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It is widely said that something over 80 percent of all the commercial music of the world is controlled by five multinational firms. It is good that this is not the whole story, because then music would deserve no more attention than do men's shoes or shower fixtures. Instead, music is an important way that millions of people find enjoyment, define who they are, and affirm group membership. While the music industry is global, most music is made and enjoyed in diverse situations divorced from these corporate worlds. The concept" music scene," originally used primarily in journalistic and everyday contexts, is increasingly used by academic researchers to designate the contexts in which clusters of producers, musicians, and fans collectively share their common musical tastes and collectively distinguish themselves from others. We have commissioned the chapters in this book especially to illustrate the diversity of musical worlds currently being investigated using a scenes perspective. Each chapter focuses on a distinct aspect of scenes, from how individuals construct and negotiate scenes to the behind-the-scenes activities needed to sustain them. In the process, a number of different methods of analysis are illustrated. No chapter aims to be a complete description of a music scene; each highlights an aspect of scene life, and together they present something that approaches a complete view of scenes.