The Network Effect and Rock Lyric Translation: The Case of Romanian Radio Producers and Musicians under Communism

In this essay I examine rock lyric translations and how the network effect of radio and theater increases the popularity of indie translations compared to versions of the same text circulating via traditional book distribution channels. Using the particular example of Romania before the fall of Communism, I argue that in such ‘spaces’ translation should not be analyzed in terms of social networks of influence only, but also as information networks fueled by users through free labor, out of personal interest, and via manifold creative processes.