Information Channels and Income Conversion Efficiency in Artistic Labor Markets: Genre-and Generation-Based Heterogeneity

This study empirically examines the impact of information acquisition channels on the overall performance of artists by distinguishing between traditional relational information channels and online platform-based digital information channels. Drawing on social capital theory and discussions regarding the hierarchical structure of the artistic labor market, this research analyzes these effects through a dual process: “quantitative productivity” and “income conversion efficiency.” Data from the [2024 Survey on the Conditions of Artists] (N=4,931) by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism were utilized for the analysis. First, a quasi-Poisson regression model was employed to analyze the quantitative effects of information channels on productivity (activities and contracts). Subsequently, an OLS regression model including interaction terms was applied to verify whether the efficiency of converting productivity into income varies depending on the information channel. The analysis reveals that digital information channels did not generally expand artists’ activity levels or contract opportunities; notably, a quantitative contraction was observed among the younger artist group. On the other hand, qualitative effects varied by genre: while digital channels enhanced income conversion efficiency in the performing arts, they weakened it in media-related genres. These findings suggest that digital information channels do not uniformly dismantle existing hierarchies in the artistic labor market, but rather operate differentially according to industrial structures and generational positions. This study proposes that arts policy should expand beyond simply improving digital accessibility toward structural support that mediates the transition into contracts and transactions.