CfA: Special Issue: Versioning Practices (Popular Music History), Deadline: 14. Dezember 2026
Special issue: Versioning practices
Guest editors: Olivier Julien (Sorbonne Université) and David-Emil Wickström (Popakademie Baden-Württemberg)
Passing down music has always been influenced by the technological possibilities of its time. With the emergence of musical notation, oral practices were in part supplanted by graphical representations of sound. This allowed for the separation of music from the interpersonal experience, thus unlinking performance from reception. With the invention of both the phonograph and gramophone it became possible to not only present sound graphically, but also to replicate it. This enabled a more accurate rendition of the original and further strengthened the separation of production and reproduction / consumption.
This development led to the concept of versioning practices. One such practice is a cover, which is the term used to describe a musical performance, recorded or performed live, in which a musician or group performs a song that has previously been recorded by another musician or group (Coyle 2002; Pendzich 2004; Smith-Sivertsen 2007; Solis 2010). Under this definition we are dealing with a concept where the original is handed down in recorded—and thus audible—form.
Understood as a practical concept alone, the concept of the cover version is an excellent analytical tool. There is, however, a very eclectic understanding and application of the term, which is used to describe everything from professional studio recordings to amateur recordings in a bedroom or singing to a karaoke track, and is basically used in a genre-neutral way. This approach is not rooted in theory and lacks broader contextualization within the history of popular music.
Over the past 25 years, a growing body of research has addressed versioning practices in various ways, particularly through the concept of cover versions (e.g., Weinstein 1998; Pendzich 2004; Smith-Sivertsen 2007; Prato 2007; Veal 2007; Mosser 2008; Plasketes 2010; Solis 2010; Rings 2013; Appel 2017; Alleyne and Burns in press). These studies range from analyses of individual works across different versions and historically grounded case studies to conceptual and theoretical approaches.
This special issue of Popular Music History aims to broaden the focus beyond cover versions in order to explore versioning practices. Among the topics this call seeks to address are:
● What forms do versioning practices take across different musical traditions, media environments, and historical periods?
● How have musical works been perceived over time? How does their reception relate to different versioning practices?
● How have changing versioning practices and shifting perceptions of musical works influenced cover practices?
● What role have Afro-Caribbean versioning practices played not only in the Black diasporic community but also influenced the broader music industry?
● How have new media technologies led to new practices / reinterpretations of old practices and transformed modes of fan engagement?
● How do fans express themselves through cover versions and so-called fan videos?
● How have different national and supranational legal frameworks such as copyright law, licensing systems, and territorial rights shaped versioning practices?
● What role have publishers played in promoting different versioning practices across territories or genres?
● How have different conceptions of authenticity influenced versioning practices and audience reception?
● What is the relationship between covers and answer songs, musical responses, or other forms of musical dialogue?
● How have translation practices (phonetic vs. literary) influenced versioning practices across territories and the transnational circulation of recordings?
● How have local practices (e.g., recording of self-translations for foreign markets and local-language versions for domestic audiences) influenced versioning / cover versions?
● How have versioning practices differed across the globe?
● How has A.I. influenced how we perceive previous versions or remnants of earlier recordings?
● Which roles do sampling, interpolation and mash-ups play within broader versioning practices?
The proposed timeline for the publication process is as follows:
14 December 2026: Deadline for the submission of abstracts (maximum 400 words). Feedback on abstracts will be provided by January 31st, 2027. Please send submissions to: David-Emil.Wickstroem[at]popakademie.de; olivier.julien[at]sorbonne-universite.fr.
31 August 2027: Deadline for the submission of full manuscripts (manuscripts should be submitted via the journal’s submission system).
15 January 2028: Editorial decisions and requests for revisions sent to authors.
15 July 2028: Deadline for submitting revised manuscripts.
31 October 2028: Publication of the special issue.