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A few weeks ago I blogged about subscription music lagging in a flash-flood environment of media change.
Yahoo's sub service is guessed to pull in around $66 mil and yet is rumored to be for sale. According to sources, the upkeep with label negotiation and bringing in new subscribers is not easy.
Maybe breaking subscription models into a niche-based system based on genre could solve this. Although, that would leave music to be desired by the consumer. Unless they were fully aware that they were at a site based on, say, electronic music.
Just a thought...
The effects of the changing music industry are beginning to show effect.
Brick and Mortar stores are cutting shelf space devoted to music, thus lessening album sales revenue.
The middle management at labels has been cut out, eliminating the strong marketing efforts on the street, web, and elsewhere - and possibly the only strong arm the labels had left.
Still, the labels are making efforts to stay afloat.
New artist deals are being proposed.
The 360 deal takes a cut of all revenue (touring, merch) and is still an old way of doing business because the label retains all ownership of the music. What many people don't realize is that music makes money (oftentimes loads of money) years and years after the recording is released - by ways of licensing.
David Byrne wrote an excellent article in this month's Wired Magazine explaining the range of deals an artist can and should expect to do these days, ranging from an Equity deal or 360 (total label control) to licensing to self-distribution (total artist control). I was also told to check out his keynote at last year's SXSW Music Festival where he outlined similar ideas.
DRM?
Today, Sony-BMG and Amazon announced a deal to offer music from Sony's catalog to Amazon's newly-launched digital music store, free of the problematic DRM copyright protection.
It seems that the DRM-haze still exists, like the interior of your highschool mates '86 Honda on the second month stretch of a Phish tour. (Yes, I said Phish, but only to prove a point).
To be continued...
Even Santa Claus is on it!!!
1. Blackberry Curve 8320
The curve is as elegant up close as it looks from afar. It's smaller than the traditional Blackberry but larger than the adolescently-awkward Pearl. I can type easily, install free widgets (New York Times, Facebook, Twitter, anyone?) and the bluetooth makes it a snap to connect to my TomTom (see next). One of the most interesting features is that you can actually talk over your wifi connection, saving you valuable minutes (and providing, in a sense, more coverage!).
2. TomTom go 720
The TomTom gives me directions to anywhere including points of interest like gas stations, ATMs, parking structures and Starbucks. Just kidding on the last one. The ability to take calls and messages via Bluetooth will be even more valuable as the hands-free mandate goes into effect this summer.
3. the iPhone
Although, without the touch screen scrolling technology there is much to be desired. For example, the phone is not very robust (similar to the iPod) and typing has a learning curve. The absence of audio plug-ins and chatting features is odd. Yet all in all, a forward thinking device.
5. Casio Exilim
A year ago I got a 10.1 mega-pixel camera and the resolutions have only gotten better since then. Don't underestimate this little guy.
6. Flip Video Ultra
For just over $100, you have a small camcorder less than the size of a camera. The Flip allows you to shoot video quickly and easily, then download it to your computer via the USB port on your mac or pc. Tada! Video to store, publish, or share!
1. The White Stripes "Icky Thump"
This album is so honest and raw in a over-produced world gone mad. I think we need more stripped down production and heart and soul...I thought the 60's were going to come back in a big way this year given everything that's going on in the world but that didn't pan out really...did it? I digress.
2. Spoon "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga"
So catchy and fun but amazingly diverse and well arranged. I would have loved to be in the studio when they were making this. During an interview with Nic Harcourt on KCRW Brit name-drops a few artists who played on this record (listen to the drums being thrown about at the end of Cherry Bomb)!
Kate is honest and her lyrics are so relatable. Each song is like a little piece of candy. I wonder what would happen if more female artists were able to write their own lyrics. Would it sound like this, or more angry-like, or Ashley-Simpsonesque?
Common is a great wordsmith and his songs reference other styles but still stay strong to who he is as an artist. Collabs appear with Lily Allen, Dwele, Primo, and Belal.
5. Mark Ronson "Version"
A clever release that creates an interesting template in an industry with an uncertain future. Ronson delivers a concept album of various artists singing covers of other artist's songs. It pays homage to others' material in a respectful way and packs a punch in each single rather than a 8-10 track body of work with mostly mediocre material. In other words, each track stands on it's own - and his re-interpretations are fierce.
6. New Young Pony Club "Fantastic Playroom"
A breakout record for the playful, dance-y sound that we're going to be hearing a lot of in 2008. Haven't seen these guys live yet but am assuming it's a great performance. Which I probably shouldn't do (I loved Chromeo years ago prior to seeing them live, and to this day can't really deal with them anymore) but everyone deserves a chance, right?
I always liked this guy when he was Manitoba and particularly love his work as Caribou. Although, I'm a bit biased because 2005's "Milk of Human Kindness" was huge for me in the spring of last year. The production is lush and something about it is so uniquely magical and also fragile. This was in my queue more than any others in 2007.
8. Editors "An End Has a Start"
Full sound, so powerful and the one I could not get out of my car for a few months. You have to see them live, and also check out their live acoustic sesh on Spinner sessions.
9. Jose Gonzalez "In Our Nature"
I felt the need to put something "quiet" on here to demonstrate that I listen to more than just party music. Not that everything on this list is strictly party but... Probably, #2 on the list of most listened to after Caribou. voice + guitar = the most historically powerful and beautiful musical combination ever.
10. LCD Soundsystem "Sound of Silver"
This one almost came off the list as I've been debating exactly how much the production here has gone in the direction of sell-out. I loved LCD when they sounded punkier on "Losing My Edge" waay back in 2002. I revisted "My Friends" from Sound of Silver and decided that they're still worthy.
Runners Up / Honorable Mention go to:
- Bloc Party "A Weekend in the City"
- Albert Hammond Jr., "Yours to Keep"
- UNKLE "War Stories"
- Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings "100 Days 100 Nights"
- A Fine Frenzy "One Cell in the Sea"
- Klaxons "Myths of the Near Future"
- Kaiser Chiefs "Yours Truly Angry Mob"
- Radiohead "In Rainbows"
- MGMT "Oracular Spectacular"
- The Hives "The Black and White Album"
- The Kooks "Inside In, Inside Out"
In Stars Are Aligning for Subscription Music in yesterday's Business Week, Peter Burrows reports that subscription music services may be gaining momentum due to changes in consumer behavior. Users are becoming acclimated to receiving whatever they want whenever they want it. This is also applying to media which is evident in this years' crop of free, online & on-demand video services for television network shows.
I agree that iTunes is an old-school e-retailer. It has been an issue since they opened their doors that you can only preview :30 of a song. iTunes said that full playback is limited due to "streaming rights". Which legally, the last time I checked, is still gray territory. You'd think that a big shop like Apple could have worked something out.
First, the industry needs to come up with a model that allows listeners to preview a track in it's entirety. Have a vast catalog! (I predict that the indies will go first) AND, what a lot of industry folks seem to be missing, is that users want to share this content. They want to embed it on their blogs. They want to add it to their profile page, and add it to a mix for their friends. This is where the marketing is. This is where the promotion is. This is where the music industry needs to shift. Because, what better way to promote an artist if it's being done for you?
Further reading:
The more things change: Subscription music services still not taking off (Macuser)
Loved this article. It goes with what I've been saying for awhille now that Myspace has tipped completely over and is going the way of Facebook. Arrivederci!
http://mashable.com/2007/10/30/myspace-new-homepage/
