cultural powerhouses. The CEDITRAA research project, a collaboration between German and Nigerian universities, has secured an additional €1.4 million in funding to explore how digital distribution channels are reshaping cultural production worldwide.
This transformation is particularly evident in Nigeria’s film and music industry, which has grown to become one of the world’s largest, while South Korea’s cultural influence continues to expand across Asia and beyond. The project, entering its second phase in January 2025, will investigate how digital platforms are not just distributing content, but actively shaping the creation of cultural formats.
The research initiative brings together 18 scientists from diverse fields including ethnology, African studies, Korean studies, sinology, film studies, and economics. Building on its initial €2.1 million funding from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the project unites expertise from Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos.
A key focus of the investigation is the role of digital infrastructure ownership in cultural production. The researchers are examining how platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, irokotv, Spotify, and Boomplay influence creative decisions and enable the formation of global online communities while maintaining local cultural roots.
The project benefits from collaboration with the Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, Europe’s leading institution for digital research in film, and will work with Goethe University’s new Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S) to analyze social transformation processes in the digital age.
Glossary
- Cultural Entrepreneurs
- Creative professionals who develop and market cultural content in the digital age
- Digital Infrastructure
- The technological platforms and networks that enable the creation, distribution, and consumption of cultural content
- Cultural Production
- The process of creating, distributing, and consuming cultural content such as films, music, and other media
Test Your Knowledge
What is the new funding amount the CEDITRAA project has received for its second phase?
The project received €1.4 million in additional funding for its second phase.
Which universities are collaborating on this research project?
The project is a collaboration between Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos.
What major shift in cultural production is the research project investigating?
The project is examining how digital distribution channels are becoming factors in media production themselves, potentially shifting power away from traditional cultural industries.
How does the project’s interdisciplinary approach contribute to its research methodology?
The project combines expertise from ethnology, African studies, Korean studies, sinology, film studies, and economics to provide comprehensive analysis of cultural production changes.
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