Terje Colbjørnsen is Associate professor in creative industries management in the Department of communication and culture. He is a member of BI Centre for Creative Industries.
Colbjørnsen is a scholar of media industries, culture industries and the creative sector with a special emphasis on the impact of technology and the role of cultural policy. He teaches courses in Entertainment industries and Digitalization in creative industry. Colbjørnsen holds a PhD in media and communication from the University of Oslo (2015) and has previously worked as an associate professor in library and information science at Oslo Metropolitan University.
His research mainly revolves around issues regarding digitalisation of the media and cultural industries, in particular the book industry. A project on streaming services combined perspectives across music, film, tv and books. A recent project examines the dynamics of cultural policy, looking specifically at how new media technologies challenge established policies and institutionalized practices.
Publications
Holm Soelseth, Camilla; Bøyum, Idunn, Colbjørnsen, Terje, Pharo, Nils & Tallerås, Kim (2025)
Public libraries on TikTok – emerging platform vernaculars of communication and distribution
Information, Communication & Society Doi:
Liguzinski, Maciej; Colbjørnsen, Terje & Tallerås, Kim (2024)
Perceptions of e-lending in Scandinavian libraries: tension and harmony between institutional logics
International Journal of Cultural Policy Doi: -
This study examines e-lending dynamics in Scandinavian public libraries, by exploring the relationship between libraries and publishing houses. We ask how representatives of both fields perceive the public library’s role. Public libraries and publishers have traditionally served different roles in the book sphere: the library as a key cultural policy institution providing access to information and culture, and the publishers as involved in the production of books, operating on commercial premises. This relationship is affected by the change from ownership to licensing of digital book collections, which occurs along with changes on the national book markets. As a theoretical and analytical tool, the study uses the institutional logics perspective to explore the relations between different perceptions. We argue that this relationship can be illuminated through the dynamics of public service logic, market logic and digital logic. The study is empirically based on 26 in-depth interviews interviews with representatives of Danish, ºÚÁÏרÇø and Swedish major libraries and trade publishers. Findings indicate that the relationship is nuanced and multifaceted, more than if it relied on a simple opposition between the public and the market. Both libraries and publishers share a common understanding of public service and market logics; however, they differ in perceptions of library’s role which is amplified by digital logic. The study also indicates that e-lending dynamics are influenced by cultural policies but with different outcomes in the three countries.
Johansen, Madeléne & Colbjørnsen, Terje (2024)
Digital spilldistribusjon i folkebiblioteket. Hvordan spill som service utfordrer tilbudet til norske folkebibliotek
Vibeto, Håvard Andreas; Øfsti, Marius & Vanebo, Camilla (red.). På innsiden: Perspektiver på de norske film- TV- og spillbransjene
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2024)
Joe Rogan v. Spotify: Platformization and worlds colliding
Convergence. The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies Doi:
In May 2020, the music streaming service Spotify acquired exclusive rights to The Joe Rogan Experience, one of the world’s most popular podcasts. While the music streamer had started its foray into the podcasting world with acquisitions in 2019 of podcasting networks and production companies, the investment on Rogan was widely seen as a strong commitment. Rogan’s podcast is known to be humorous, crass, and often controversial. As the show dealt with highly contentious issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, criticism emerged, both from medical professionals, from artists and from within Spotify. The most widely published pushback came from artist Neil Young in January 2022, as he posed an ultimatum: ‘They can have Rogan or Young. Not both’. The Joe Rogan v. Spotify case can be seen as indicative of how the platformization of podcasting creates tensions and conflicts: Worlds collide as the logics of music publishing and news publishing crash with Rogan’s free reign podcasting world. As a result, Spotify, as a podcasting platform and publisher, finds itself in unfamiliar terrain. This paper connects the details of the case with theories of platformization, looking specifically at the role of Spotify as a comparatively new distributor of podcasts and a driving force to connect various audio formats. Drawing on media industry studies and scholarship on media policy and regulation, the paper ends with a discussion on how to understand the complexity of Spotify’s role as a publisher and a platform and Rogan’s role as a platform creator.
Colbjørnsen, Terje; Larsen, Håkon, Tallerås, Kim & Liguzinski, Maciej (2024)
Extending the media welfare state: The role of libraries in the Nordic countries
Jakobsson, Peter; Lindell, Johan & Stiernstedt, Fredrik (red.). The future of the Nordic media model : A digital media welfare state?
Colbjørnsen, Terje; Tallerås, Kim & Steiner, Ann (2023)
Talking About Audio: Analysing Book Industry Trade Talk on Audiobooks and Streaming in Sweden and Norway
Publishing research quarterly, 39(1), s. 17- 33. Doi:
Hvenegaard Rasmussen, Casper; Rydbeck, Kerstin & Larsen, HÃ¥kon (red.). Libraries, Archives, and Museums in Transition: Changes, Challenges, and Convergence in a Scandinavian Perspective
Colbjørnsen, Terje; Brenna, Brita & Edquist, Samuel (2022)
Curating collections in LAMs
Hvenegaard Rasmussen, Casper; Rydbeck, Kerstin & Larsen, HÃ¥kon (red.). Libraries, Archives, and Museums in Transition: Changes, Challenges, and Convergence in a Scandinavian Perspective
Larsen, Håkon; Colbjørnsen, Terje & Tallerås, Kim (2022)
En norsk bokbransje i endring og interesseorganisasjonenes politiske påvirkningsarbeid
Nordisk kulturpolitisk tidsskrift, 25(1), s. 43- 60. Doi:
Den norske bokbransjen er støttet og regulert gjennom en rekke litteraturpolitiske virkemidler. Disse settes nå under press grunnet endringer relatert til den digitale litteraturens utbredelse, nye aktørers inntog i markedet og omseggripende endringer i tilstøtende politikkområder og i samfunnet forøvrig. Det er langvarige og gode ordninger for bransjen til å påvirke politikken gjennom den korporative påvirkningskanalen. Samtidig vil de pågående endringene også kreve påvirkningsarbeid fra interesseorganisasjonene gjennom lobbyvirksomhet, for å sikre at de litteraturpolitiske virkemidlene oppdateres i takt med samfunns- og bransjeutviklingen. Denne studien handler om hvordan bransjeorganisasjonene søker å påvirke politikken gjennom den korporative kanalen og gjennom lobbyvirksomhet. Nærmere bestemt har vi studert hvordan lederne i bokbransjens mest sentrale organisasjoner snakker om deres erfaringer med bruk av disse to kanalene for påvirkningsarbeid og hvordan dette eventuelt endres som en konsekvens av endringer relatert til nye aktører, digitalisering og andre endringer i bokbransjens omland.
Colbjørnsen, Terje; Hui, Alan & Solstad, Benedikte (2021)
What do you pay for all you can eat? Pricing practices and strategies in streaming media services
Samfunnsoppdrag under press Erfaringer og vurderinger i norske bibliotek under Covid-19
Nordic Journal of Library and Information Studies, 2(1), s. 17- 37. Doi: -
Sundet, Vilde Schanke & Colbjørnsen, Terje (2021)
Streaming across industries: Streaming logics and streaming lore across the music, film, television, and book industries
Mediekultur, 37(70), s. 12- 31. Doi:
This article explores streaming across the cultural industries, drawing on 39 interviews with CEO/top-level industry executives working in the ºÚÁÏרÇø music, film, television, and book industries. We examine two broad questions: What do key industry players see as the main opportunities and challenges of streaming? To what extent do industry players compare with and learn from other industries when making sense of, and seeking solutions to, the main challenges? Drawing on theories of media industry logics and industry lore, the article identifies a collective understanding of turmoil and uncertainty. While informants across industries form similar notions about the impact of streaming and emphasise the need to learn from other industries, solutions to challenges are typically sought within industryspecific frames. Our findings suggest that even if streaming is a cross-industrial trend, strategies are based on industry-specific logics and notions.
Towards streaming as a dominant mode of media use? A user typology approach to music and television streaming
Nordicom Review, 42(1), s. 35- 57. Doi: -
Colbjørnsen, Terje; Tallerås, Kim & Øfsti, Olav Marius (2020)
Contingent availability: A case-based approach to understanding availability in streaming services and cultural policy implications
International Journal of Cultural Policy, s. 1- 16. Doi:
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2020)
The streaming network: Conceptualizing distribution economy, technology, and power in streaming media services
Convergence. The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies Doi:
Despite there being more than a decade since the introductions of Netflix’ and Spotify’s online services, few attempts have been made to thoroughly examine and conceptualize streaming and streaming services across culture and media industries. The argument proposed here is that streaming constitutes a distinct form of digital media distribution network, what I refer to as the streaming network. The article asks what constitutes the parts or nodes of such a streaming network, and further what the power relationships between the various parts are. The analysis uses Spotify, Apple Music, Netflix, and Kindle Unlimited as examples, building on a wide array of primary and secondary document sources. The analysis contains a stepwise discussion and visualization of how human and nonhuman actors in this streaming network are connected by way of flows of content, data, and money, as well as by relationships of control, access, and exposure. The argument draws on theories of network power, platform power, and algorithmic power. The analysis highlights the asymmetrical relationships between, on the one hand, users and content providers, and on the other, streaming providers and device and software makers. No single actor in the network is able to exercise full control, but users and content originators are seen as particularly vulnerable. Streaming providers and device and software makers are able to maneuver the network to strengthen their relative position.
Cultural Policies, Social Missions, Algorithms and Discretion: What Should Public Service Institutions Recommend?
Sundqvist, Anneli; Berget, Gerd, Nolin, Jan & Skjerdingstad, Kjell Ivar (red.). Sustainable Digital Communities. 15th International Conference, iConference 2020, Boras, Sweden, March 23–26, 2020, Proceedings
Spilker, Hendrik Storstein & Colbjørnsen, Terje (2020)
The dimensions of streaming: toward a typology of an evolving concept
Media, Culture and Society, 42(7-8), s. 1210- 1225. Doi: -
Tallerås, Kim; Colbjørnsen, Terje & Øfsti, Marius (2019)
Relativ tilgjengelighet: Formidling og utvelgelse i strømmetjenester for film, tv-serier og digitale bøker
Norsk medietidsskrift (NMT), 26(1), s. 1- 20. Doi: -
Pettersen, Cathrine T. & Colbjørnsen, Terje (2018)
Omnichannel and Digital-Only: Analyzing Digital Bookselling Operations in Four ºÚÁÏרÇø Bookstores
Publishing research quarterly, 35(1), s. 108- 121. Doi:
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2018)
My Algorithm: User Perceptions of Algorithmic Recommendations in Cultural Contexts
Guzman, Andrea (red.). Human-Machine Communication: Rethinking Communication, Technology, and Ourselves
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2018)
Algoritmens ansikt: Brukeropplevelser av kvalitet og relevans i algoritmiske anbefalinger på kulturfeltet
Prytz, Øyvind & Hovden, Jan Fredrik (red.). Kvalitetsforhandlinger
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2017)
Åpenhet i det digitale bibliotek: Om politiske føringer og gnisninger mellom kommersiell bokbransje og bibliotek i en digital tid
Anderson, Astrid; Fagerlid, Cicilie, Larsen, Håkon & Straume, Ingerid (red.). Det åpne bibliotek: Forskningsbibliotek i endring
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2017)
Debating freedom of expression in ºÚÁÏרÇø media: Critical moments, positions and arguments
Midtbøen, Arnfinn Haagensen; Steen-Johnsen, Kari & Thorbjørnsrud, Kjersti (red.). Boundary Struggles : Contestations of Free Speech in the ºÚÁÏרÇø Public Sphere
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2016)
Kritiske øyeblikk i norsk ytringsfrihetsdebatt : en analyse av forekomster av omtaler av ytringsfrihet og pressefrihet i norske aviser 1993-015
Sosiologisk Tidsskrift, 24(3), s. 170- 199. Doi:
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2015)
The accidental avant-garde: Audiobook technologies and publishing strategies from cassette tapes to online streaming services
Northern Lights: Film & Media Studies Yearbook, 13(1), s. 83- 103. Doi:
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2015)
Store og små aktørers tilnærming til digitalisering i den norske bokbransjen
Praktisk økonomi & finans, 14(2), s. 160- 169.
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2014)
The construction of a bestseller: theoretical and empirical approaches to the case of the Fifty Shades trilogy as an eBook bestseller
Media, Culture and Society, 36(8), s. 1100- 1117. Doi:
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2014)
Digital divergence: analysing strategy, interpretation and controversy in the case of the introduction of an ebook reader technology
Information, Communication & Society, 18(1), s. 32- 47. Doi:
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2014)
What is the VAT? The policies and practices of value added tax on ebooks in Europe
International Journal of Cultural Policy, 21(3), s. 326- 343. Doi:
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2013)
Book App Publishing in Norway: Edge- and Ad Hoc Innovations
Defillippi, Robert & Wikström, Patrik (red.). Business Innovation and Disruption in Publishing
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2012)
The Janus Strategy: Launching a ºÚÁÏרÇø ebook distribution service in an internationalized publishing industry
International Journal of the Book, 9(1), s. 61- 78. Doi: -
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2024)
Irritasjonen ble så stor at Geir bestemte seg for å løse problemet selv
Bergensavisen [Avis]
Tallerås, Kim; Colbjørnsen, Terje & Øfsti, Marius (2019)
Forskere: Norske Netflix tilbyr lite norsk film
NTB [Avis]
Colbjørnsen, Terje (1)
Hvordan tenker et tidsskrift?
Norsk medietidsskrift (NMT) [Kronikk]
Colbjørnsen, Terje (1)
Korona og «solutionism»
Norsk medietidsskrift (NMT) [Kronikk]
Colbjørnsen, Terje (1)
NMT kikker under panseret
Norsk medietidsskrift (NMT) [Kronikk]
Colbjørnsen, Terje (1)
Vidåpne dører til vitenskapen? Åpen tilgang i teori og praksis
Prosa - tidsskrift for skribenter [Kronikk]
Colbjørnsen, Terje (2024)
Loven mellom to permer. En analyse av de politiske prosessene bak Bokloven i 2012-2013 og 2022-2023